Pacifica

Make
Chrysler
Segment
Van

Mopar has finally announced that it will sell a crate version of the Hellcat's 6.2-liter supercharged V8 with 707 hp, opening up a new world of engine swaps that don't involve yet another LS block. With a price of around $20,000, the kit isn't exactly cheap. Even so, we were so excited by the new Hellcrate our minds already jumped to what we would do with the new crate engine, dreaming up five that we'd like to see powered by a Hellcat engine. Some of these builds would be easier than others, but they'd all be awesome.

A Chrysler Pacifica Hellcat may be one of the least viable dream builds on this list, but no one thought that FCA would really drop 707 hp into a Jeep Grand Cherokee either. Hellcat models are starting become the bread and butter for Dodge, so why shouldn't FCA stuff this engine into pretty much every model it makes? We understand that the size of the Pacifica's engine bay would likely make fitting a Hellcat engine impossible, but there are ways to get it done. Perhaps Chrysler could mount the engine in the middle of the van like Toyota did with the Previa. Even if we only got to see this 707 hp minivan as a concept car, it would still satisfy our appetite.

The Mazda Miata is one of the most popular cars to swap a V8 engine into. However, we wanted to keep our next choice within the FCA family, so we chose the Fiat 124. We enjoyed our time with the 124 Spider, but found it to be a bit soft, and not quite as enjoyable as the Mazda that it's based on. We thought that adding a turbocharger to the Miata formula would create the perfect recipe for fun, but the end result was a bit muted for a sports car. Luckily, this is an issue that 707 hp is sure to fix. This build would likely run into the same problems with fitment as the Pacifica, but who wouldn't want to drive a tiny, two-seat roadster with 707 hp?

When we were choosing cars for this list, we wanted to pick a car that was extremely pretty, but could be purchased relatively cheaply and had an engine that wasn't special by today's standards. The Aston Martin DB7 fit the bill perfectly. You can find a nice coupe with a manual for around $30,000, but since we are ditching the engine and transmission, an automatic convertible would suffice. The DB7's 420 hp V12 isn't terribly fast by today's standards, especially when paired with the five-speed automatic. Our dream build would have the drop-dead gorgeous looks of the DB7 with the insane power of the Hellcat.

All of our dream builds are extremely ambitious, but the Lotus Evora may have the most potential to be brilliant. Our idea here would be to build something akin to the Hennessey Venom GT. In creating the Venom GT, Hennessey basically took a Lotus Exige chassis and dropped in a 7.0-liter twin-turbo V8. We wouldn't be targeting the same insane speed figures that Hennessey was able to reach, but we think that the larger Evora would be a great basis on which to build a mid-engine supercar with a Hellcat engine.

The Kia Stinger may be the most appropriate car on this list to receive a Hellcat engine. It even looks good wearing a coat of classic Mopar orange paint. The Stinger is already a great sport sedan with a 365-hp 3.3-liter twin-turbo V6. What would make this car even better is the tire-shredding potential of the Hellcat engine. The Kia Stinger hasn't even been released in the US yet, but as soon as a crashed one becomes available, we'd get ready to stuff the new Hellcat into it.