Dodge Testing Challenger Drag Pak With Hurricane Inline-Six Engine

Aug. 28, 2023 2:33 PM ET byJarryd Neves Motorsport /6 Comments

With 550 horsepower, it's quick but lacks the drama of a good old V8.

Since the muscle car was created,gearheads have often looked downon Challengers, Mustangs, and Camaros powered by anything less than a V8. We disagree: some four-cylinder and V6 muscle cars can be great fun. But when it comes to dedicated drag cars, a good 'ol eight-cylinder is the way to go.

Until now, that is. It seems Dodge is working on aChallengerDrag Pak prototype powered not by a V8 but by a far more efficient (but still potent) Hurricane inline-six engine. A video posted to YouTube byThe Mopar Junkieclaims the Drag Pak prototype produces 550 horsepower and 531 lb-ft of torque, which is even more than thestandard Hurricane High Outputmotor.

The vehicle was reportedly unveiled at the Dodge Roadkill Nights event in Pontiac, Michigan. As per the video, the Challenger is fitted with the Hurricane CAT3 crate engineknown as the HurriCrate.

With all that power on tap, one would expect a more spirited showing from the Challenger prototype. That's not to say it's slow: as you can see in the video, the vehicle raced down the strip at speed, but perhaps the lack of a V8 soundtrack left us and the crowds feeling underwhelmed. While there's nothing wrong with the smooth sound of an inline-six engine, it's no match for the dramatic growl of an American V8.

Sadly, the V8's days are numbered. Dodge has said its next generation of muscle carswill not receive a V8 engine, with all iterations expected to gain a variation of the Hurricane inline-six. If you must have a large displacement eight-cylinder under the hood of your Mopar muscle car, you'll need to act fast and getone of the Last Call variants.

While many will mourn the loss of the old-school 5.7- and 6.4-liter HEMI V8 engine, the Hurricane six-pot is a better engine on multiple levels. Not only is it modern and refined, but it's also more efficient. According to Stellantis, the new motor emits fewer CO₂emissions than the 3.6-liter V6 and provides a 15% increase in fuel efficiency compared to the automaker's V8 engines.

It's more powerful, too, as even the Standard Output Hurricane engine produces just over 400 hp and 450 lb-ft. The first vehicles to be made available with these engines were the Jeep Grand Wagoneer L and Wagoneer L SUVs, which were revealed last year.

For die-hard gearheads, sadly, this is the future of motoring. At least we can celebrate that Dodge is keeping the muscle car alive, even if that means it does so without a V8. Now, if only they could replicate the sound...

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