Stellantis will install an old V8 engine in its new sports car platform: "Don't be surprised".

Since its creation in 2021, Stellantis - born of the merger between PSA and FCA - is gradually rolling out its new modular platforms: STLA Small, STLA Medium, STLA Large, STLA Frame, not forgetting Smart Car.

Among them, STLA Large is designed for models in the D segment and above. It is already the basis for the new Dodge Charger and the Jeep Wagoneer S, and will soon welcome the future Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio, as well as the next Maserati. The STLA Large platform in 4 versions that you can discover here.

Electric vehicles are moving ahead more slowly than expected

While Stellantis' initial objective was to switch massively to electric vehicles, the reality is more nuanced. On the European market, the adoption of zero-emission powertrains is slower than expected... and in the United States, demand for combustion engines remains even stronger. As proof of this, Dodge has launched its new Charger with a GME 3.0L L6 engine derived from the well-known GME 2.0L L4.

For European models, there's already a good chance that the 3.0L V6 will appear in future Maserati and Alfa Romeo models based on the STLA Large. But on the other side of the Atlantic, Stellantis could go much further.

The return of the HEMI V8 is confirmed... and not just for the RAM pick-up.

February 2025, the rumoured return of the legendary HEMI V8 engine began circulating. In March, Stellantis confirms relaunch of productionand in early June officially announced its installation in the RAM 1500 from 2026. But that's not all.

At a recent press conference, Dodge CEO Matt McAlear was asked about the possibility of integrating a Hellcat V8 into the new Dodge Charger. His answer, heavy with meaning:

"Don't be surprised if it fits. That's the beauty of this platform..."

A statement that sounds almost like confirmation: the HEMI V8 will also be making a comeback under the hood of the new Dodge Charger, developed on the STLA Large platform.

What about Alfa Romeo or Maserati?

Don't dream: the HEMI V8 is a purely American engine. It will not be found in either the Alfa Romeo or the Maserati. Similarly, the old V8 from the previous GranTurismo will not return. In Europe, Stellantis no longer offers a V8 since the end of the Ferrari V8 installed in the Maserati Levante, Quattroporte and Ghibli Trofeo.

But if the 3.0L V6 could be extended to the entire European STLA Large range (with PHEV technology for my CO2 emissions), it would already be excellent news for Italian sports car enthusiasts. A strategy that recalls the words of Stellantis' president in March 2025:

" We'll launch the right models, with the right engines, at the right time.. "