In January the Chrysler Group gave the World
their first look at their new 5.7 liter Hemi V8.
The occasion was the unveiling off the
beautiful 300 Hemi C concept.
You folks first heard about it months before.
Back in June, Buzz Watch reported that the
Chrysler Group was developing a 5.7 liter V8
for the next generation Ram (). In October of
1999, Buzz Watch broke the story that the 5.7
will be a Hemi!
At the unveiling, Tom Gale called the 300's
all-aluminum Hemi a "prototype." Webster's
defines a prototype as "an original model on
which something is patterned." It's the perfect
description. This engine is the future of
Chrysler Group powertrains.
I'm hearing that there will be three versions of
the 5.7 (353 CID) Hemi. One will be identical to
the all-aluminum version shown in the 300
Hemi C concept. This engine will be used in
cars like the Chrysler 300N and the Dodge
Charger R/T.
The second version will have aluminum heads
but will use a cast iron block. This engine is
primarily intended for the next generation
Dodge Ram (due out for 2002) and it's
derivatives. The third version will be Dodge's
NASCAR Winston Cup engine.
Both the production engines will weigh less
and be more compact than the current 5.9 liter
V8. They will have a single camshaft, two
valves per cylinder and two spark plugs per
cylinder. Both will probably be built in DC's
Saltillo, Mexico engine plant (the truck engine
will definitely be built there). The aluminum
cylinder heads will be supplied by Nemak SA
of Monterrey, Mexico. Nemak will probably
also handle the casting for both blocks as
well. It's estimated that DC will build over a
quarter of a million of these engines annually.
The Hemi for the Ram will be the first to go
into production. My ace Buzz Patroller in
Mexico tells me that Saltillo will start
producing it in late 2001.
Little information has surfaced on the
NASCAR Winston Cup Hemi. A source in the
Winston Cup garage tells me that Dodge has
already submitted it to NASCAR for approval.
Earlier this year I reported that NASCAR had
been showing the Dodge head to NASCAR
crew chiefs and engine builders for their
reaction. The Buzz is that both Ford and GM
are concerned about the engines potential to
dominate and are already lobbying against it
(can you say Deja Vu!).
There's also been a rumor circulating that
Dodge already has a Hemi installed in one of
Petty's Pontiacs and plans to test it in the
coming weeks. I haven't been able to confirm
this but it seems plausible. Especially since
Dodge has delayed on track testing for the
Intrepid due to possible rules changes that
would mandate a common body template for
all Winston Cup cars.
Let's al keep our fingers crossed for
NASCAR's approval of the Hemi. If they reject
its design, Dodge will be forced to run a
reworked version of the current NASCAR
Craftsman Truck mill. A source close to Dodge
Motorsports tells me that this engine might
not be up to the task. He added that it will
need some major development to be truly
competitive in the high compression Winston
Cup.
Note: The 5.7 isn't the first of the Chrysler
Groups new Hemi's. The 4.7 liter "Powertech"
V8 originally introduced in the 1999 Jeep
Cherokee and added to the Dakota and
Durango lines for 2000, was the first example
of the next generation engines.
Based on the 4.7's configuration we can
assume that the 5.7 is designed to operate
150,000 miles under normal conditions without
part replacement other than normal
maintenance items. It should also use an
automatic serpentine belt tensioner which
increases the average accessory belt life to
100,000 miles.
Though the 4.7 is already "almost a Hemi," I
expect a reworked version (with the 5.7's
heads) to debut as part of the next Ram's all
Hemi powertrain lineup. It will start with 3.7L
V6, 4.7L & 5.7L V8's and top out at 7.7L V10.
The displacement of the V10 is still
unconfirmed. Last year a reliable source told
me that a 6.1 liter V8 was also in the works but
I haven't heard anything about it in a while.
The 6.1 may be the base engine for the Heavy
Duty Ram Dodge is said to be developing for
2003.
LAST DAY
Today is DC chairman Robert J. Eaton's last
day in Auburn Hills. Eaton, who became
Chairman and CEO of Chrysler Corporation
seven years ago, presided over the most
successful period in the company's history,
and forged the alliance with Daimler-Benz that
resulted in the formation of DaimlerChrysler
AG.
Gene & Renee Rivers
99 R/T, CC, DA
http://www.mopars.net
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