UPDATE: Live photos added, below. Expect more shots of this hardcore muscle car in the near future.

When the teasers started dropping from Dodge and Mopar, we suspected something big was in the works. Dare we say, the return of the 426 Hemi engine was the elephant in the room (pun totally intended) because all the signs pointed in that direction. The real question was how much power it would make, and today that question is answered. Say hello to the Hellephant – a 1,000-horsepower (746-kilowatt) plug-and-play crate engine for the street. Yikes.

Gallery: Hellephant Supercharged 426 Hemi And 1968 Dodge Charger at SEMA

20 Photos

As the name suggests, this is basically a larger Hellcat mill with a cylinder bore of 4.0 inches and a stroke of 4.125 inches. The block is all aluminum and there’s an improved supercharger on top to force-feed the big engine copious amounts of air. The crate package includes all the important bits as well as a wiring harness and PCM tuned to give the engine its full power potential. There is a catch however – the crate engine is designed to work in applications for street and off-road use on pre-1976 vehicles only.

To showcase the return of the legendary 426 Hemi, FCA dropped the Hellephant into the body of everyone’s favorite bad-guy vehicle, a 1968 Dodge Charger called the Super Charger Concept. Of course, the build involved more than just dropping in a 1,000-hp engine; it’s a full-on restomod with a six-speed manual transmission, massive six-piston Brembo brakes behind Hellcat wheels measuring 20 inches in front and 21 inches in back, and an updated interior with all kinds of bits borrowed from a modern Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and the recently departed Viper.

It’s undergone significant plastic surgery as well. Fiberglass widebody fenders front and rear further add to the Charger’s menacing stance, but it also allowed the wheelbase to stretch a couple inches. You’ll notice there’s less overhang in front, with more modern-day inspiration found in the front splitter borrowed from the Demon, and a rear spoiler modeled from the current Charger R/T. The classic pop-up headlights are removed in favor of permanently installed eyes from the new Challenger, and discriminating Mopar enthusiasts will identify the side mirrors not from something new, but a classic 1971 Duster.

“Our enthusiasts crave power and performance and our new ‘Hellephant’ Mopar Crate HEMI engine and kit deliver huge horsepower and torque in a plug-and-play package that is unique in the industry,” said Steve Beahm, FCA's head of parts and service for Mopar and passenger cars. “The 1968 Dodge Charger is one of the hottest classic cars, which is why we decided to use it as a starting point for the ‘Super Charger’ Concept. It’s an amazing vehicle and a great showcase for our ‘Hellephant’ engine.”

Source: Mopar