The bare Hellephant 426 and Drag Pak 354 engine blocks are now available, ready for you to build the Hemi V-8 of your dreams.
Dodge Direct Connection is heading to SEMA loaded with Hemi engines—just don’t expect any of them to power a new production car. For those handy with tools, however, there are now two affordable options to build a beastly V-8.
The catch? You’ll need to build it yourself, as these are engine blocks only. For the first time, the Hellephant A30 426 and Drag Pak 354 Hemis are available in their stripped-down form, without heads or other components. This also means a simpler price: the Drag Pak Hemi is $10,570, and the Hellephant starts at $8,815. Dodge says these blocks feature updated construction for improved oiling, cooling, and durability.
For context, a fully assembled Hellephant 426 is priced at $29,995 and delivers 1,000 horsepower. A partially built Hellephant long block, which includes heads and some other components, retails for $18,995. The race-specific 354 engine, on the other hand, costs just under $60,000 when fully complete.
If you’d rather have your Hemi in the modern 6.2-liter version, Dodge Direct Connection is now offering the Demon 170 supercharger separately. This impressive 3.0-liter twin-screw supercharger is crucial for the Demon 170’s 1,025-horsepower output, but it comes at a steep price: the supercharger kit costs $11,995 and includes a new throttle body, fuel injectors, and all necessary installation components.
“Dodge is celebrating 50 years of Direct Connection by expanding our performance parts lineup for enthusiasts looking for more horsepower on the strip or the street,” stated Dodge CEO Matt McAlear. “With the introduction of the Hellephant A30 and Drag Pak 354 Supercharged Crate HEMI engine blocks, Direct Connection continues to broaden the brand’s range of crate engine products.”
These new engine blocks will be available for sale in early 2025, but Mopar will showcase them next week at this year’s SEMA Show. Also on display in Mopar’s SEMA booth will be an EV-swapped Plymouth GTX muscle car, just in case you’re not a fan of ground-shaking Hemi engines.
