Dodge is continuing to expand the Direct Connection catalog and at the 2024 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, the company introduced two new engine block options and three supercharger kits – one of which is the massive 3.0-liter IHI unit that comes on the Hellephant crate engines and under the hood of the 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170.
The most exciting news from Direct Connection at SEMA 2024 is the arrival of the 3.0-liter IHI supercharger as a standalone component. The 3.0-liter unit was first introduced atop the first 426 Hellephant crate engine back in 2018, but since then, it has been used atop all four of the more recent Hellephant crate engines and on the 1,025-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170.
The item is technically called the Direct Connection 3.0L E85 Supercharger Kit and it is Mopar part number P5160624AA. The kit comes with the 3.0-liter IHI supercharger which the press release states is “derived from” the Demon 170 engine, a 3.02-inch supercharger pulley, a 105-millimeter throttle body, 164 gallon-per-hour fuel injectors, an ethanol sensor, a Gates belt and all of the gaskets, hardware and instructions needed for installation.
In addition to moving a higher volume of air than the 2.7-liter blower on the SRT Hellcat Redeye engine, the 3.02-inch pulley offers 14% more overdrive than the standard Redeye pulley, leading to 21 pounds of available boost pressure.
The Direct Connection 3.0L E85 Supercharger Kit has an MSRP of $11,995.
The other two supercharger kits that were announced at SEMA 2024 are actually snout kits – one for the 2.4-liter SRT Hellcat supercharger and one for the 2.7-liter Redeye unit. These are great for anyone who wants to have their factory snout modified without any downtime, and while they do not come with the supercharger pulley, these kits come with a new Gates belt and all of the gaskets, hardware and instructions for installation.
The 2.4-liter snout (P/N 68675006AA) costs $1,095 and the 2.7-liter snout (P/N 68675007AA) is $1,295.
In addition to those supercharger kits, Direct Connection is also expanding their crate engine lineup at the 2024 SEMA Show.
“Dodge is celebrating 50 years of Direct Connection by growing our performance parts offerings for enthusiasts seeking more horsepower on the strip or on the street,” said Matt McAlear, Dodge brand CEO – Stellantis. “With the launch of Hellephant A30 and Drag Pak 354 Supercharged Crate HEMI engine blocks, Direct Connection continues to expand the brand’s portfolio of crate engine products.”
The Dodge Challenger Drag Pak has proven to be a popular option for racers who want to go factory stock racing, and Direct Connection is looking to help keep those teams racing into the future by adding the 354-cubic inch engine block from the supercharged Dodge Challenger Drag Pak to the catalog. This will allow teams to be better prepared, building extra engines in advance, or to quickly get back into the action should they hurt an engine.
The Drag Pack 354 engine block has an MSRP of $10,570.
Joining the Drag Pak block on the list of new Direct Connection offerings is the A30 engine block. The A30 is an aluminum block measuring 426 cubic inches, designed to make around a thousand horsepower on pump gas. The A30 Hellephant crate engine is similar to the original Hellephant crate engine that was introduced back in 2018, which has proven to be very popular since it first went on sale. With an MSRP of $8,815, the A30 engine block will provide hotrodders with a great basis on which to build a monstrous Gen 3 Hemi.
Both of these new engine blocks offerings will be “available in various machined configurations to support custom engine builds through Callies Performance Products”, so they can be tailored a bit to fit specific projects and goals. More information on those engine blocks and any other Direct Connection crate engines can be found on DCPerformance.com.
These new supercharger kits and crate engine blocks will be available for ordering in the first quarter of 2025.