When Stellantis and then CEO Carlos Tavares made the decision to end production of its legendary lineup of Hemi V8s you knew that the response from buyers was not going to be good. The V8s were a potent sales generator for the company with Dodge, Ram, and Jeep in particular being the three brands that benefitted the most from the powerplant. As such, when buyers chose to voice their displeasure by moving to other rivals, it became clear that Stellantis made a colossal error in judgment.
However, with Tavares out and the Trump administration dismantling the EV mandate and other layers of red tape when it comes to emissions standards, it appears that Stellantis is perhaps having a change of heart with a new report suggesting that V8 production could restart in an attempt to win over buyers and correct a potent wrong from the company’s past.
Stellantis could be bringing the band back together
This report comes from the folks at Mopar Insiders who claim that the company is poised to restart V8 production. The alleged edict will include all the flavors buyers love with the 5.7 and 6.4 liter V8s resuming production alongside the supercharged 6,2-liter V8. All three were axed due to emissions and the decision to axe the trip reportedly came from Carlos Tavares.
With him gone though, it appears some in the company see an opportunity to reverse course and explore ways to claw back ground in terms of sales. The report also states that production of all three engines would resume at the Dundee Engine Plant which is south of Detroit. The engines themselves were already based on aging hardware and the report confirms they would retain their Gen III layout which first appeared over two decades ago in 2003.
An even bigger engine could be waiting in the wings
In addition to the return of these three engines, the report says the company could also release a fourth engine that would have an even bigger displacement though this engine would not be as volume-focused as the other three. Instead, it might either find its way into a halo model for more performance or it could be used exclusively in trucks and other commercial applications.
Stellantis for its part has not commented on the accuracy of the report but while it will continue to pursue its EV plans, the return of the V8s would in theory provide a more durable stream of profits for the company which in turn will help fund more electrification including an expansion into the hybrid vehicle market. However, this plan is not as simple as it appears since Stellantis will have the formidable challenge of restoring the trust of customers especially those who chose to place their loyalty into rivals after feeling jilted by the company due to recent decisions.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.
