Sources Say 6.4-Liter V-8 Coming For Heavy Duty Dodge Ram

If the legacy 383-horsepower, 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 won't cut it for your hauling needs in the Dodge Ram heavy-duty pickups, hang on just a bit longer. An all-new 6.4-liter Hemi V-8 is on its way by 2011 with power ratings of between 450-hp to 500-hp, according to our sources.

The 6.4-liter V-8 is said to be based on Chrysler's current SRT8 high-performance 6.1-liter Hemi V-8, but with a larger bore and longer stroke optimized for use in three-quarter-ton and one-ton truck applications instead of street racing. The engine is already being tested on the road in HD Ram engineering mules. There's no word on what transmission it will use, but ZF's new six-speed gearbox designed for gas or diesel engines might work.

An SRT-tweaked version of the 6.4-liter is also expected to debut in the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8.