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Chrysler's Mopar 1000-HP 426 Hellephant Hemi Crate Engine Is Officially Sold Out

Photo credit: FCA
Photo credit: FCA

From Car and Driver

  • Pricing was announced and order books were opened for Mopar's supercharged 1000-hp 426 Hemi V-8 crate engine, known as Hellephant, in late April.

  • At $29.99 per pony, Mopar said, more than 1000 people have already pledged to purchase one since its introduction at the 2018 SEMA show.

  • Mopar celebrated event by sharing Hemi-themed content on the brand's social channels throughout the day on April 26 (4/26), which Chrysler faithful know as Hemi Day.

UPDATE 5/6/19: You snooze, you lose. Just days after opening the books for preorders, the entire first run of 1000-hp 426-cubic inch Mopar Hellephant Supercharged Hemi crate engines is sold out. Word comes by way of the ever vigilant Mopar enthusiasts and FCA watchdogs over at Allpar.com, who noticed several social media posts indicating the crate Hemis were no longer available and reached out to FCA for confirmation. FCA gave Allpar this official statement: "Given the high demand and the hand-built, time-intensive build process, we have closed preordering for the 426 Hellephant. Based on preorders, the engine sold out in just two days. Customers can visit www.cratehemi.com to receive future information and updates on the Hellephant engine." FCA offered no official sales numbers, but given the Hellephant's hand-built nature, many figure the run was limited to approximately 100 units. You can bet FCA is already doing the pencil work to make a case for another production run.

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Thank heaven the engineers who created the most famous version of Chrysler's legendary Hemi V-8 ran out of displacement at 426 cubic inches. Had they had enough material to open up the bore or increase the stroke even slightly, say to 432 or 433 cubic inches, the world would be denied the glory that is Hemi Day, held annually on April 26 for obvious reasons. Of course the easy workaround would be to punch or stroke it to the 500-plus-cubic-inch mark, at which point they'd be required to move the celebration to the month of May to keep thing symbiotic. Although the mighty Hemi has appeared in a few different displacements over its lifetime, it's the 426 variety that has made gearheads gasp for decades.

Photo credit: FCA
Photo credit: FCA

Known officially as the Mopar Hellephant 426 Supercharged Hemi Crate Engine, it carries part number (P/N) P5160194 and wears a price tag of $29,995. That translates to the low, low price of $29.99 per pony, a price that will be recognized as a relative bargain by anyone who has tried to conjure up that much reliable horsepower on their own.

Photo credit: FCA
Photo credit: FCA

Chrysler says its Hellephant engine installation kit (P/N 77072500) will be a "plug and play" experience for the seasoned engine installer; it's priced at $2265. Additional products designed to streamline the installation of the Hellephant include the Front End Accessory Drive (FEAD) kit, an A/C Expansion kit, the Exhaust Manifold kit, a Rear Sump Oil Pan kit, and a 45-degree oil filter. Prices for those weren't announced yet but will be ready to preorder on FCA's Mopar product website. Complete ordering information for the Hellephant and its accessories can be found at www.cratehemi.com.

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