Chrysler had been making hemi engines (“hemi” means the original engines were built with hemispherical combustion chambers) for decades but a series of commercials beginning in 2004 brought the engine term to the forefront of American consciousness.
In a TV commercial, a redneck passenger of Plymouth Duster asked “That thing got a hemi?” to the driver of a Dodge pickup truck pulling a Dodge Charger on a trailer. The pickup truck then blows away the Duster after the light turns green, and an American television commercial icon began.
Chrysler has been putting hemi engines in its cars since the 1950s, and for 2018, the engine continues in various iterations.
I had the opportunity to test hemi engines in two Chrysler products — a 2018 Ram 1500 pickup truck and a 2018 Dodge Charger Daytona — and came away impressed with both vehicles and their engines.
The Ram 1500 pickup (there aren’t any more Dodge pickup trucks; they’ve been called Ram trucks since 2009) was loaded, with a crew cab, four-wheel-drive, and a “Longhorn Limited” option package.
I expected the Ram, equipped with a 5.7-liter, 395-horsepower V8 hemi engine, to deliver truly horrific gas mileage, but I was surprised. With its eight-speed automatic transmission, EPA gas mileage was rated at 15 miles per gallon in the city and 21 mpg on the highway for a combined rating of 17 mpg. I was actually able to get better than that — 17.2 miles per gallon — in a test that included a lot of highway driving.
The big hemi engine is needed when you’re pulling trailers loaded with classic cars, and it was the focal point of the tested, loaded Ram. The base price of the truck was $54,990 but options added were the $3,200 “limited” package that included a more luxurious interior, chrome molding, and power and heated front seats, among other items; a $1,825 “tungsten edition” package that included exterior enhancements; a $1,295 rear “Ram Box” system that included two lockable side cargo areas; a $1,095 sunroof; and a few other options that brought the total price to $63,525.
Wow. That’s quite a bit. But it was luxurious enough to impress the valet parkers at a recent college alumni event, who moved the 2018 Ram to the front of the parking area, in front of the Mercedes-Benz and BMW models.
Passengers relegated to the rear seat in the Ram crew cab didn’t have any complaints about legroom, and I didn’t have any complaints about driving the big Ram on either the highway or city streets.
I also didn’t have many complaints about the other hemi-powered vehicle I tested: The 2018 Dodge Charger Daytona 392.
It’s powered by a massive 6.4-liter, 485-horsepower V8 hemi coupled to an eight-speed automatic transmission. This hemi has an “active exhaust” system, which simply means that when you start your Charger Daytona 392, your neighbors will certainly hear the hemi engine roaring to life! Dodge calls it “a signature Dodge muscle-car sound.” You’ll probably call it “loud.”
This car was born to race. How can you tell? It’s equipped with a lot of “high performance” systems, such as suspension, optional Brembo brakes, and digital readouts in the center console that measure the car’s current horsepower and torque, g-forces, and other race-related measurements.
Another hint that it’s built to race? Well, it’s not built to deliver great fuel economy. Its EPA ratings were 15 miles per gallon in the city and 25 on the highway for a combined rating of 18 miles per gallon, but I obtained mileage of only 10.4 mpg. And if you’re racing your Charger Daytona 392, that’s probably better mileage than you’re going to get.
I’d feel a little hesitant about racing my Charger Daytona 392, especially if it was decked out like the test model. The base price of the “destroyer grey” model (no thanks, I prefer my muscle cars in red!) was $41,090 but it was laden with more than $10,000 in options, including a $5,000 “customer preferred package” that included the “Daytona” markings and performance enhancements, as well as interior upgrades such as ventilated front seats and illuminated rear cupholders. It also featured a $1,995 upgraded Harmon Kardon audio system; a $1,295 sunroof; a $1,495 “technology group” that included safety features like blind-spot assist and adaptive cruise control; and a few other options that brought the total price to $52,865.
I would feel hesitant about taking a car that expensive to the race track, but if I were serious about racing, the Charger Daytona 392 might find a winner’s circle or two at amateur racing events.
One thing not related to racing at all that stood out on the 2018 Charger Daytona 392 was the rear-view camera display. With an 8.4-inch monitor in the front console, the image of what was behind the car was so clear and big, it was a nicer picture than my color TV delivered more than 30 years ago.
Would I compare the 2018 Charger Daytona 392 favorably to the 650-horsepower 2018 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 (reviewed back in October in the Denver Business Journal), which also comes ready for the racetrack? Sure I would, especially since the Dodge is priced about $15,000 less than the ZL1. The Camaro would probably crush the Dodge on the racetrack, but both cars are good at waking up the neighbors.
And the Charger Daytona 392 has a hemi!
To see the new hemi-equipped Chrysler models, check out the Denver Auto Show, which takes place April 4-8 at the Denver Convention Center. For more information on the auto show, click here.