What car should I buy?

[xoxoxoBruce]

Mopar (Jeep) is trading on the reputation of the hemis of old, starting with the 241 ci through 392 ci in the 50's, but particularly the 426 ci from '66 to '70. The 426 was the motor that swept NASCAR, until they outlawed it. The name hemi was slang for hemispherical combustion chamber head design (which allowed better air flow in and out, at high rpm), as opposed to the 383 ci through 440 ci big block Mopars which had a wedge head design.

Around Y2K they tried to build a new V-8 engine with hemi heads but couldn't make one pass emission standards and mileage demands. The only true hemi in the lineup was the 4 cylinder PT Cruiser.

Enter the marketing boys. Since hemi is a slang term having no legal definition, but conjures up the rump-de-rump of Mopar's hayday, we'll use it anyway. So what does Hemi mean? Nothing much, it's a marketing term for their V-8 motors.

By the way, the 426 ci ground pounding "elephant" motors they're alluding to... they only sold 11,000 total in the 60's.