If the rumor mills are true, then the 5.7L V8 that brought Chrysler out of the front-wheel-drive era and into V8 happiness is due to be axed next year, and honestly, that’s kind of a sad affair. The 345 cubic inch mill certainly isn’t the powerhouse that it was when it debuted in the LX platform cars in 2005, but part of that is due to it’s overshadowing by the 6.1L, 6.4L, and more recently Hellcat 6.2L siblings. In current form, the 5.7L produces 363 horsepower and 396 ft/lbs of torque in the Chrysler 300C, and a few horses more in the Dodge Charger. In 2005, those were fantastic figures. Nowadays, there are V6s that will show their ass to a 5.7L powered stocker no questions asked. And it’s not like the truck market is faring any better. Ram is working on a much-needed new platform for 2019, and the 5.7 only exists to fill a slot between the bare-bones 3.6L Pentastar V6 and the 6.4L Hemi in heavier-duty applications.
So what to do with an engine that has sold millions, has amortized it’s development costs and can take a good beating? FCA is stockpiling a good amount for sales and later use, but surely there can be some room for a V8-powered something or other that isn’t a huge sedan or monstrous SUV, right? The question is, then, what? And that’s where we ask you, the solid minds reading, for ideas. As much as we like the idea of a twin-turbo Pentastar six (rumor mill fodder), there is something lost when transitioning to a V6…namely, the noise and excitement of a V8. There have to be some concessions: compared to what FCA has now, it’s got to be lighter than what they currently have, and size should be an issue dealt with as well. Unless you’re going to jam a Hemi into a new Pacifica…then don’t change a thing but the powertrain and watch every minivan-ashamed dad start screaming, “Take my money!”
V8 Viper? Dakota replacement? A new use for all of those unsold Chrysler 200s? Or do you have a brand-new car or truck in mind? Let’s hear your ideas below!
If the FCA also means the death of the LS then the great Hemi is a sad but worthy sacrifice!
“The FCA” is the Fiat-Chrysler Alliance, the corporate overlord of Mopar… they have nothing to do with GM
And there is nothing you can do to stop the almighty LS motor!! We will not rest until it’s been swapped into every manner of vehicle in every corner of the world!
They could add a control pack and undercut GM and Ford on crate motors to drive sales and enthusiasm for hemi upgrades.
How about a Prowler reboot or a 125% scale PT Cruiser kind of retro crossover-maybe a Jeep frame.
Work with a supplier like Factory Five for kits into their GTM
Or Dynacorn stamps 69 Dart bodies for a new hemi dart
How about a stripper Charger ,manual windows sound deadener delete deep gears etc…it’s lighter than the Challenger and the cost would be low.
You are welcome FCA now go build that Charger since I can’t afford a Hellcat and need a sedan!
Hmmm… what in the Chrysler lineup needs a V8 purely because putting a V8 in it would be nuts? How about offering a new Dart GTS with more or less the same sheet metal and the AWD system out of the 200 / Cherokee? No idea if the 5.7 can be mounted transversely, though.
It’d definitely be a tight squeeze, but they did shove a 5.3 LS4 sideways in the front of impala SS’s and Grand Prix GXP’s. The dart is quite a bit smaller however…
Would be good in a Mid-Sized Pick up or maybe in a Jeep Wrangler.
I shed no tears for the demise of the 5.7. Rather have the 6.1 or 6.4 instead anyway. No replacement for displacement!
The Hemi 5.7 should be the base motor for all FCA products.
They should have been aluminum block a decade ago. Start there.
Put it in the new 2019 Jeep Wrangler pick up truck!