Death of a Hemi: Dodge Ram half tons will now come with 3L turbo I-6 engines

[Bill]

Watching it on Motorweek right now.

[KenHorse]

At least it's not EV

[vettemed]

New, from Stellantis, the Effemi Inline 6 cylinder. Sure, it's long and straight, but it's *****-power to the core.

[Bill]

Originally Posted by KenHorse

At least it's not EV

LOL, there's an EV version coming, as well as a hybrid version.

I think they really destroyed their Hemi brand reputation, at least in the trucks, with the cylinder deactivation, just like Chevy destroyed the solid 5.3L reputation, so maybe this isn't a big loss anyway.

I had a 300ci I-6 Ford truck back in the day, and that thing was slow, but pulled way over its weight class and took all kinds of abuse from pulling way more than it was rated for with no problem.

Rode hard, put away wet, and the only issue when it was sold was the dome light burnt out, and, for some reason, the door jamb needed lube every once in a while so the truck would understand the door was actually closed when driving.

[vettemed]

Originally Posted by Bill

I had a 300ci I-6 Ford truck back in the day, and that thing was slow, but pulled way over its weight class and took all kinds of abuse from pulling way more than it was rated for with no problem.

Rode hard, put away wet, and the only issue when it was sold was the dome light burnt out, and, for some reason, the door jamb needed lube every once in a while so the truck would understand the door was actually closed when driving.

Somehow I doubt this new motor will have the track record of the 300ci.

[6spdC6]

Originally Posted by Bill

Watching it on Motorweek right now.

I saw it yesterday, they loved it!

[Bill]

Originally Posted by vettemed

New, from Stellantis, the Effemi Inline 6 cylinder. Sure, it's long and straight, but it's *****-power to the core.

They're calling it the "Hurricane."

https://www.media.stellantis.com/em-...amily-unveiled

“The new 2025 Ram 1500 brings our customers more: more power, more performance and more fuel efficiency with our all-new 3.0-liter Hurricane engines,” said Tim Kuniskis, Ram brand CEO – Stellantis. “With a choice of new and proven gas engines or our upcoming electric truck offerings, Ram is built to serve truck buyers everywhere. Our new powertrain offerings add to the unique combination of bold styling, leading-edge innovation and technology, durability and capability Ram customers have come to know and love.”

The 2025 Ram 1500 offers customers three engine options, including the all-new 3.0-liter Hurricane and 3.0-liter Hurricane High Output Straight-Six Turbo (SST) engines from the Stellantis Hurricane Twin-turbo family, the most powerful six-cylinders in the segment, and the award-winning 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 eTorque. The all-new 3.0-liter Hurricane engine is rated at 420 horsepower and 469 lb.-ft. of torque, while the High Output engine is rated at 540 horsepower and 521 lb.-ft. of torque. Capability includes a maximum towing capacity of 11,580 pounds, a maximum payload of 2,300 pounds and up to 24-inches of water fording.

[GTOguy]

Chrysler's move to discontinue the Hemi and drop V8 powered performance cars under the misconception that the same customers will happily buy EV's and turbocharged mouse engines instead will result in their destruction.
Anybody with a double digit IQ can see it coming. Who's PAYING these people to make these piss-poor corporate suicide decisions?

[Bill]

Originally Posted by GTOguy

Chrysler's move to discontinue the Hemi and drop V8 powered performance cars under the misconception that the same customers will happily buy EV's and turbocharged mouse engines instead will result in their destruction.
Anybody with a double digit IQ can see it coming. Who's PAYING these people to make these piss-poor corporate suicide decisions?

Ford was an early leader in replacing truck v-8's with turbo v-6's, and they're still #1 in the light truck segment, IIRC. It's been long enough now that I'm curious how those v-6 equipped trucks have held up.

[Millenium Vette]

Originally Posted by GTOguy

Chrysler's move to discontinue the Hemi and drop V8 powered performance cars under the misconception that the same customers will happily buy EV's and turbocharged mouse engines instead will result in their destruction.
Anybody with a double digit IQ can see it coming. Who's PAYING these people to make these piss-poor corporate suicide decisions?

The feds.

I don't like seeing the Hemi V-8 going away, but I do have a thing for inline 6 engines, especially over the V-6 configuration.

[GTOguy]

Originally Posted by Bill

Ford was an early leader in replacing truck v-8's with turbo v-6's, and they're still #1 in the light truck segment, IIRC. It's been long enough now that I'm curious how those v-6 equipped trucks have held up.

Ford didn't have one iconic engine that they could not produce enough of. Chrysler did. HUGE difference.

Now that Chrysler is no longer making a V8 performance car and GM dropped the Camaro, even MORE Mustangs are going to be sold.

[Bill]

Originally Posted by Millenium Vette

The feds.

I don't like seeing the Hemi V-8 going away, but I do have a thing for inline 6 engines, especially over the V-6 configuration.

I-6's are tried and true, especially in the diesel versions, but my concern is displacement. We're pushing more power out of smaller and smaller engines with turbos to stand in the gap. What does that do for engine longevity?

I'm waiting to find out with my I-4 turbo Cruze, but I'm a low mileage driver, so I may never actually find out, which I guess is a good thing.

[Tikiman]

Originally Posted by Millenium Vette

The feds.

I don't like seeing the Hemi V-8 going away, but I do have a thing for inline 6 engines, especially over the V-6 configuration.

Inline six engines were great back in the day. Dodge had the slant six that couldn't be killed. Chevy had one that they put in some Novas. Ford had a good one that you could get in pickup trucks.

They could build one that would last if they wanted to, but I figure they will screw that up somehow and build a turd.

[Yadkin]

The I6 makes a lot of sense. It's inherently balanced, so easier to manufacture the crankshaft. Block easier to cast and machine. Fewer parts overall. Only one head instead of two. Probably easier to maintain, changing spark plugs.

Ford seems to have solved the turbo lag problem, at least with the 2.3L I4 in my Ranger. And it's good good low-end torque. Stellantis likely learned from that.

I think that there have been studies done on the most efficient cylinder size, and it's 500cc. So you'll see a lot of 2.0 I4s, 3.0 I6s. Maybe someone will bring back the straight eight in a 4.0L displacement

[GTOguy]

Originally Posted by Bill

I-6's are tried and true, especially in the diesel versions, but my concern is displacement. We're pushing more power out of smaller and smaller engines with turbos to stand in the gap. What does that do for engine longevity?

I'm waiting to find out with my I-4 turbo Cruze, but I'm a low mileage driver, so I may never actually find out, which I guess is a good thing.

6 in a row is indeed tried and true and a good way to go. They lost favor for awhile due to their length and unsuitability for front wheel drive/transverse engine vehicles which are so popular today. The 258 straight 6 barely fit in the AMC Pacer, which was originally designed for a rotary engine that never happened. I remember servicing them 45 years ago, and I had to get #6 exhaust valve open so the rocker arm was down, and turn on the wiper motor, and as the firewall oil-canned, I'd time my snatch of the valve cover to get it off and clear of the engine. I-6's are inherently smooth and torquey and long lasting. As for tweaked turbo and supercharged smaller engines doing big jobs, just don't be their second or third owners. BTDT the first time around in the '80's and they become very expensive. I put 2 turbos on a customer's '85 Turbo T-Bird....if it had the base 302 it would have run for years after the Turbo Coupe cashed in its chips. A larger, under-stressed engine will always, always, always outlast a smaller, highly stressed one, even more so if the maintenance is lax.

[vettemed]

Since we're discussing I-6s, I do sometimes miss the S38 inline 6 in my BMW E34 M5s. I do not miss doing valve adjustments on them.

[6spdC6]

Originally Posted by GTOguy

6 in a row is indeed tried and true and a good way to go. They lost favor for awhile due to their length and unsuitability for front wheel drive/transverse engine vehicles which are so popular today. The 258 straight 6 barely fit in the AMC Pacer, which was originally designed for a rotary engine that never happened. I remember servicing them 45 years ago, and I had to get #6 exhaust valve open so the rocker arm was down, and turn on the wiper motor, and as the firewall oil-canned, I'd time my snatch of the valve cover to get it off and clear of the engine. I-6's are inherently smooth and torquey and long lasting. As for tweaked turbo and supercharged smaller engines doing big jobs, just don't be their second or third owners. BTDT the first time around in the '80's and they become very expensive. I put 2 turbos on a customer's '85 Turbo T-Bird....if it had the base 302 it would have run for years after the Turbo Coupe cashed in its chips. A larger, under-stressed engine will always, always, always outlast a smaller, highly stressed one, even more so if the maintenance is lax.

A slightly different version of something I learned when I was about 15 and hanging around a good service garage. Its far better for a big engine to loaf then a small engine to strain!

[Millenium Vette]

Originally Posted by Tikiman

Inline six engines were great back in the day. Dodge had the slant six that couldn't be killed. Chevy had one that they put in some Novas. Ford had a good one that you could get in pickup trucks.

They could build one that would last if they wanted to, but I figure they will screw that up somehow and build a turd.

My dad had a company 1978 F-150 with the inline 6 that was spectacular. My experience years later is with MB and BMW inline 6 engines. I like them better than the European V-8's. Plenty of power and smoother.

[SurfnSun]

Originally Posted by GTOguy

Ford didn't have one iconic engine that they could not produce enough of. Chrysler did. HUGE difference.

Now that Chrysler is no longer making a V8 performance car and GM dropped the Camaro, even MORE Mustangs are going to be sold.

The engine has been Chrysler’s only redeeming quality for a long time.


RE: Mustang sales
That will make cars and coffee more exciting as it will significantly increase the number of Mustang crowd plowings

[Tikiman]

Originally Posted by Millenium Vette

My dad had a company 1978 F-150 with the inline 6 that was spectacular. My experience years later is with MB and BMW inline 6 engines. I like them better than the European V-8's. Plenty of power and smoother.

My neighbor back in Ashburn had a Ford 250 with a straight six and a four speed. He ordered it with no carpet and every weekend he would hose the interior out and get a pile of sand in his driveway. He was a mason. That was one tough work truck. Had locking hubs on the front and I had to pull them apart to replace his rotors and calipers. In return, he did some custom brick planter boxes in my front yard that matched the brick on my home.