How Much HP Does A Supercharger Add To A 5.7 HEMI? Here's What You Need To Know

If you were unaware, the HEMI engines that have powered many vehicles from Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, and more — now under the Stellantis umbrella — are going to way the of the dodo. These hemispherical V8 engines have been a part of the American automobile system since the early 1950s when they were known as FirePower engines, and as every automaker turns its focus more towards electric vehicles, these large V8s just don't have much of a future. While they may be leaving production, there are still plenty of people out there who love the HEMI engines inside their Dodge Charger or Ram pickup truck.

Not only do people want to keep their HEMI engines, some add a supercharger to them to maximize the power these V8 engines can generate. That is saying quite a lot because the HEMI V8 engines are already quite powerful as they are without any added frills. Take the 5.7L HEMI V8 that kicked off the third — and ultimately final — generation of the HEMI engines in 2003. This was an engine you could find in anything from a Chrysler 300C to a Jeep Wagoneer until the cessation of production in 2023. Depending on which vehicles it was in, this 5.7L V8 could generate anywhere from 340 to 395 hp and 375 to 410 lb ft of torque. For most people in passenger vehicles, those are good numbers. However, there are always some gearheads who want more.

A supercharger works by compressing the intake gas. This allows more space for air within the engine, and in turn, it can produce a lot more power than the displacement of the engine usually does. In the case of the 5.7L HEMI V8, which is already a fairly large volume for displacement, a supercharger has the capacity to ramp up the power output for one of these engines dramatically.

Several companies specialize in supercharging various engines, and one of the most popular options is the 5.7L HEMI V8. A supercharger can take that 340 to 395 hp and increase those numbers anywhere from 120 to 160 hp. This is done with a simple gain of 7 PSI for the engine. Once you've supercharged your Dodge Challenger or any other vehicle with a 5.7L HEMI V8, you are looking at power more akin to something you would find on a racetrack than driving in your neighborhood.

Car companies themselves have made the transition to turbochargers to increase the air in their engines. The difference between a supercharger and a turbocharger is that a supercharger achieves this mechanically, whereas a turbocharger relies on energy for this to occur. So, for a supercharger, you are probably going to need to head to a third-party company like ProCharger or HEMI Tuner Performance. The unfortunate side effect with a supercharger is a drop in fuel economy, but if all you care about is power, then supercharging your 5.7L HEMI V8 will certainly accomplish that.

[Image by Ermell via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY-SA 4.0]