The V8 Muscle Car Fans Have Clamored For May Finally Become a Reality

Stellantis is dumping a ton of money to invest in new US manufacturing to supposedly back the return of the V8.

Rear view of an orange Dodge car showing taillights, black spoiler, and a black and white Dodge license plate.

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Published October 7, 2025

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Updated October 7, 2025

It seems the return of the V8-powered Mopar muscle car is certainly underway. Stellantis reportedly just allocated a whopping $10-billion investment into new US-based manufacturing, largely to support the revival of the V8.

According to a recent report from Bloomberg, Stellantis’s current CEO, Antonio Filosa, is gearing up to announce the new investment at a meeting later this week. The plan not only calls for increasing funds for American operations.

But Bloomberg’s report suggests the investment amount doubled from $5 billion to over $10 billion for the near-term future. The funds will mainly be used to back the Mopar brands, all of which includes Jeep, Dodge, and Chrysler.

Stellantis will use the money to resusitcate closed plants

a photo of a dodge muscle car doing a burnout — The all-electric Dodge Charger has been a major point of contention for the brand.

Specifics aren’t readily available, pending Filosa’s official company statement. But word has it that the new investments will be used to reboot some closed based in the Midwest.

In the same breath, Bloomberg suggested this could signal the return of the HEMI V8 for one of Dodge’s most recent and iconic pony cars: the Charger.

Durango-SRT-Gear-Patrol-Slide-10 — The HEMI V8’s revival could make its way back to the Charger.

While nothing’s official nor confirmed, circumstantial evidence has all roads leading to the prospect.

Not too long ago, Dodge CEO Matt McAlear hinted at the possibility of shoehorning the HEMI V8 under its hood. The hint came after the Trump Administration rolled back EPA emissions and fuel economy compliance regulations earlier this year.

Four modern muscle cars in orange, blue, gray, and dark blue parked on cracked asphalt near a river with a city skyline and bridge in the background. — Dodge has since expanded the Charger lineup to include an ICE-powered model.

“With the change in the administration, it’s no secret that we’re absolutely flexing into ICE production right now,” McAlear told Motor1 in August.

In that same interview, McAlear went on to tout the flexibility of the Charger’s “multi-energy” platform.

“Don’t be surprised if it [the V8] would fit,” he said when specifically asked the magic question about slotting the HEMI into the latest Charger.

Dark blue Dodge Challenger coupe with red brake calipers driving on a racetrack under a blue sky. — Dodge CEO Matt McAlear previous said a V8 under the hood of the new Charger is very possible.

“That’s the beauty of this platform. Some can say we’re lucky, some can say we’re smart. We did not commit to one technology, one powertrain. A lot went into this platform from the beginning to be able to evolve over time and flex with consumer demand and changes in regulatory [policy],” he elaborated.

This new investment could signal the return of the HEMI-powered pony car

Bright orange Dodge Charger with black roof in front of a blue Dodge Charger parked near a river with a suspension bridge and city skyline in the background. — Fans would be ecstatic to see the return of the HEMI-powered Charger.

Stellantis and its Mopar divisions came under fire after the company discontinued its iconic HEMI V8 just under a couple of years ago. It was in attempt at driving the company in a more fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly direction under the leadership of then controversial CEO, Carlos Tavares.

However, none of the Mopar fans were having it and pushed back in great protest.

Interior of an orange sports car at night with illuminated red ambient lighting on the dashboard and black leather seats. — Dodge may be taking full advantage of Stellantis’ STLA “multi-energy” platform with the return of the V8.

The pushback was so strong, it sounded off major alarms on the monetary side. It eventually forced Tavares to resign and nearly all of the Stellantis brands to rework their strategies.

Dodge had originally planned to sell the Charger as an all-electric muscle car to pave the way for the future. But then, regulatory rollbacks saw Dodge reconsidering by adding its latest 3.0-liter Hurricane inline-six to the Charger’s lineup.

Now, it looks like the HEMI V8 could follow after is recent revival. Keep your fingers crossed.

About the Author: Chris Chin is an associate editor at Gear Patrol, covering cars, trucks and anything else with four wheels. He has over a decade of experience writing news and reviews but considers himself an enthusiast first, with a passion for classics and European cars. His daily driver is a 1987 Mercedes-Benz 560SEL with nearly 250,000 miles (87,000 are his).

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