This! They certainly had a few winners over the years that were extremely plentiful (therefor cheap) and can support awesome power stock or mildly modded with turbos like the 5.3 and iron block LQ motors. I don't think they're much better than late model mopar stuff from what I've seen, but the sheer volume produced makes them much cheaper.

What I thought was pretty cool though is the price of the Hellcat motor for 700hp is the same cost as the LS9 making only 639. Maybe we will start to see a turnaround in the cost/competitiveness late model stuff with the popularity of the new Challengers?

I mean hell, the hellcat crate motor is already WAY more competitive than the old Hemi crate motors ever were...spending 20k on a 578 hemi making 640hp vs 15k on a GMPP ZZ572R making 720hp. The 426 was even more of a joke, 16+K for what, 465hp? GM was making small block crate strokers like the ZZ383 making 450hp for under 8K.

While the prices of a lot of the late model crate motors still seem a little higher than the GM stuff, the gap between them and GM stuff definitely isn't as wide, and with the Hellcat engine the edge actually goes to Mopar for cost per HP.

If anyone is hoping that the aftermarket for mopar old school stuff is ever going to catch up with brand X, keep dreaming. If anything, I wouldn't be surprised if it gets worse. there's a lot of hope for the late model stuff though.