Chrysler to Ditch HEMI? Auto Media Collectively Suffers Brain Damage

[NewsBot]

Either there was a global cataclysmic event that we weren't aware of or yesterday's Southern Californian 5.6 quake must've rattled some braincells loose across the country because in a case of wide-spread lunacy, the automotive media inexplicably started taking muscle car predictions from the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) of all places; a publication notably penned by city-dwelling, taxi-chauffeured New Yorkers who view today's muscle cars as a purchase nearly as superfluous as a supercharged Jet Ski. In yet another case of politically-colored metropolitan media attempting to sway middle-America's interests by interjecting plausible doubt or merely spreading unfounded rumor, the WSJ wants the world to believe that the HEMI - if in name only - is on its way out.



According to the Wall Street Journal, Autoblog, the Muscle Car Blog, FQuick, and several other automotive news sites, despite the profits the Chrysler Group LLC has accrued marketing the third generation HEMI, the resurgence in Mopar loyalty, the popularity boon achieved by the SRT8 HEMI-powered Chargers and Challengers, somehow, the auto media is drinking the WSJ's Kool-Aid. According to the WSJ, "Chrysler will focus most of its advertising on the engine’s cylinder deactivation feature rather than the brute force that comes from the engine." Humorously enough, according to a dealer who wished to remain anonymous explained to the WSJ that only Ram and Dodge will still wear the HEMI badge. As a media outlet ourselves, we have to question whether "Anonymous" should be synonymous with "Fabricated."

Consider recent strides made by the newly Fiat-purchased and reorganized Chrysler Group, LLC: 1) To compete with Ford's Mustang, Chrysler rushes a 425hp SRT8-only first-year 2009 Challenger, beating the 2010 Camaro to the punch. 2) Participating in a virtual rehashing of 1970's horsepower wars, Dodge announces the replacement of the 6.1-liter 425 SRT8 HEMI in 2011 models with the 6.4-liter, 392 cubic inch HEMI, which was originally coined as 480 horsepower but will more likely be closer to 500 ponies. 3) In addition to anywhere between 55 and 75 horses more, the new 6.4L HEMI will also feature Chrysler's cylinder-deactivation technology (previously absent on the 6.1L) as well as a ZF-built 8-speed automatic to better reduce top gear rpms and effectively increase mpg.

Moreover, Mopar, Chrysler's performance branch, is now outfitting its factory performance products on select limited-edition series of Challengers and will start increasing its presence in Dodge, Ram, and Jeep. While the "HEMI" badging might slowly vanish from the fenders and tail gates from Chrysler 300s and Jeep Grand Cherokees, but only externally. Inside, the engine covers will still retain the HEMI name, and all SRT8 models will be appropriately labeled. Is the HEMI going to disappear under pressures from ecological political pressures? Not a chance. The only way the HEMI will vanish is if people stop buying 5.7L and 6.4L-equipped Mopars, and according to the numbers, that's not likely to happen for a while.




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