With the last of the third-generation Hemi V-8s rolling off the Stellantis assembly line at the end of 2024, the era of factory-production V-8 performance at Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, and Ram will end abruptly. We knew it was coming, and Dodge even rolled out its last-hurrah V-8 muscle cars with the admonishing moniker “Last Call,” basically sayin’ don’t complain, because we warned you. Dodge’s act of rebranding Mopar’s crate engines under the Direct Connection banner was nice, but seemed more of a performative gesture to funnel traffic to specific dealerships than to keep the Hemi mojo alive and the Hemi pipeline flowing. More hope then came from Don Schumacher Racing in the form of the company’s 1,150-hp DSR1150 426ci crate engine, but there was still a huge gap in the middle-ground.
Now, we get word from Summit Racing that BluePrint Engines has cranked up Hemi engine production at its Kearney, Nebraska, factory, and Summit is now stocking a selection of BluePrint’s premium-grade third-generation Hemi crate engines, and they are ready to ship. What makes this development unique is that these new Hemi crates are in BluePrint’s hand-built Pro Series line and use new, premium forged components in brand-new BGE/Hellcat blocks. Output levels are also significantly higher than typical small-block crate engine offerings and BluePrint tells us these engines are designed to slot into the price/performance gulf between entry-level reman-type crate engine/junkyard finds (400 hp/$4,000) and the DSR1150 (1,150 hp/$37,950), a gulf of some $33K and 750 hp. It’s this price/performance range in the third-gen Hemi crate market that has been largely neglected to this point. Let’s take a look at a few of these.
610-HP EFI Base 426ci Crate Engine, PS426CT, $13,799
All of BluePrint’s Pro Series 426ci Hemi crate engines have this in common: all start with a brand-new BGE/Hellcat cast-iron block, a forged rotating assembly consisting of a 4.050-inch-stroke forged steel crankshaft with 58x reluctor wheel, 6.125-inch long forged rods, forged 10.48:1-compression pistons, hydraulic roller camshaft (.610/.611-inch valve lift, 231°/255° duration at .050-inch), “Apache” aluminum Hemi cylinder heads, timing and valve covers, spark plugs and ignition coils, harmonic balancer, VVT locked-out and MDS eliminated, and a mid-sump oil pan for classic Mopar muscle cars. If you’ve got your own induction (naturally aspirated, turbo, or supercharged), an accessory drive, and an engine management system, this $13,799 package has your name on it. Unlike 392ci Apache-based or 370ci Hellcat crate engines, this one takes you all the way out to 426ci without being forced to pay your local engine builder’s premium. Depending on your induction setup, power will vary, but when kitted-out with BluePrint’s induction and Holley Terminator EFI setup (see the next crate engine) this one puts out 610 hp in naturally aspirated form. When kitted-out with a Whipple supercharger kit (the last two crate engines shown), power increases to 872 hp.
872-HP EFI Deluxe Dressed 426ci Crate Engine, PS426SCTK, $26,799
When BluePrint Engines adds a 3.0-liter Whipple supercharger kit to the base PS426CT Pro Series 426ci Hemi and includes the fully dressed accessory drive, you get part number PS426SCTK, which puts out 872 hp and 762 lb-ft of torque on 91–93 octane. Once again, all the basic long-block specs, camshaft specs, valvetrain, and hardware are the same, but you’ve got boost provided by one of Whipple Superchargers’ 3.0-liter intercooled kits, similar to the one found on DSR’s 426ci DSR1150 crate engine. Though the displacement, camshaft specs, rotating assembly, and supercharger all seem to be the same or slightly different than DSR’s crate, it’s worth noting a couple of differences between BluePrint’s PS426SCTK and the DSR1150: the DSR has an ATI Super Damper versus BluePrint’s stock damper; the DSR has a stock Hellcat oil pan, versus the BluePrint’s mid-mount sump; the DSR’s compression ratio stands at 9.8:1, versus the BluePrint’s 10.48:1; the BluePrint has a standalone Holley Terminator, whereas the stock PCM is custom tuned by Hemituner Performance in the case of the DSR1150; and the rotor pack and housing of the DSR’s 3.0-liter Whipple blower is unique to the DSR. The result is that the BluePrint PS426SCTK puts out 872 hp versus the DSR1150’s 1,150 hp, and the DSR1150 crate costs $11,151 more.
610-HP EFI Dressed 426ci Crate Engine, PS426CTFKB, $18,899
If you shell out an extra $5,100 over the cost of the PS426CT, you’ll get three really important additions: a low-profile fabricated aluminum intake manifold with throttle body, a Holley Terminator EFI system, and an installed accessory drive. Since this is a complete engine, it will arrive with a dyno sheet verifying horsepower output, just like all the engines we’re showing here. If you opt for a polished aluminum serpentine drive instead of an anodized black one, you can save $100. If you just want the intake, throttle body, and Holley Terminator EFI system (and take a pass of the accessory drive), the price comes down to $16,899 in crate engine part No. PS426CTF.