You might wonder why the auto enthusiast industry flocks to Orlando, FL, scant weeks after the monster SEMA Show in Las Vegas, NV. We have it on good authority that it has nothing to do with mostly sunny weather and mid-70s temperatures. Of course not…
Actually, the PRI (Performance Racing Industry) Show is really hardcore. For example, you won’t see any mountain motor builders showing up at SEMA, but they’re all in Orlando. While Mopar displayed some travel trailers at SEMA, they didn’t bother bringing any to PRI.
In fact, what they did bring is enough to keep the rampant racer drooling through the entire trip back home again. In case you can’t make it to Florida this week, we’ll take a look at the new bits from Mopar. Topping the list is the the reincarnation of its famed “elephant motor” from the 60’s.
Production for the all-aluminum HEMI Gen III Crate Engine (above) begins this month. With a list price of $13,675, this modern pachyderm includes the intake manifold and oil pan while offering a heavily underrated 540hp and 530 ft-lbs of torque. Kenny Wayne Shepard replied to a post on Moparts.com that the Gen III 426 cranked out “well over 600hp” before tuning it down to a 50-state legal smog level (thanks CARB, you bunch of communists).
Additionally, three versions of the Gen III HEMI’s aluminum engine block are available separately. With an MSRP of $4,485, these blocks are 100 pounds lighter than the cast-iron version.
Additional parts for those with special plans for the 5.7 or 6.1-liter engines were also shown. A distributor kit for these engines lets you take a more old school approach and punt the computer. Pricing was not available, nor is the kit until February.
A newly announced Valvetrain Tie Bar Kit will allow these engines to tolerate higher engine speeds, by stiffening the rocker shaft’s ties to the cylinder heads. The $399 kit is also available for the 6.4-liter engine.
Another blast from the past comes up as a new set of W2 Cylinder Heads. The old Wedge engines still have a lot of competitive life left in them and these new cast iron heads are going to extend that even further. Listing for just over $600 each, these are machined for 2.02-inch intake valves and 1.60-inch exhaust valves and should be available just into the New Year.
A number of other performance accessories were introduced as well. These included a rear strut tower brace for the 2008–2010 Dodge Challenger and 2005–2010 Charger/300; a cold air intake kit for 3.5-liter V-6 equipped 2008–2010 Challenger/300/Charger vehicles and a Long Ram Performance CAI for the 2008–2010 Challenger and 2004–2010 Charger/300 with the 5.7-liter or 6.1-liter V-8 engine.