The other day, I saw a Charger, probably around a 2010 or so, with a “345 Hemi” badge. My old 1957 DeSoto Adventurer also had a 345 cubic inch Hemi—I am sure of this. How is this possible?
First of all, that emblem you saw on the new-ish 5.7L Charger was an aftermarket flight of fancy, but the displacement (in US Customary Units) called out is accurate: the current, super-popular 5.7L Hemi (3G) is, in fact, a 345 cubic inch engine. And so was your DeSoto. Although the displacements are nearly identical, the internal dimensions are not:
345 IN3 HEMIS BORE STROKE
1G (FIREDOME) 1957 3.80˝ 3.80˝
3G 2003–CURRENT 3.92˝ 3.58˝
It should be noted that this (1957) engine was exclusive to the DeSoto Adventurer, and was the first standard equipment production engine on the planet to produce one SAE Gross HP per cubic inch. Of course, the current 5.7L, depending on application, produces as much as 390 SAE Net, which equates to something in the neighborhood of (a guess) 450 gross ponies.
standard-equipment engine to produce one HP per cubic inch. HEMI: Four letters for performance!