Direct Connection is solving a problem that has frustrated performance builders for decades: getting a factory-matched engine and controller into the same box, backed by real warranty coverage. At the 2026 SEMA Show today, the SRT Performance division’s factory parts arm unveiled six new HEMI V8 crate engine packages that bundle the engine, flashed powertrain control module, wiring harness, O2 sensors, and accelerator pedal into a single turnkey offering. The range spans 385 hp from the base 345-cubic-inch package to 1,025 hp from the Hellephant C170 on E85.
That spread matters. Where Chevrolet Performance sells its LSX454 crate engine at $17,799 and Ford Performance offers a 460 hp 5.0-liter Gen 4X unit for around $11,700, neither integrates a matched controller kit and OEM warranty into the same package. The Direct Connection approach is closer to a powertrain transplant kit than a bare engine drop, and it’s available for both automatic and manual transmission applications from the start.
The Six Packages
The lineup splits into three engine families, each offered in Street Strip and Super Stock trim. The 345-cubic-inch packages produce 385 hp and 417 lb-ft of torque. The Street Strip version uses a remanufactured performance block with cast-iron construction and four-bolt powder metal caps. The Super Stock steps up with Redeye valve springs for high-RPM valvetrain control, an SRT Hellcat oil pump, a larger SRT oil filter, and an SRT oil cooler, all aimed at sustained high-load operation. Both wear new black valve covers with raised Direct Connection branding. The 345 Street Strip uses a remanufactured block; the 345 Super Stock gets a new performance block.
The 392-cubic-inch packages raise output to 485 hp and 475 lb-ft. The forged-steel crankshaft and 103.9mm bore are standard on both 392 variants, with the Super Stock again adding Redeye valve springs, an SRT Hellcat oil pump, and an SRT oil cooler. The 392 family wears HEMI orange valve covers, peak RPM is rated at 6,400, and compression sits at 10.9:1.
At the top end, the supercharged 6.2-liter packages diverge significantly. The Hellcrate Redeye 6.2L Super Stock uses a 2.7-liter IHI twin-screw supercharger to produce up to 885 hp and 787 lb-ft in High Octane Mode, running on a 9.5:1 compression ratio with forged powdered metal steel connecting rods and diamond-like coating wrist pins. It wears new red valve covers and peaks at 6,500 rpm. The package includes a Hellephant 426 supercharger pulley and a 180-degree performance thermostat.
The Hellephant C170 pushes the concept further. A 3.0-liter IHI supercharger with an improved intercooler, a 3.02-inch pulley, and a 105mm throttle body feed upgraded pistons with top-land cutback, while billet steel main caps replace the standard powder metal units for additional bottom-end strength. An ethanol sensor, upgraded fuel rail, and larger injectors support E85 blends, where the engine is rated at 1,025 hp and 945 lb-ft of torque. Yellow valve covers distinguish it from the Redeye. For automatic applications, the C170 requires the TorqueFlite 8HP90 transmission kit specific to its torque output.
Controller Integration and Transmission Options
Every package ships with a flashed PCM matched to that specific engine, along with crate engine wiring, a power distribution center kit, O2 sensors, and an accelerator pedal. Automatic packages add a shifter and brake pressure switch. The PCM integration is what separates these from a traditional bare crate engine: builders get a plug-and-play control system rather than sourcing and calibrating a standalone ECU separately.
Direct Connection pairs all six engines with the TorqueFlite 8HP90 automatic transmission crate, which features a 4.71:1 first gear, a 7.06:1 overall ratio spread, and dual overdrive seventh and eighth gears. The 8HP90 carries its own 12-month/12,000-mile warranty and comes in four part-number variants matched to each engine family. TREMEC Magnum manual transmission support is recommended across all packages. The three-year/100,000-mile warranty covering the engine packages themselves is a meaningful step above what most aftermarket suppliers offer, and it distinguishes the Direct Connection approach from the standalone crate engine market.
That warranty backstop has become a recurring theme in Direct Connection’s expansion. Earlier this year, the brand pushed into bolt-on territory with supercharger kits targeting over 900 hp on the Ram 1500 Rumble Bee, pairing hardware with factory engineering support. The crate engine packages take that philosophy further, extending the same OEM-backed integration to complete powertrain builds.
The GTX and the Backstory
Also on the SEMA floor is a restored 1967 Plymouth GTX, now fitted with the Hellcrate Redeye 6.2L Super Stock package paired to the TorqueFlite 8HP90. The car had appeared at SEMA 2024 as an EV conversion. Tim Kuniskis, head of American Brands and SRT Performance at Stellantis, addressed that version directly: “When we showed this GTX at SEMA in 2024, the original owner we bought it from wasn’t exactly thrilled that we had turned his muscle car into an EV. We heard him. So this year, we fixed it.” The GTX now rides on lowered three-link suspension, 18-by-9-inch BTG Vintage Bronze forged magnesium wheels, and Pirelli P-ZERO PZ4 tires, with Frostbite Blue exterior paint and a carbon-fiber front splitter.
Direct Connection has not announced pricing for any of the six packages. Availability begins in the first quarter of 2027, with final production content subject to change. The Hellephant A30 426 Supercharged crate engine, a prior-generation standalone offering, carried a $34,995 price when it launched, which gives some frame of reference for the base of this lineup, though the new packages bundle considerably more hardware.
Stellantis is discontinuing HEMI V8 options from its passenger car lineup, and Direct Connection is where that engine story continues. For builders who want factory engineering, OEM warranty coverage, and four-figure horsepower from an American V8, the catalog just got a lot more serious.
Source: Stellantis. Images courtesy of Stellantis.
