5 Most Powerful Dodge Crate Engines Ever Built (And What They Cost)

Whether you're upgrading a relatively modern Dodge vehicle like the third-generation Challenger or working on a classic from the 1970s, crate engines are a great way to upgrade or add more power to your project car. Of course, when you're working on a Dodge project car, a Dodge crate engine is a natural way to go.

Dodge is known for making cars that go fast in a straight line, so if your project car carries the logo up front, you likely want something powerful under the hood, too. Thankfully, Dodge sells its most potent crate engines under Direct Connection, a part of the Mopar Division that focuses on kits, performance parts, and other add-ons. If you're considering getting a new motor for your Dodge project car or upgrading your current one, these are the five most powerful crate engines you can get from Dodge today.

The Direct Connection 1500 HEMI was built in partnership with DSR Performance, the aftermarket engineering and performance parts arm of Don Schumacher Racing, which is one of the most successful drag racing teams in the NHRA. This licensed crate engine is based on the 392 HEMI V8 Engine found in Ram Heavy Duty pickups and the Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack. 

The 1500 HEMI Crate Engine can hit 1,500 hp and over 1,000 lb-ft of torque with its 426 cubic-inch (7.0 liter) displacement. This makes it the most powerful Dodge engine without any modifications. Other advantages of this motor are its compatibility with the Hellcrate wire harness and in older model cars. However, even with that compatibility, you'll still need an estimated 40 hours or more to get this engine from the crate to the track, and that's provided you don't run into any issues.

As this engine is the most powerful of the bunch, expect it to also be the most expensive option. The 1500 HEMI starts at $59,990 and is currently only available for pre-order. You also need to place a $1,000 deposit to reserve your spot. This engine is available on a first-come, first-served basis, so plan accordingly.

With Dodge discontinuing the gasoline-powered Charger and Challenger lines, it saw fit to create a "Last Call" special edition boasting incredible power. This is the 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170, powered by the Hellephant C170 6.2L Supercharged HEMI engine.

Officially, the Hellephant C170-powered Demon vanquishes the quarter mile in 8.91 seconds at 151.17 mph. The car is so powerful that it's banned from NHRA events because it lacks a safety cage and a parachute — requirements for all sub-nine-second vehicles wanting to enter NHRA-sanctioned races. But, even if you have an older Dodge, you can still get a huge power boost with the Hellephant C170 6.2L Supercharged Crate HEMI engine. This motor can put out the same 1,025 hp at 6,500 rpm and 945 lb-ft of torque at 4,200 rpm as the car it was originally found in.

If you weren't able to get your hands on the most powerful muscle car Dodge has ever made, you can still make one by getting this crate motor and dropping it in your project car. However, getting this engine will cost you, as the crate motor is priced at $27,675 on Direct Connection — and that doesn't include accessories or other parts you might need.

Although the Hellephant 426 Supercharged Crate HEMI engine isn't the most powerful Hellephant engine in stock form, it's the most expensive, and it has the biggest displacement at 426 cubic inches (7.0 liters). It's also not far from the C170, as it has 1,000 hp straight from the factory and offers a little more torque at 950 lb-ft.

This engine made its first appearance at the 2018 SEMA in Las Vegas, where it was displayed both alongside and inside a restomod 1968 Dodge Charger. At that time, it was rumored that only 100 units were available for order, as this is a hand-made engine. Availability comes and goes, but the engine's page stays up on DCPerformance.com.

If you want to get your hands on this engine, you'd better save up some serious cash, as it retails on Direct Connection for $29,995. This makes it one of the more expensive and exclusive Hellephant engines.

If 1,000 hp is a bit too much for your build but you still want something that can smoke most other competitors, the Hellcrate Redeye 6.2L Supercharged Crate HEMI engine might be a good choice. This motor outputs 807 hp and 717 lb-ft of torque, making it mildly more "modest" than the thousand-horsepower monsters mentioned earlier.

As the name suggests, you can find the Hellcrate Redeye engines in the 2021 Dodge Challenger and Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye editions. Although these cars weren't quite the crazy-fast Challenger SRT Demon models Dodge released in 2018, they still offer similar speed and performance.

If you couldn't afford the $82,000 price tag of a Redeye Charger, you can instead get this engine for $21,807 and drop it into a used model. It's notably cheaper than some of the other crate engines on this list as well, while the power and performance remain incredibly high.

All the powerful Dodge engines we've listed so far cost at least $20,000. If you don't want to spend that kind of money on a new motor, you can still get the Hellcrate 6.2L Supercharged Crate HEMI for $17,925. This engine produces 717 hp and 656 lb-ft of torque, which, while not the eyewatering numbers you'd get from the Hellephant engines, are still more than respectable.

Although this engine isn't as powerful as its Redeye sibling, it's the base engine used for that model. The main difference is that the Redeye uses a larger, 2.7-liter supercharger, while this engine uses a 2.4-liter one. Because the larger supercharger has higher boost pressure, the Redeye uses stronger internal parts and accessories to deal with the added stress.

Nevertheless, if you're pushing your overall budget with the price of the Redeye engine, the Hellcrate 6.2L Supercharged Crate HEMI is a great alternative option.