Direct Connection Unveils Six HEMI V8 Crate Engine Packages from 385 to 1,025 Horsepower

• Direct Connection, the factory-backed parts arm of Stellantis’ SRT Performance division, will sell six HEMI V8 crate engine packages rated from 385 horsepower to 1,025 horsepower.
• Each package pairs a crate engine with a matching controller kit and carries a three-year / 100,000-mile warranty.
• The packages arrive in the first quarter of 2027 at a price that has not been announced.

One Crate, One Controller Kit and One Warranty Replace the Guesswork of a HEMI Swap

The 2026 SEMA Show in Las Vegas gave the line its debut on November 3, 2026. Every package combines a Direct Connection crate engine with the controller kit that goes with it, and the series adds serialized engine identification plaques and a branded shipping crate. Direct Connection builds the line for enthusiast builders, racers and restorers, and says flex fuel capability runs across the series.

“Our philosophy is simple: one part, one solution. If you’re going to build something serious, you shouldn’t have to guess whether all the pieces are going to work together,” said Tim Kuniskis, head of American Brands, SRT Performance and Direct Connection division, Stellantis North America. “That’s what these new Direct Connection crate engine packages are about. Everything you need, engineered to work together, in one turnkey package. Whether you’re bringing a classic muscle car back to life or building something for the street or the track, we’re making it easier to get the performance you want and the confidence that comes with it.”

Pricing is the open question. Direct Connection has named no figure for any of the six packages, so a buyer who wants to plan a build today has power, parts and warranty terms to work with and no total.

The Six Packages From 385 to 1,025 Horsepower

The 345 and 392 names refer to displacement in cubic inches. Each size comes in two trims, Street Strip and Super Stock, which makes four packages. Two supercharged 376-cubic-inch (6.2L) packages complete the six. The spread between the mildest and the strongest rating is 640 horsepower, and every figure below is Direct Connection’s own.

The 345 makes 385 horsepower and 417 lb-ft of torque from a 95mm bore, a 90.9mm stroke and a 10.5:1 compression ratio. The 392 makes 485 horsepower and 475 lb-ft with a 103.9mm bore, a 94.6mm stroke, 10.9:1 compression and a 6,400 rpm peak. Both use 319 aluminum HEMIspherical cylinder heads, with black valve covers on the 345 and HEMI orange covers on the 392.

Street Strip and Super Stock share the same rated output within each size, so the difference sits in the block and the hardware around it. Street Strip packages start from a remanufactured performance block, and Super Stock packages use a new performance block. Super Stock adds Redeye valve springs for valvetrain control at high rpm, an SRT Hellcat oil pump for more oiling capacity and an SRT oil cooler for oil temperature control under sustained high load. The 345 Super Stock also gets a larger SRT oil filter.

The Hellcrate Redeye 6.2L Supercharged Super Stock package carries a 2.7L IHI twin screw supercharger, 9.5:1 compression and a 6,500 rpm peak. Direct Connection rates it at up to 885 horsepower and 787 lb-ft of torque in High Octane Mode. Direct Connection does not define that mode, so the 885 horsepower figure carries the qualifier wherever it appears. The Redeye package adds a Hellephant 426 supercharger pulley and a 180-degree performance thermostat.

At the top, the Hellephant C170 6.2L Supercharged Super Stock package is capable of 1,025 horsepower and 945 lb-ft of torque on an E85 blend. It runs a 3.0L IHI supercharger with an improved intercooler and a larger snout, a 3.02-inch pulley for more boost and a 105mm throttle body. An ethanol sensor and an upgraded fuel rail and injectors support the E85 fuel, and upgraded pistons with a top land cutback, plus billet steel main caps, handle the added load. Direct Connection gives no output figure for the C170 on any other fuel.

What Comes in the Crate and Which Transmission Fits

Every package ships with the crate engine wiring and Power Distribution Center kit, a flashed powertrain control module, O2 sensors, an accelerator pedal, the Direct Connection branded crate and a fender tag with a unique serial number and the engine specifications. Automatic buyers also receive a shifter and a brake press switch.

Direct Connection designed the engines for plug-and-play use with its new TorqueFlite 8HP90 automatic transmission crates and with the TREMEC manual transmission. The TorqueFlite crates offer a 4.71:1 first gear, a 7.06:1 overall ratio, dual overdrive seventh and eighth gears, an electronically controlled torque converter and a high-performance OEM starter. Each engine takes its own transmission part number: PW100075AA for the 345, PW100076AA for the 392, PW100074AA for the Redeye and PW100067AB for the C170.

The choice of gearbox narrows at the top of the range. The 345 and 392 packages list the automatic and the TREMEC Magnum manual (part number PW100004) as recommended applications. The two supercharged packages list the automatic as required and the manual as recommended. Direct Connection gives no reason for the requirement.

The warranties differ by component. The engine packages carry three years or 100,000 miles, and the TorqueFlite transmission crate carries 12 months or 12,000 miles. A buyer budgeting for a complete drivetrain should plan for the shorter cover on the gearbox.

The 1967 Plymouth GTX That Went Back to a HEMI

The display car on the Direct Connection stand is a restored 1967 Plymouth GTX first shown at SEMA in 2024. It returns as the first build with the Hellcrate Redeye 6.2L Supercharged Super Stock package, paired with the TorqueFlite 8HP90 automatic. The build wears Frostbite Blue paint on a lowered three-link suspension, with 18-by-9-inch BTG Vintage Bronze forged magnesium wheels and Pirelli P-ZERO (PZ4) tires. Inside, IndiGo Blue premium leather with Gunmetal suede inner bolsters covers a 2 + 2 seating layout, and manual window cranks keep the classic feel.

The 2024 version ran as an EV conversion, a history Kuniskis lays out himself.

“When we showed this GTX at SEMA in 2024, the original owner we bought it from wasn’t exactly thrilled that we had turned his muscle car into an EV,” said Kuniskis. “We heard him. So this year, we fixed it. We put a supercharged HEMI back under the hood, and I have a feeling he’s going to like this version a whole lot better.”

What the Rest of the Direct Connection Catalog Costs

Direct Connection announced a second batch of parts on the same day, and those parts carry real prices. “One of the most common questions we hear after unveiling a concept vehicle, prototype build or custom halo product is, ‘How can I get those parts for my vehicle?,'” said Tom Sacoman, senior vice president, SRT Performance division, Stellantis North America. “Direct Connection exists to answer that question. For performance enthusiasts, the journey doesn’t end when they take delivery. That’s when it begins. The mission of Direct Connection is to enable our owners to upgrade their Mopars with the confidence that comes from factory-endorsed accessories.”

These prices cover other parts and not the crate engines, but they show what a Direct Connection build costs once the engine is in. The Whipple supercharger kit for the Ram 1500 Rumble Bee muscle trucks has an MSRP of $10,995 before installation and arrives in the first quarter of 2027. It targets up to 600 horsepower on Rumble Bee 5.7 models, up to 700 horsepower on Rumble Bee 392 and 392 Track Pack applications, and up to 900 horsepower on Rumble Bee 6.2 SRT models. Direct Connection will honor the original five-year / 60,000-mile limited vehicle powertrain warranty if an ASE-certified Mopar Level 3 technician installs the kit.

The Hellcat Stage 1 Calibration Kit is on sale now at $2,195. It adds up to 40 horsepower to the Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat (2021 and 2023 to 2025) and the Ram TRX SRT (2021 to 2024). MagnaFlow cat-back exhausts carry MSRPs of $1,599 for the Rumble Bee, $2,299 for the Rumble Bee 392 and 392 Track Pack, $2,399 for the Rumble Bee SRT and $3,399 for the Dodge Charger, where Direct Connection quotes gains of up to 21 horsepower and 26 lb-ft of torque. Cold-air intakes run from $995 for the Charger (on sale now) to $1,130 for the base Ram 1500 5.7L and $1,375 for the Rumble Bee 5.7L, and a Hellcat oil pump retrofit for non-Hellcat HEMI engines costs $375. The anticipated Ridetech suspension kit for the Rumble Bee is $4,590 and the anticipated 22-by-10-inch wheel kit is $2,950.

A Rumble Bee owner who adds the supercharger kit, the suspension, the wheels and the base exhaust faces $20,134 in MSRPs before installation, two of them anticipated: $10,995 plus $4,590 plus $2,950 plus $1,599. The Rumble Bee and Charger exhausts, the suspension, the wheels and the Ram intakes are planned for the end of the year. Direct Connection sells these parts online and through Mopar and CDJR dealers. Charger shoppers who want factory-backed extras without an engine swap can look at the Mopar ’27 Charger package.

What Buyers Still Do Not Know

Three gaps remain open for anyone who wants a HEMI crate engine in a project car. Direct Connection has not published a price for any package. Availability starts in the first quarter of 2027, and final production content can vary by package, so the contents of a given crate could differ from the lists above. Direct Connection also makes no statement on emissions certification or street legality, so a builder planning a road car should ask before ordering.

Direct Connection takes technical and race support questions on (800) 998-1110, and the full portfolio sits at DCPerformance.com. Until Direct Connection names a price, the six packages give HEMI builders a clear menu of power levels and a single warranty to compare against a piece-by-piece build.

Want more car content? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for the best automotive news and analysis on the internet.

If you enjoyed this article, be sure to follow us on Microsoft Start.