New Ram V8 Engine Production To Start In August At Michigan Factory, Report Says

By Gary Gastelu |

Mar 24, 2025

Stellantis is ready to rev up V8 production this summer, according to a new report.

The rumor mill has been churning out tidbits in recent weeks that all point to Ram bringing Hemi V8 engines back to its light duty truck lineup soon.

Brand CEO Tim Kuniskis hasn’t denied or confirmed the reports, but also has said he wouldn’t rule out the V8’s return.

Ram discontinued offering the 5.7-liter and 6.2-liter supercharged Hellcat V8 engines in the Ram 1500 for 2025 and launched a line of 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six-cylinder engines to replace them.

The new straight-six is built at the same Saltillo Engine Plant in Mexico that the Hemis came from. The 5.7-liter and Hellcat are still available in the 2025 Dodge Durango and the 6.4-liter V8 comes standard in the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392. Stellantis still builds the heavy duty truck version o the 6.4-liter V8 at the plant and continues to offer it in the Ram 2500 and Ram 3500 models.

Now, sources tell Mopar Insiders that Stellantis will start producing the 5.7-liter V8, Hellcat and the 6.4-liter at its Dundee Engine Plant in Michigan, starting this August. The timing matches up with another recent report that V8-powered Ram 1500s are being readied for the 2026 model year. An even larger engine may also be added to the range, according to the report. The Mopar performance parts division sells a variety of other V8 engines for racing and custom builds, including a 7.0-liter.

When asked by American Cars And Racing about the report, a Ram spokesperson responded only that “we’ve been building the 6.4-liter HEMI at our Saltillo Engine Plant for a number of years.”

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Of course, Ram isn’t the only brand that ditched V8s this year. The new Dodge Charger is currently available as the all-electric Charger Daytona, but a gas-powered Charger Sixpack with the straight-six is coming this year. A V8 revival hasn’t been announced, but Dodge CEO Matt McAlear told Motor1 at this year’s Detroit Auto Show, “we’re not telling anybody to fall out of love with the V8. Have we announced anything? No, but we’re just getting started.”