Hemi vs. Normal engine

Ok, I've been hearing all the stuff about the new Hemi's and so I did some research and found this.

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/hemi5.htm

It sais that the modern Pentroof combustion chamber design is better than the Hemi's Hemispherical design. So I dont get why they started producing them again. Is there something I'm missing?

The name "Hemi" carries with it a mystique the real engine is not able to live up to. In olden times, the 426 "Hemi" was the undisputed "king kong" engine. The "new" Hemi is a far cry from that one.
While it is a very powerful engine, the "street Hemi" (426) is not a very good street engine. It only understands one thing. Wide open throttle...

The current "hemi" used in Top Fuel, F/C, etc. is NOT a Chrysler. The deisgn is loosely based on the old 426. One would have a difficult time matching the parts up, as the modern versoins look nothing like the "real" one.

It's true, modern pent-roof chambered, multi-valve heads are capable of making more power, and more efficiently. The Ford modulars are a good examples. A 4.6 lr. engine makes near the power the 5.7 lr. Dodge makes. The GM engines in the same class, make a bunch more power than the Hemi (340 vs. 400).

I believe Chrysler brought the "name" back, along with a modified version of the combustion chamber, to capitalize on the legend. Not unlike the "retro" Mustang...

Jim

Well yeah, that's what I was thinking from reading the article. It was a superior engine in it's time but then there was another engine that came along that was superior to that. And now the manufacturers see an opportunity to capitalize on the mistique of the Hemi while being able to produce an engine cheaper than a normal one.

It just seems odd to me that people keep saying "That thing got a Hemi? Yeah. Bad ass!" And the commercials that emphasise that it's an improvement. When in reality it's the opposite. Just seems a little deceptive to me.

Deceptive? Naw... Not an American manufacturer when advertising their wares... Naw, not here! Argh! Argh! Humor... reminds me of the "Charger" commercial from the early '80s when they hung the Charger badge on a Mitsubishi POS and "challenged" T/A and Z/28... The little turbo weazer went 0-60 .2 of a second quicker, so they claimed Charger the "quickest", not allowing them to "leg it out" over at least 1/8 mile.

Jim

It just seems odd to me that people keep saying "That thing got a Hemi? Yeah. Bad ass!" And the commercials that emphasise that it's an improvement. When in reality it's the opposite. Just seems a little deceptive to me.


Welcome to the world of marketing. These are the same kinds of people who made millions of people buy "pet rocks" and other useless items all because they made people "think" they wanted it.

I have a non numbers matching 66 Charger with a 440 Magnum in it that I could proabably sell for $10K. If I was to drop a 426 Hemi in it tonight, the car would go to $25K or more in the morning. Same car, just the word "Hemi" more than doubles the price. Car won't handle any better or look any better and probably won't even do 0 to 60 that much faster. But that word "Hemi" sure puts a premium on the money.

So far I've only had the opportunity to put my Charger up against a 5.7 Hemi in a pickup. I thought maybe he dropped his tranny he was so far behind. I was looking for some kind of close race given his new truck and my old clunker. He started first but I was at least one length ahead of him by the time we got to the opposite cross walk. Still waiting to see how the new Charger R/T and the new 425 horse engine matches up.

Well if you put a modern LS1 or the like, or the Mitsubishi turbocharged 4-cyl that I'm partial to :D, in your car I'm guessing you would definitely see faster times. This Hemi thing seems to have even guys that talk about cars for a living fooled. I was watching that show on Speed (I think) where a couple people sit at a table and talk about the auto industry and what car manufacturers are doing. One guy says "well with its Hemi engine the new (insert Dodge, Jeep, etc here) will out power the competition..." or somthing similar. :rolleyes:

Progression of engine designs:

Steam?----->Flat Head----->Hemispherical----->Pentroof----->?

Just be sure to understand the difference between those that TALK about cars, versus those that DO cars. Those of us in the engine business were never fooled, not even by the "real" Hemi. A 440 will beat up on a 426 Hemi in street trim. More low-end, less "rush" of torque (which blows the tires off).

Hemi cars ARE worth more, its true. But a "clone" is worth only a fraction of what a "real" one is worth. They're getting obscene money for true examples of Hemi cars! Right up there with Judges and big block ('60s) Corvettes!

Jim

I like the hemi myself they give a nice bite but for every good thing has a price like gas compared to less balls for the original motor but better gas milage.:licka:

the hemi is still the accual better design, like the article says, if you made a 1 cylender with 4 valve hemi and a pentroof design the hemi would make more power, its jsut hard to accomplish

also you cant compair horse because the engine wernt designed for the same thing, if they were designed to make horsepower then they would have awsome power but crappy mpg, also think that they havnt had as much research one the hemi in the last few years as the many many years of other engines,

take prostock drag racing for example, the chevy and pontiac guys have had so much more testing in there engines that they can make as much power as the hemis

the ultimate engine would be a flat 8, quad overhead cam, 4 valve, hemi

but this would just take up to much room