A 707bhp Hellcrate V8 is Mopar’s idea of a Christmas gift

It’s that time of year when everyone releases a gift guide, their hope being that you’ll blindly splurge money on the first things waved in front of your face.

In Mopar’s case, though, we’re inclined to do just that. The tuning department of Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Fiat has released its list of ‘12 Holiday Gift Ideas’ and nestled unsubtly among the mugs, clocks and gift cards is this, a 707bhp Hellcrate engine.

Baldly, it’s the same supercharged 6.2-litre V8 you’ll find in a Challenger Hellcat or Jeep Trailcat, but unattached to any prescribed car and ready for you to plug into whatever you like. An old 3 Series, a worn out Mondeo, your lawnmower… the list is limited only by your imagination, mechanical ingenuity and how averse you are to explosions and danger.

The price? A princely $20,020, which is around £16,000 at current exchange rates. Or a whole Nissan Juke. But it’s arguably very good value when you consider the supercar-scaring performance on offer.

And if you recall, Jeep never actually put that Trailcat into production, merely hinting that if you were to acquire a Wrangler and a Hellcrate engine separately, the two might click together with the satisfaction of fresh Lego. If you know anyone with a rogue 4x4 lying around, perhaps Mopar’s Christmas recommendations aren’t so silly after all…