The Chrysler HEMI may soon fade into history, another victim of CAFE and modern realities
In a stunning statement of the obvious, Chrysler Co-president Jim Press told Automotive News (subs req'd) that "The Hemi is not the power-train of the future." Given rising fuel prices and new fuel economy requirements, the days of the legendary HEMI are surely numbered, at least in cars and lighter trucks. Over the past decade Chrysler has resurrected the HEMI in many trucks, SUVs and rear wheel drive trucks. But going forward it will undoubtedly be supplanted by smaller, more efficient and more modern power-plants. Those new power-trains will include the likes of the new Phoenix V-6 engine family that's coming next year and, further out, electrified power-trains. Just as GM has canceled a new V-8 program and Ford is launching their EcoBoost engines Chrysler's engines will get smaller. Nonetheless in the short-term Chrysler is still refining the HEMI with an updated version coming this year in the just-introduced 2009 Ram pickups that has ten percent more power and four percent better fuel economy. It will also be paired up with the Two-Mode hybrid system in the Durango/Aspen later this year and the Ram in 2010.
[Source: Automotive News]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Christina 2:11PM (1/23/2008)
You have obviously never driven a vehicle with a HEMI - it is amazing and an experience like no other :) So sad.....
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Whopper 4:09PM (1/23/2008)
There are those to whom an automobile is just another appliance...a refrigerator with wheels. And then there are those who have had the opportunity to drive real automobiles. I got drafted in 1971 and had to sell my '70 Hemi Cuda. Tim will never understand the feel of a hemi pulling through second gear with the twin Carter AVS 4bbls wide open. The car was "a hoot", not transportation. Tim, take a bus!
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ug 4:53PM (1/23/2008)
"You have obviously never driven a vehicle with a HEMI - it is amazing and an experience like no other :) So sad....."
So buy a used car with a HEMI. There are more cars out in circulation than anyone ever needs.
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Joseph 5:59PM (1/23/2008)
What does HEMI mean anyway?
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why not the LS2/LS7? 8:11PM (1/23/2008)
It's not really a Hemi anyway. Hemispherical chambers can't pass emissions. It was just marketing.
So I can't be sad over the end of Hemis because Hemis haven't been around for 35 years.
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Owain Ozymandias Buck 8:16AM (1/24/2008)
Actually, it is a resurrection of the hemispherical chamber. Sad thing is, it (the chamber design) wasn't all that good in its glory days. The whole thing about the Hemi was how the heads flowed so good--it put the valves in a good place and moved air at some serious cfm. But a lot has come along--most of it more than thirty years ago--that moves air well and has efficient combustion chambers.
The Hemi is all about marketing. I don't care how you dress it up--the Hemi design is old tech. It has it's place, but not in a modern car.
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Derek 8:29PM (1/24/2008)
Owain: it does not have a hemispherical combustion chamber.
http://www.autoblog.com/2004/09/16/when-a-hemi-isnt-a-hemi/
I suspect this has more to do with Cerberus than the Hemi. Chevy, Ford, and Toyota all sell 1/2 ton trucks with the same/similar displacement, similar power, and similar mileage. Betcha more Ram buyers move up to 3/4 or 1 ton trucks (whichever is in the next CAFE category) to get the big engine, thus resulting in more pollution than if things had stayed as-is.
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STFU_Tim 2:57PM (1/25/2008)
I have yet to see an electric car with any sort of "soul". Granted, you can get a hemi in a grocery-getter, but it's powered some memorable cars.
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Christa 1:21PM (1/28/2008)
http://www.hemi.com/ this explains what HEMI is.
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Tim 10:17AM (1/23/2008)
We don't need Oxen to transport goods either.
Good riddance to old technology.
The future is renewable and it's electric.
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