Final Allocation of 2023 Dodge Challenger, Charger Will Include 7 Special Editions
Dodge prepares to say goodbye to its muscle car duo with a wave of special editions and a website that helps buyers find them.
- North American Car, Truck and SUV of the Year (NACTOY) Awards Juror
The reign of Dodge's Challenger and Charger muscle cars is coming to an end with the final 2023 model year. The automaker wants to send the duo off with an appropriately loud bang and will be releasing seven special-edition models over the next 14 months. And to make sure its customers get a fair shot at nabbing one of the last Challengers or Chargers, Dodge is releasing allocation details for the entire model year in one go and launching a new "2023 Dodge Horsepower Locator" website to put interested buyers in contact with dealers.
The rollout of the seven special-edition models will include the Challenger Shakedown, Charger Super Bee and Swinger special editions for both body styles. Around 1,000 examples of each will be built from Scat Pack and Scat Pack Widebody trims. Around 300 Challenger Black Ghost and 300 Go Mango orange Charger King Daytona models will follow, both in Hellcat Redeye Widebody spec. We expect to learn more about each of these during next week's SEMA Show in Las Vegas. Finally, a seventh special edition will be announced post-SEMA that is said to be so extreme that Dodge is having trouble keeping engines from blowing. I suppose that's a good thing? It's certainly intriguing.
Additionally, every 2023 SRT Hellcat sold will be available with Dodge's Jailbreak upgrade, bumping output to around 807 horsepower. Every 2023 Challenger and Charger will also feature a "Last Call" commemorative plaque, highlighting its design and assembly roots. R/T models will revive the 345 fender badge calling attention to its engine's 345 cubic-inch displacement. The automaker will also bring the heritage colors Plum Crazy, Sublime, Destroyer Gray and B5 Blue back the the options list for 2023 models.
To make sure that every prospective member of Dodge's Brotherhood of Muscle has a fair shake at getting one of the last Challengers or Chargers built by the brand, the automaker is releasing its entire 2023 model year dealer allocation in one go. The seven special editions will be split among its 500 best-performing dealers, with the rest of the 2023 stock being spread across its dealer network.
Users will be able to find the Dodge of their dreams on a new 2023 Dodge Horsepower Locator website that the automaker is launching. After inputting their ZIP code and the exact model and trim they're looking for, users will be shown nearby dealers that have been allocated that spec. If there's nothing nearby, folks will be able to expand their search nationwide. The site itself will not allow people to place deposits or orders -- it's simply there to put buyers in contact with dealers.
Dodge says that it hopes this will prevent buyers from being left with hanging deposits once the final run comes to an end. If a dealer is only getting, say, one Black Ghost or King Daytona, it shouldn't take 10 deposits and end up with nine angry customers a year from now. That said, the system doesn't appear to do anything to combat dealer markup for these now very limited editions.