Automotive News has published an article about Stellantis' plans for the new in-line 6. In the article, it states that the Hemi will get a reprieve. Here is an excerpt: "When Stellantis announced it would introduce an all-new 3.0-liter straight-six, many were convinced it would spell the end of the road for the much-loved but long-in-the-tooth Hemi V8. However, that's not the case. The new Hurricane engine won't be a Hemi replacement. The good news is the venerable V8 will live on, alongside the new inline-six motor. The smaller, more modern engine will be more powerful, though. Two states of tune are set to be offered- a Standard Output with over 400 horsepower and 450 lb-ft of torque, and a High Output version, with over 500 hp and 475 lb-ft. That makes it more powerful than the bigger Hemi V8, available in the Jeep Grand Cherokee and several other vehicles. The company did not identify which vehicles the new twin-turbo motor will be offered in but did say it was designed for front-engine, rear-wheel-drive vehicles. This could potentially be any number of candidates, from the Dodge Charger to the eventual replacement of the Dodge Challenger Hellcat and more. Stellantis will confirm the availability of the new powertrain once MY2023 vehicles arrive. Automotive News further notes the Grand Wagoneer (an AWD vehicle across the range at present) is likely to receive the engine. An image of the motor briefly appeared on the SUV's configurator, listing the turbocharged inline-six as a $2,000 option. Shortly afterward, it was removed. The move toward cleaner engines is part of Stellantis' plan to transition to battery power in the coming years. Head of propulsion systems, Micky Bly, noted the new engine reduces CO2 output when compared to similar or larger engines, including the 3.6-liter V6. Incredibly, it also shows a 15% improvement in gas mileage, compared to the as-yet-unnamed engines it will replace. The aforementioned High Output model will focus on performance, with the Standard Output catering to efficiency."
In the current issue of Road & Track, Stellantis technology communication specialist Dale Jewett said, "We haven’t said that we are discontinuing any engines. The Hemi is incredibly popular, and it's important to our customers. The Hemi V-8 is in our product portfolio for the foreseeable future.”
Every month is another statement. Everything is so vague. YES or NO for the Hemi. In any event, I'm still not interested in 6 cylinder muscle cars just like I wasn't interested in the Grand National in the late 80's. Faster? Cool, but I don't want one, just like I don't want electric. I loved the 6 in my air-cooled 911 many years ago but it's a sports car, not a muscle car. Viva la difference!
Won't be buying one new, but they're teasing that one of the Challenger twin turbo 6 pkg's will be a Hellcat replacement producing over 500 hp which I find appealing from the perspective of fuel economy, under hood work space, after market cheap tuning potential (assuming the internals, if forged, may tolerate boost increases). The current after market tuning options on many of these power plants also often allow for some safe E85 use (low cost major power). The undesirability of so many of the current 6 cyl turbo applications is the impossibly restrictive work spaces they're sewn into (the Grand National previously mentioned an exception). Not a power plant most would want to be involved with however beyond the full warranty period due to complex parts and maintenance requirements.
Having formulated engine oils for turbo race cars including GTP and Formula 1, I find turbos to be very delicate parts of the engine. Turbos spin at very high speeds under load, around 150,000 RPM would be typical. Turbo bearings are very tight and subject to wear and debris more so than engine bearins. Coking of the turbo oil passages during hot soak can cause bearing failure which is the most common problem with turbos. This is why race engine designers work with oil formulators to make sure the bearings will be properly lubricated for the life of the race. I had to modify existing formulations to make sure the turbo will last the full duration of the race. More important on 24 hour endurance races than 2-3 hour races. For the street, turbocharged engines should be idled for a few minutes before being shut down to allow the turbo impeller to slow down and the oil to cool the bearing. But no one either knows this or takes the time to do this. Thus turbos are more prone to be failure points for the vehicle. There are advantages of turbocharged engines at high altitude, so that is a plus on the turbo's side. But I still believe there is no replacement for displaciment.
^^ 2009 Classic B5 I had a 1988 Merkur XR4Ti (German Ford) with a turbo 4 banger and your post brought back so many memories. I remember letting the car idle in the garage a bit before turning it off for all the reasons you stated. I made sure to change the oil every 2,000 miles and the engine was perfect for over 60,000 miles before I traded the car in. I would have kept it longer but the Florida heat was playing havoc with the German plastic interior, cracking everywhere. Ford didn't anticipate the 120+ degree summer interior car temps over the many years. It was OK as I have fine memories of it. Very peppy and we took many FL road trips in it.
