The cams were also modified to increase engine speed and effectively produce greater horsepower, increasing the engine's revs by 15
percent to almost 6,200 rpm - the 5.7-litre HEMI pegs the limiter at 5,400 rpm. Valve stems have been hollowed-out to reduce drag, due to their lighter weight, and then the empty cavities get filled with sodium for dissipating heat more effectively - who would've thought?
New high-flow cylinder heads were added for improved airflow, while larger diameter valves combined with reshaped cylinder ports and a redesigned intake manifold featuring larger diameter runners, for higher-speed tuning. The result of the SRT division's work is a higher revving, quicker turning engine that resultantly produces much greater power than the stock 5.7, thanks also to a revised 9.6:1 to 10.3:1compression ratio.
In the end, literally, sweet sounding exhaust headers are attached with "individual tubes encased in a stainless steel shell", allowing
a yet more engine exhaust flow via new larger diameter 2.75-inch pipes, compared to the stock 2.5-inch tailpipes, the former finished off with twin 3.5-inch chrome tips.
If all it did was perform superbly and emit sounds like an ensuing thunderstorm, most car enthusiasts would be satisfied, but not the SRT techs that dressed up their 6.1-litre powerhouse with a silver and red "HEMI 6.1L" appliqué on each valve cover, plus special orange paint coating the cylinder block, paying tribute to 426 Hemis of days gone by.
And speaking of that monster engine that put fear into the hearts of past Trans Am rivals, at 69.8-horsepower-per-liter the new 6.1-litre HEMI delivers the highest specific-output of any engine ever sold by Chrysler Group, even more than the aforementioned 1966 "Street HEMI".
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| The Charger SRT8's twin 3.5-inch chrome tips look awesome and sound even better. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
New high-flow cylinder heads were added for improved airflow, while larger diameter valves combined with reshaped cylinder ports and a redesigned intake manifold featuring larger diameter runners, for higher-speed tuning. The result of the SRT division's work is a higher revving, quicker turning engine that resultantly produces much greater power than the stock 5.7, thanks also to a revised 9.6:1 to 10.3:1compression ratio.
In the end, literally, sweet sounding exhaust headers are attached with "individual tubes encased in a stainless steel shell", allowing
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| Its steering wheel is not my favourite and paddle-shifters on the column would have beenappreciated, but the five-speed auto is ideally suited to the car. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
If all it did was perform superbly and emit sounds like an ensuing thunderstorm, most car enthusiasts would be satisfied, but not the SRT techs that dressed up their 6.1-litre powerhouse with a silver and red "HEMI 6.1L" appliqué on each valve cover, plus special orange paint coating the cylinder block, paying tribute to 426 Hemis of days gone by.
And speaking of that monster engine that put fear into the hearts of past Trans Am rivals, at 69.8-horsepower-per-liter the new 6.1-litre HEMI delivers the highest specific-output of any engine ever sold by Chrysler Group, even more than the aforementioned 1966 "Street HEMI".