It is the end of the road for rowing your own gears in a Dodge muscle car, but the last one is a beast.
Dodge discontinued offering manual transmission versions of the Challenger SRT Hellcat in 2022 because its 717 hp supercharged V8 engine could only meet tightening emissions standards when equipped with an automatic.
However, with the current V8-powered version of Challenger set to be replaced by the electric Charger SRT Daytona at the end of the year, Dodge’s engineers went to work to bring it back one more time.
Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis confirmed its return for the 2023 model year last December, but it took a while to bring it to fruition.
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The option is only offered with the entry-level 717 hp version of the Hellcat engine and not with cars that have the 797 hp, 807 hp and 900 hp engine tunes.
The V8 Challenger will be replaced by the all-electric Charger SRT Daytona in 2024. (Dodge)
Dodge advises that given the transmission’s later than expected return the total production numbers of cars equipped with it will likely be low, “making them a rare collectible going forward.”