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Mopar Hellephant is sold out, but here are 4 other awesome crate V8s to try

Despite a relatively enormous $30,000 price tag, Mopar's 1,000-horsepower supercharged Hellephant crate engine sold out in just 48 hours. Some enthusiasts may have missed out on the crazy engine due to lack of funds, or they just assumed there would still be some Hellephants down the line. But worry not, swap-happy gearheads. There are plenty of V8s in the world to pick from, and we highlighted four favorites. They're not as powerful, but they're all cheaper, and still have a lot to offer. Mopar 6.2L Hellcrate Odds are a lot of prospective Hellephant buyers were Mopar fans to begin with, so we'll start the list with the next-most-potent offering: the Hellcrate. This is the same supercharged 6.2-liter V8 found under the hood of the Dodge Charger and Challenger Hellcats and the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk. It makes 707 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque like those cars, too. It's also about $10,000 cheaper than the Hellephant engine at $20,020, and that leftover money can be used to finish the project or for aftermarket upgrades to get it closer to the Hellephant's output. GM LS9 6.2L The Hellcrate isn't the only factory supercharged crate engine on the market. From General Motors comes the supercharged 6.2-liter LS9 V8. This is the engine that was used in the C6 Corvette ZR1. At 638 horsepower and 604 pound-feet of torque, it doesn't make as much power or torque as the Hellcrate. But it does boast a dry sump oil system. So instead of pumping oil out of a pan at the bottom, the engine uses an oil tank mounted remotely that pumps oil into the engine. This means the engine is shorter overall, and can be mounted lower for a better center of gravity. It also means that there's almost no risk of running the engine dry in hard cornering, as could happen with a normal oil sump where the oil can slosh to the side without the oil pump. Basically, it offers some major benefits if you want supercharged V8 power for a road course car. It's also a tad cheaper than the Hellcrate at $18,149. But get one while you can, because GM is only selling what's left from when it was building the C6 ZR1. Ford Aluminator 5.2XS Our pick from the Blue Oval lacks a supercharger, but it's still pretty sweet.

Fiat Chrysler halts European production as coronavirus hits demand

MILAN — Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) is halting production for two weeks at most of its European plants to help protect staff against the coronavirus pandemic and adjust to a slump in demand, the Italian-American carmaker said on Monday. Italy has been the European country worst hit by the crisis and the first to enforce a nationwide lockdown, which has now been replicated by Spain and, to a lesser extent, by France as the virus sweeps through the continent. With all non essential services closed, including car dealers, and people forced home except for strict working needs, many forecast a heavy fall in car sales in March. FCA — which according to analyst estimates produces around 25% of its vehicles in Europe — said the suspensions through March 27 would allow it "to effectively respond to the interruption in market demand by ensuring the optimization of supply." Ferrari, meanwhile, said it closed its two plants until March 27. Ferrari said it had so far ensured production continuity, and it already implemented all the health measures decided by the Italian government at the two sites, in hometown Maranello and in Modena. But it was "now experiencing the first serious supply chain issues, which no longer allow for continued production." Marco Opipari, an analyst at Fidentiis, said a few weeks of closures was not a big problem in an over-supplied European auto industry and lost production could be recovered later on. "The real problem is on the demand side, people are not buying cars now, and sales volumes are expected to be very bad in March, with a real impact on automakers' earnings," he said. FCA said in a statement that production for its FCA Italy and luxury Maserati units would stop for two weeks, extending a temporary closure period already planned for some Italian facilities. Affected plants are Melfi, Pomigliano, Cassino, Mirafiori, Grugliasco and Modena in Italy, Kragujevac in Serbia and Tychy in Poland. The FIOM union said FCA's decision was "necessary". The carmaker said the freeze would help it to resume activity promptly once market conditions allow it. "The group is working with its supply base and business partners to be ready to enable our manufacturing operations to deliver previously planned total levels of production despite the suspension when market demand returns," it said.

2021 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat pricing revealed in dealer documents

Dodge has released a lot of numbers about the 2021 Durango SRT Hellcat — we know it has 710 horsepower and it will only be built for about six months — but not revealed so far is how much the SUV will cost. While official pricing information remains under wraps, leaked dealer documents suggest it will start at approximately $81,000. Citing anonymous dealer connections, enthusiast website Mopar Insiders reported the SRT Hellcat will carry a base price of $80,995 when it goes on sale. Note that figure excludes the destination fee — and the inevitable dealer markup. For context, the entry-level 2020 Durango SXT starts at $30,795 when ordered with rear-wheel drive, and the all-wheel-drive-only SRT model costs $62,995. That means the Hellcat model will carry an $18,000 premium. For the price, buyers get a 6.2-liter V8 engine topped with a mammoth supercharger, two-piece slotted rotors behind 20-inch wheels, a black radiator grille, a front splitter, and an array of Hellcat emblems. Inside, Dodge added red stitching and red accents in the instrument cluster, among other model-specific visual cues. Buyers can easily bump the aforementioned MSRP over the $90,000 mark. Highlights from the list of extra-cost options include a rear-seat entertainment system with a DVD player ($1,995), red leather upholstery ($1,595), a power sunroof ($1,295), and a trailer tow package with brake control ($1,195). Racing stripes are a $1,195 option, while three-season tires will add $595 to the bottom line. Fully loaded, the Durango Hellcat costs nearly $95,000. Although that's a lot to pay for a Durango, the Hellcat-powered model isn't an ordinary SUV, and it's not going to be a common sight. It's celebrated as the most powerful factory-built SUV in the world; it takes 3.9 seconds to reach 60 mph from a stop. And, Dodge confirmed it will only be able to build the model for about six months, though the SRT Hellcat won't be a serialized, limited-edition model like the 840-horsepower SRT Demon.  Still according to Mopar Insiders, Dodge dealers across the nation will begin to receive their Durango SRT Hellcat allocations in November 2020. Production will start in January 2021, and end in May of that year. If you want one, we suggest getting in touch with your nearest Dodge dealer sooner rather than later to ensure you don't miss out. Related Video: