Since the 5.7 is producing approximately 380HP and the 3.5 is producing 250HP, would it make sense for Chrysler to offer a 4.0L V6 w/ Hemi heads if they could produce 300HP or more from this combo?

 

Well Dskippy, I'm one who would like to see this happen, the problem is it won't produce 300 hp with the output of the 5.7L nor the output of the 6.1L without further modifications. I would say a 4.2L Hemi on the basis that would be about the displacement of a V6 made directly from the 5.7L and the output would be around 275-280hp but the tq would be about 300ft-lbs and it could benefit from the MDS and probably get better fuel economy as well as maybe cost less than the 3.5L since this engine apparently isn't that expensive to build.

 

Using CID to HP ratio as the basis for the extrapolation?

 

It depends. If 250HP feels weak and lame in the Challenger, then yes.
But if it feels pretty zippy, then it's not that important to offer 4L.

 

Wow, that's interesting..... the 3.5 gets 71 hp per liter where the 5.7 gets 66 hp per liter and the 6.1 get 70 per liter.

Puzzling.....the non Hemi (in this very simplified equation) is more potent than the Hemi? Umhh.????

What am I missing?

 

If they could get a challenger out there with around 300hp for 26-27k I'd be all over it.

 

Not sure how to vote, (although the last option is tempting just on humor factor). Relative price of the R/T vs SE will make a big difference. They could probably do an "SXT" or something with a more powerful 6 if there was enough price gap to make it worthwhile. Too close price to the R/T and you'll never sell, to close to the SE and the SE becomes a moot point. I'd say if you can go 3K over the SE, and not get too close to the R/T, it makes sense. I'm not sure they'd call it a hemi though, that might kinda seem odd. And with multivalve engine design, the true "hemi" head isn't even the ideal setup anymore.

 

The 3.5L is a 4 valve per cylinder SOHC engine; whereas, the Hemis are traditional pushrod/OHV 2 valve per cylinder engines. The thing the 3.5L would lack is the torque that you could get from the Hemi which is more important in a heavier car. Also the 3.5L's design is not going to be as consistent in the hp & tq throughout the band as a Hemi would; however, after saying this I will tell you from my own experience the 3.5L feels strong no matter where you hit it.

The reason why I suggested a 4.2L is that Chrysler already has a 4.0L V6 engine and the fact that just as the Chrysler 3.9L V6 the replacement for the slant six and used in the trucks until 2003 was a 318 (5.2L) with two less cylinders. My theory is they should leave the displacement alone if they were to make a V6 from the Hemi (which unfortunately is unlikely to happen). The issue is as well that if you only used a 4.0L V6 Hemi the hp gain would only be about 10hp & the torque would be a 30lbs gain, but people pay far more attention to hp than tq so having 275-280hp & 300ft-lbs of tq would stand out more as an improvement over the 3.5L.

What Chrysler should consider doing is working on offering GDI technology on their engines as they are going to have to do this sooner or later. Since they are planning on retiring the 3.5L in around 201X I doubt they want to spend the money on it. If they added GDI to a V6 Hemi, 300hp would not be out of the imagination and GDI would help with the emission rules and fuel economy, but since they will probably not do this, what they could do is offer a version of the current 4.0L that produces about 285hp & 295ft-lbs of tq in the SEMA Sebring and Avenger.

 

Well anything IS possible and it is an intriguing idea, but I don't see anything like that ever happening. If gas hits $5-6 a gallon and stays that way (which could happen) and the V8 sales take a major dump as a result... MAYBE I could see Dodge investing in that kind of money and technology for a V6. But the Hemi V8 is clearly the star of the show in the Challenger and, barring a bizarre unforseen economic circumstance, is very likely to stay that way.

 

My Dodge minvan runs pretty fast with a 3.8L engine. I almost beat a Mustang the other day at the red light but he had to fight for it.