Over the course of the past week or so, a handful of outlets have published articles proclaiming that the 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat once again has a manual transmission option. As a result, many prospective Dodge owners have contacted dealers to order a supercharged Challenger with the 6-speed manual. However, upon speaking with salespeople at the dealerships, these customers have quickly learned that you cannot order a 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat with the 6-speed manual transmission.
It seems that these outlets saw that the 6-speed manual transmission was listed in the media materials for the 2023 Dodge Challenger as being standard, got excited and wrote an article about it. Some of these outlets even suggested that you head over to the Dodge Horsepower Locator to begin searching for your manually-shifted 2023 Hellcat Challenger. While the media materials do list the M6 as being standard for 2023, the 2022 information also states that the manual is standard in the Hellcat Challenger, so really, nothing in the paperwork changed from 2022 to 2023, but some media outlets still got excited enough to report it.
However, the 6-speed manual transmission is not in the dealerships computer systems for the Challenger SRT Hellcat, so that feature cannot be ordered. Upon realizing this, some of the consumers who had excitedly gone out to order a 6-speed Hellcat messaged me for more information, at which point I reached out to the good people at Dodge for the official word.
As we know, the 6-speed manual transmission is listed as an available feature for the 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat in the media materials (just like it was for 2022), but it is not in the dealership ordering system because it is a “late availability” feature. The brand does not have a clear timeframe as to when it might become available. Oddly, none of the other outlets that have reported on the M6 in the Hellcat Challenger have mentioned that, as it seems like important information that was easily acquired, but that is why you cannot currently order a supercharged Dodge muscle car with the 6-speed manual transmission.
The big question now is whether Dodge will begin offering the 6-speed manual transmission in the SRT Hellcat versions of the Challenger before the 2023 model year units are sold out. It is no secret that 2023 will be the final model year for the current generation of the Dodge muscle car, so it the last chance for many people to buy a Hellcat model. This has led to a rush to order by both prospective owners and dealerships alike, so allocation inventory levels are diminishing quickly. It seems that if all of the allocations on the Dodge Garage Horsepower Locator were to sell out over the course of the next few months, there is a possibility that by the time that the M6 is set to hit the order banks, there won’t be any 717-horsepower Hellcat Challengers left for 2023 to order with that transmission.
Of course, if the Dodge brand announces later this month or early next month that the 6-speed manual transmission is available for order, there will be no concern of vehicle shortages, but if the most powerful American automaker takes until later into the 2023 calendar year to begin taking orders on the 6-speed manual, there could be few cars left to be ordered with that gearbox – possibly making them the rarest of the Last Call Dodge Challengers.
As usual, L. (open mouth, insert foot) T. screwed up, again. It’s another Direct Connection”(never gonna happen) disaster. Why don’t they get rid of this (insert any word that you wish). Maybe send him to India to run JLR or Communist China to run Buick. Anyway, NO Hellcat M6, EVER! (IMO)
As upsetting as it may sound, I think it’s time we accept the fact that what once was, is now a was. What we know and love is officially about to be gone and unfortunately there really isn’t anything that we can do about it. Sure we could boycott the brand but in doing so, we loose the brand completely At this point, the only thing we can do is accept that the brand is switch over to electric powertrains and hope that they can find a way to blend as much of what we love into these new vehicles. Could these new Electric motors be hooked up to 8-speed Auto transmissions, DCTs or Manual transmissions, sure it’s possible. several aftermarket companies have done so. Could an argument be made that it would be profitable for business since it would be something that enthusiasts would love? Absolutely. Because why not have an all new big EV muscle coupe with real transmission options including gears we could row, a loud “exhaust” of sorts, and a thermal management system with a “supercooler” coolant pump that makes the same sort of sound as a Hellcat’s supercharger? Sure, going after the Tesla plaid on the strip is great, most of us just want fun cars that we can be happy with and proud to own. Would it be more appealing if it were a v8? Yes, would most people at least settle for the Hurricane and be almost as happy? Probably. But if not and we have to do this EV thing, at least give us something fun Dodge CEOs. Sure, make all of the compliance vehicles you need as volume sellers. No problem! If you’re going to try and cut out the aftermarket, make sure you have something to offer in house that will make us okay with having to come to you for everything. More than that, how about partnering with some of the aftermarket companies that actually make good products and would actually give us options even within Direct Connection. I mean seriously, T.K straight said, they listen and read the stuff we write and comment on so okay show us that!
for the costs of new cars ill just go buy the one i want with a stick and rebuild it. I dont NEED to buy a new manual.
The manufacturer will go along as long as theyt hink there is enough of a market. We need to not buy them. When profits dry up then the manufacturers will push back.
Right now they see this huge market where we all have to replace our cars with an ev. CARB is defining what will be available nationwide, call your state legislator and demand that your state not follow CA’s lead. We don’t have to do the ev thing. Free people don’t just lie down when government gets out of control. We all have a vote. Start thinking when you fill out that ballot. The ev thing isn’t about the environment, it is about control.
I would like to ask the Mopar enthusiast community a few questions. Forgetting about what the power grid can handle or where EV power comes from and all of that for a moment. Right now, we’re at a very interesting point in the Automotive world. We’re at a point right now where it’s somewhat like the 70’s and ’80’s combined where we are coming off of the second golden age of muscle cars and the Government is going crazy on emissions. We have auto manufacturers scrambling to find the next best thing since the introduction of the fuel injector and we’re on the brink of a complete EV takeover, whether we like it or not. Right now, we’ve got on “American” brand, Dodge, that’s still willing to try to give the automotive enthusiast group something appealing. The brand’s head honchos said they listen to us and they’re trying to give us something we would want that will still be within the confines of the new government mandates. We’ve voiced in many ways what we don’t like about the new Banshee EV concept so my question is this. If there were no ICE options, no hybrids, just EVs, what would we want to see in an “EV Muscle car” from the Mopar brand? What would we want to see the Dodge brand do with the EV market? If this truly is a “Brotherhood of Muscle” then shouldn’t we all sit down at the table and talk about this as a family? What is it that we want to see from the Brand we devote so much to? What would we be happy with from the American Stellantis Brands of Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep and Ram? If the head honchos are listening as T.K said, then why don’t we let them know what it is that we want to see in these new vehicles. So there are my questions? What would we want in our Mopar EV performance vehicles?
Me personally I have no issue with electrification, In fact I own a fiat 500e. BUT 100% electric wont work. Give people the choice. Gas electric or diesel. Let the public decide what they want or can afford. Forcing it is not the answer. I joke all the time I drive daily electric so I can afford the gas for my muscle car collection. CHOICE is where its at!
Definitely agree on the choice part