413/426 Max Wedge V8A year after launching the B-series big-block V8s, Chrysler launched a raised-deck (RB) big-block V8 with a longer 3.75-inch stroke and higher 10.72-inch deck height. The RB V8 started as a 383 cubic inch engine due to limited production capacity but came into its own as a 413 cubic inch unit in cars like the 1959 Chrysler New Yorker and 300E, where it produced 380 horsepower in its most potent form.However, Chrysler offered an even more powerful version of the 413 V8, the Max Wedge. The 413 Max Wedge was a drag-oriented but street-legal engine with an impressive 410 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque on tap, thanks to various modifications. These included a higher compression ratio, dual four-barrel carburetors, and a better exhaust. Chrysler made the Max Wedge available as a secret option in 1962 on B-body Mopars such as the Dodge Dart Ram Charger and Plymouth Fury Super Stock.In 1963, Chrysler took things further with the 426 Max Wedge. The 426 Max Wedge increased the bore to 4.25 inches and was available in two configurations depending on the (unadvertised) sales code a buyer chose. Sales code 08 got owners a 415 horsepower 426 with 11:1 compression, while sales code 09 bumped the horsepower up to 420 thanks to higher 13.5:1 compression. The 426 was available on cars like the 1963 Plymouth Savoy and continued to be available through 1964 on proto-muscle cars like the Dodge Polara, after which the 426 Hemi became Mopar's go-to 426.5.7-liter Hemi V8For most of the 1990s and into the early 2000s, the 360-based 5.9-liter Magnum V8 was the only Chrysler engine that truly kept the spirit of classic Mopar muscle car engines alive. However, that all changed in 2003, when Chrysler resurrected the Hemi name for an all-new 5.7-liter V8 to power that year's Dodge Ram 1500, 2500, and 3500 trucks.Hemi wasn't just a marketing gimmick for the new engine, either. The new 5.7-liter engine sported hemispherical combustion chambers similar to those of its predecessors, living up to the Hemi name. Other notable features included aluminum cylinder heads and dual spark plugs, akin to some classic Mopar drag-racing engines. This first-generation 5.7-liter Hemi was good for 345 horsepower and 375 lb-ft of torque in the 2003 Ram truck and would later be the standard engine for the revived Dodge Charger in 2006.Chrysler upgraded the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 in 2009 to coincide with the resurrection of another classic Mopar name, the Dodge Challenger. Among the upgrades was the introduction of variable valve timing, which significantly improved fuel economy and power. The 2009 version also had tweaked cylinder heads with better airflow, increased compression, and a new engine block. The final result of the changes was a cool 375 horsepower and 404 pound-feet of torque.While the 5.7-liter Hemi isn't the most powerful modern Mopar Hemi engine, it's ground zero for every other modern Hemi V8 since — including monsters like the 6.2-liter Hellcat V8. For that, it deserves a place in the history books.