Detroit’s straight-six is back (in a crate) for 2023
Remember Chrysler’s inline “Slant Six” engine, so named because the block leaned at a 30-degree angle? It was introduced in 1959 as a replacement for the Chrysler flathead straight-six that essentially got its start in 1925 and it lasted, in one form or another, until the overhead-valve Slant Six replaced it. The Slant Six made it until 2000, when V-6s replaced the overhead-valve engine that originally came in everything from pickup trucks to passenger sedans. It had a deserved reputation for being bulletproof, and it made a lot of friends.
The 225-cubic-inch (3.7-liter) Slant Six was never much for hot-rodding, although some very successful dragsters and land-speed vehicles used a modified version of it.
Now comes Stellantis’ twin-turbo, 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder called the Hurricane, named one of Ward’s 10 Best engines for 2022, a prestigious award. And in the near future, Dodge’s Direct Connection aftermarket performance arm will market the “HurriCrate” engine, a hot-rodded version of the straight-six for, well, hot rods, restomods, and other performance vehicles. Debuting at the 2022 SEMA show, the HurriCrate, so named because it arrives at your garage in a crate, will be offered as a Cat 1 or Cat 3 model. The Cat 1 is expected to offer up to 420 horsepower, while the HurriCrate Cat 3 delivers up to 550 horsepower.
![direct connection dodge hurricrate six](https://hagerty-media-prod.imgix.net/2022/11/DC022_024DG.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=crop&h=426&ixlib=php-3.3.0&w=640)
The Cat 1 utilizes the inherent torque advantage of the Hurricane engine’s twin-turbo, inline six-cylinder design to deliver 468 lb-ft of torque by 2500 rpm, while the Cat 3 delivers its max 531 lb-ft of torque at just 3500 rpm. If that isn’t enough, there are plans for a racing variant, the HurriCrate Cat X crate engine, including a future Drag Pak option.
Both HurriCrates employ two low-inertia, high-flow turbochargers for rapid response, plus Plasma Transfer Wire Arc (PTWA) coating in the cylinder bores for an ultra-thin, low-friction wear surface, and high-pressure direct fuel injection. Both have engine-mounted water-to-air charge coolers with a dedicated cooling circuit.
![direct connection dodge hurricrate six](https://hagerty-media-prod.imgix.net/2022/11/DC022_025DG.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=crop&h=426&ixlib=php-3.3.0&w=640)
Both of the Mexico-built versions also have dual overhead camshafts with wide-range, fully independent variable valve timing, and dual water-cooled exhaust manifolds integrated in the cylinder head. The Hurricane, known internally as the GME T6, debuted in the new Jeep Grand Wagoneer L, with 510 horsepower.
![Hurricane Twin Turbo Inline-Six](https://hagerty-media-prod.imgix.net/2022/10/2023-Grand-Wagoneer-L-2.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=crop&h=427&ixlib=php-3.3.0&w=640)
The performance version of the Hurricane could also be used in a car, but that seems like a long shot. After all, the Hurricane is the closest internal-combustion replacement for the Hemi V-8 as Stellantis is expected to have, as that company, along with everybody else, transitions to electricity.
So some fast aftermarket versions the inline-six are here, and somewhere William Weertman, father of the Chrysler Slant Six, must be smiling. HurriCrate prices have not been announced.
![2023 Grand Wagoneer L Obsidian exterior rear three quarter](https://hagerty-media-prod.imgix.net/2022/10/2023-Grand-Wagoneer-L-33.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=crop&h=441&ixlib=php-3.3.0&w=640)
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It all reads wonderful. I imagine the pricing will be competitive. But I’m not sure about the Mexican build. I don’t have anything against Mexican people. It’s that manufacturing sent to Mexico is always to obtain lower build costs. And as a result, the outcomes have been inconsistent.
I’ll stick to my 4.0 inline six. BULLET PROOF!! They work well with a turbo or a blower.
Hmmmmmm. Maybe Chrysler is going to put the Hudson Hornet 308 “6” in the New Dodge “Hornet” NASCAR watch out! Is this It?