It’s the end of an era for Dodge. The automaker announced that it would discontinue the long-running Challenger and Charger muscle cars at the end of 2023. The move supports Dodge’s efforts to shift to electrification and opens the door for wild electric muscle cars in the future. Dodge will release seven special editions to mark the occasion and will revive a handful of historic colors for the cars. Also returning for one year only is the Dodge Durango Hellcat.
The iconic duo has been a part of the Dodge catalog for well over a decade. Instead of going for a complete redesign during that time, Dodge opted to update powertrains and technology. That may sound boring, but the result of those efforts is a blessing to the automotive world. The Challenger and Charger evolved into tremendously powerful, dragstrip-ready cars that pushed the limits of what was thought possible in a factory-built vehicle from a major manufacturer.
Along with the cars, we can’t gloss over the fact that the Hellcat supercharged V8 engine’s time is also coming to an end. Last year. Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis told CNBC that the 6.2-liter Hellcat engine doesn’t have a place in the automaker’s future. He did say, however, that the brand is not loosening its laser focus on performance.
As for the special edition cars, Dodge shared just enough detail to get everyone excited but not enough to spoil the surprise. Six models will be tied back to classic Dodge vehicles, while the seventh won’t be revealed until the SEMA show, which takes place in Las Vegas in November.
Three heritage colors make a return for 2023, including B5 Blue, Plum Crazy Purple, and Sublime Green. Though more recent, the famous Destroyer Grey also gets a revival. Dodge says the cars will each offer 14 exterior colors, and specific models will get exclusive badging and graphics.
Dodge is expanding the availability of its Jailbreak model, which opens the door to various customization options, such as brake caliper colors, seatbelt colors, body graphics, branding, and more.
That’s a lot of information to take in for just one model year, but Dodge has built a website to help guide you to your dream muscle car. You can watch the automaker reveal the cars and pick up some sweet Hellcat merch while you’re there.
