Dodge Shows Off Hurricane Straight-Six Challenger

Mopar muscle is morphing.

Dodge brought a Challenger Mopar Drag Pak racing car to the Roadkill Nights event in Pontiac, Michigan, last week with something other than a V8 under the hood.

Dodge is discontinuing its production V8-powered muscle cars at the end of 2023 and replacing them with a high-powered electric model, but that doesn’t mean you won’t still be able to buy a gas engine.

The Dodge Performance Parts Direct Connection catalog is full of V8 powered crate engines for custom and race car builders, and there’s a new motor in the mix.

Direct Connection is developing a range of turbocharged inline-six-cylinder engines based on the Hurricane motor that debuted in the Jeep Wagoneer L SUV.

The first of the 3.0-liter “HurriCrate” engines are rated at 420 hp and 550 hp versions and one with more than 1,000 hp is in the works. Although it sits upright, the engine hearkens back to Chrysler’s legendary Slant-6 engines.

The HurriCrate-equipped Challenger Drag Pak was spotted making demonstration runs down the strip at Roadkill Nights, and Muscle Cars and Trucks reports that it was rumored to be the 550 hp version.

The relatively sedate passes were captured on video by The Mopar Junkie YouTube channel.

The HurriCrate isn’t listed in the Direct Connection catalog yet, and pricing has not been announced.

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Aside from the Charger Daytona SRT Concept-based electric, Dodge has been coy about other production car models it has in the works.

Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis has said the electric platform can also be used for an internal combustion engine car, but none has been formally confirmed.

This story has been updated to clarify the connection between Dodge and Direct Connection