The good news is that Ram is bringing back the Hemi V8 – including an updated, even stronger version (777 horsepower) of the supercharged variant, in the 2027 TRX iteration of the Ram 1500 – which is fantastic news for those of us who want a V8 in our muscle trucks and muscle cars – rather than an inline turbocharged/hybrid-augmented in line six.
Not, it bears repeating, that there is anything wrong with the 3.0 liter Hurricane in-line six that Ram thought people would accept as the replacement for displacement (and which Dodge hopes will get people to forget about removing the engine – entirely – from the Charger). 
It’s just not a V8 – and that matters to the people who buy Ram trucks and Dodge Chargers, for reasons that are emotionally parallel to the reason many enthusiasts prefer a manual transmission over an automatic – nevermind that the automatic can be programmed to shift faster and with more accuracy. 
But are the people in charge of this V8 resurrection embarrassed about it? Photos of the ’27 TRX’s engine compartment show an ugly black plastic cover with “TRX” pressed into the plastic. There isn’t even the usual four rectangles on each side dimpling to suggest there might be a V8 under that cover. No displacement callouts. Just the black plastic cover.
When you’re ashamed of something, you cover it up.
Ram used to be proud of its V8s – especially the supercharged variants that could be found under the hoods of ultra-performance models such as the TRX and Hellcat iterations of the Charger and Challenger. The beauty of the aluminum supercharger sat atop the V8, for all to see. Ram (and Dodge) Hellcat Hemis were also painted Hemi orange, in homage to the original 426 Hemi’s bright orange livery.
These black covers are evil things because they serve to anonymize and homogenize engines, which serves as a way to disconnect the emotional attachment many people – especially enthusiast people – feel about the engines that are under the hoods of special vehicles, such as the Hellcat and TRX iterations of Chargers and Challengers and Ram 1500 trucks.
What is Ram thinking?
The cover “cleans up” the look of the engine compartment? It muffles the sounds of the engine? It certainly does both of those things. But they are both undesirable things – from the point-of-view of everyone who likes big and brawny V8 engines, especially supercharged ones. To hide – and silence – such an engine is something along the lines of putting a burqa and baggy clothes on Sydney Sweeney. One can understand why someone who isn’t interested in how she looks might want to cover her up. But then, such people are the kinds of people who aren’t interested in her.
It’s the same as regards the Hemi in the TRX and other purposely obstreperous vehicles such as the Hellcat Charger and Challenger. Such vehicles are the antithesis of “refined” and that is a huge part of their appeal to the people who love them. They want not only to see and hear the engine, they want to be able to show the engine to anyone else who might be a fellow appreciator – and also to let them hear it. Does anyone at Ram – Tim Kuniskis – attend enthusiast car shows? What do you see say at literally every car show? You see cars lined up with their hoods up – so you see what’s under them. There is much to see.
Well, there was.
Go drive by a new car dealership. What do you see? Rows of cars with their hoods closed. Why? Because there is nothing to see – literally. The engines are hidden under those black plastic covers that make it so that you can’t tell what’s under there – whether it’s a four or a six or a V8 – unless the cover has been pressed to express the corollary number of rectangles or squares that indicate that it’s a four or a six (or a V8). But the cover used to hide the ’27 TRX’s supercharged 6.2 liter V8 doesn’t even have that. Just huge “TRX” letters pressed into the plastic.
It is as off-putting as it is tragic. Someone really out to tell Tim, so he can fix it.
. . .
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Automobile lingerie. And just about as useful.
Regardless of the hemi- who in their right mind would buy a Stellantis product at this point?
I fixed the noise by filling the engine compartment with spray foam. There is a smell issue now though.
Glad it’s back. That model will get people talking and into the dealer, but they will likely buy a lesser model. Good marketing for a change.
Waiting for the first 4-door charger to arrive. Hopefully you get to test one. I will absolutely go see and drive one. Not sure if it will be the I6TT or hemi, not sure If I care at the moment.
Looks like Dodge and Ram are back. Let’s hope they sell. They seem way more expensive compared to what they used to be, so we’ll see.
They did blow the ’26 Grand Cherokee engine offerings though. The uptrims only get their new 4cyl T they are also calling a Hurricane. Ohhh the humanity…… A uptrim buyer will not want that at all, and I believe why recent sales numbers have suffered. Maybe they don’t have the resources to do that car yet being they were working on Charger and Ram so much so fast?
Sixpack Chargers are good to see, you guys are basically getting what we Aussies call a ‘Falcon XR6 Turbo’, only with AWD and 23 years later. The Barra 4.0 Inline 6 turbo blew the V8s into the weeds when released here and ended up creating a new customer base for Ford Australia, being people who were into Jap performance but needed 4 door full size car space for families. (The V8 crew got to keep their V8s, too). It was good while it lasted. You guys are so lucky right now. Bring the Charger to Australia!
A link if anyone is interested (look at that beaut red rocker cover & turbo):
https://www.carsguide.com.au/car-news/ford-ba-falcon-at-20-how-the-last-great-falcon-won-the-battle-against-the-holden-commodore
Didn’t know that Jack, thanks.
Huge fan of the once great Holden Commodore which IMO GM messed up for all.
I took the covers and sound deadened of my 2014 Ram Ecodiesel, and off my 2012 Town and Country. I didn’t notice any difference except for the loss of about 20 lbs of weight and easier visibility for service. I’m sure there is some geeky 0.1dB noise difference but it’s irrelevant to me. And a little more airflow/cooling might make the rubber and plastic last a bit better.
If noise were the issue, the black pizza box could be attached to the underside of the hood to lift with it … and to seal on its bottom edges with the hood closed.
Eric is right — they are as embarrassed by it as most American women are of underarm hair. If a big honking Hemi is concealed under an anonymous black plastic bedsheet, will EPA ‘crats notice it?
Just in case, shouldn’t Timmy K affix a ‘Hello Hemi’ sticker to the black pizza box, just to underscore that harmless little Hemi means no harm to the cliiiiiiimate?? Suggested design:
https://tinyurl.com/49rkfm4k
Effing clowns. I fart in their general direction.
Hello Hemi
https://ibb.co/Q3F258bX
I hereby license this design to Eric, if he wants to offer it on T-shirts and coffee mugs.
Mopar for the win!! /sarc
I removed the engine covers off the Impala and Traverse. The 2001 Mustang Cobra SVT didn’t have a cover. What a glorious sight to behold. Also what a glorious noise the Magnaflow exhaust makes.
Itz true most people don’t care whats under the hood and don’t know and don’t want to know.
One of the biggest things I miss about my 1968 Olds Delta 88 is opening the hood and feasting my eyes upon the Rocket 455 engine that seemed almost lost under the hood despite its massive size and equally massive power output sufficient to launch that beastly vehicle into orbit. My skinnier self could crawl right in and work on it.
You read too much into stuff sometimes. It’s primarily for noise damping. It also protects wiring and vacuum hoses. Manufacturers are not selling vehicles to mechanics and engineers anymore. Most people don’t even know where to put oil in, so controlling noise and heat yield fewer complaints online. “I like my 2008 Widget Blob but there’s a constant ticking from the front that is irritating.” Ugh.
Lucky for us we can remove the cover with a few bolts, not that the plastic bits underneath are anything as aesthetically pleasing as looking at a dressed Six Pack or really any engine from the 50s and 60s when the air filter cover would be boldly painted, chrome finished and proudly show the displacement or engine name.
440 Special Commando
426 Hemi Head
Coyote Duster
Hi Anon,
Noise damping? I addressed that point in the article; did you miss it? They didn’t “dampen” the “noise” in prior Hellcat-equipped vehicles.
Doesn’t the hood protect the wiring and vacuum hoses?
The hood doesn’t protect the engine from squirrels. Varmints have chewed the spark plug wires on my 2018 Camry twice. From what I understand, Honda has a worse problem.
The covers also make the engine compartment unappealing to a stray kitten as a place to curl up for the night.
Hi Roscoe,
That’s certainly true – but neither do these covers. In fact, they make cozy little roofs and hidey-holes for mice and such. I’ve dealt with this firsthand, by the way.
Morning Eric:
Lets not forget that soy based insulation is a snack for a mouse who when finished flosses his little teeth with the copper wire itself.
I watched my mechanic pull the intake and assorted bits because a mouse had chewed through the knock sensor wires that were under that intake. If it cost less than $1K I’d be surprised.
At least the cover on the 2013 Corolla I gave to my “little goil” just pops right off the engine and can easily be put back. My 2006 Corolla, more or less an earlier version of the same car, has none. Part of the reason I picked it up as a “beater”, it’s WRENCHABLE.
So take the stupid thing off. Why must it always be dramatic, the world is always out to get you.
I can only speak to the criteria we’re asked to design to. People prefer less noise, so that’s the lowest common denominator.
If you want the noise you can take off the cover, you will be in small company with a handful of people. But from the manufacturer’s POV it’s hard to retrofit to make things quieter when a person is on a test drive.
The middle 80% of people don’t give a shit one way or the other.
And, yes, it’s different in 2025 than 1975. Engines now have things like variable valve timing that requires miles of chains and hydraulic solenoids that are ticky. For years engines had solid lifters that were noisy, they when to cushioned lifters and engines got quieter. But overhead cams with fixed followers got ticky again and now they are like sewing machines with all the crap. Yup, it’s for compliance. Go outside and yell at the clouds about it.
Hi Anon,
“So take the stupid thing off.”
The point I was trying to make is that it was stupid to put the thing on in the first place.
“People prefer less noise.” Not the people who buy Hellcats. Did you noit read the article? I went into this in some depth.
Alright, fine, you’re right.
It should never exist in non-clown world and the people who did it hung up by their balls.
Now can we move on from a damn plastic cover on engines to the fact that we invaded Venezuela and will be soon in a hot war with China?
FWIW, most of the Venezuelans are GLAD we did. Trouble is, they’ll soon be unhappy with OUR bastard versus the ones that previously held power.
https://x.com/sentdefender/status/2007339573156950095
“Someone really out to tell Tim, so he can fix it.” – EP
Timmy isn’t going to fix your imagined problem.
Enthusiasts don’t drive the market. That’s reality. Get used to it. Most consumers couldn’t change a spark plug if they could even identify one. Most don’t even change their own oil.
Sure a SRT product may not have the ubiquitous black cover. By definition SRT, SVT, etc., are selling to a completely different enthusiast customer.
The vast majority of customers buying $40k – $100k daily trucks (cars or whatever) don’t want to hear the engine noises. Customers don’t what to hear high pressure pumps that operate Direct injection. If they hear any indication of lifter noise whatsoever, they end up back at the dealer driving warranty claims for “normal” engine noises that result in no trouble found and a disgruntled customer.
Likewise – contractors buying new work trucks don’t want to roll up to a customers job with dual exhaust high flow glass-packs showing off the V8 rumble or having diesel wastegates popping off loudly and turbo whine as the star of the show.
Then there is the whole other topic of regulatory concerns like pass by noise that you consistently ignore as if they don’t exist. Vehicles are engineered to reality of the market and the regulations. That leads to engine covers whether you like them or not.
Those that don’t want the cover will take it off. Those that want the V8 rumble will put aftermarket mufflers on.
Keep on tilting at windmills if that’s what entertains you and the majority of the readers but engine covers aren’t going away.
A Hellcat Redeye…..it’s Christmas time in January! Enjoy the ride Eric. You’ve the opportunity most of us wish we could have!
Engine porn…what a concept!
Perhaps that plastic engine cover is required so that the effete Europeans who own what is left of Chrysler Corporation don’t whimper and cry at an actual manly engine?
Or maybe the components under that cover are so unfinished and cheap looking and they want to cover it up. I’m suspecting that quite a few of those covers will be removed by their owners but looking at the engine compartment photo it looks like the fan shroud is indented for the engine cover. My hope is that if it becomes popular to remove that cover an upper fan shroud that looks more traditional will find its way to market or that the previous generation shroud will fit.
Either way it’s out of my desired price range and other than the esthetics of it not my problem.