Last week, a few outlets randomly shared articles from last year which addressed the availability of the 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat with the 6-speed manual transmission. That led many readers and prospective buyers (who did not look at the date of publication) to believe that the manual transmission was now available for ordering in the 2023 Challenger SRT Hellcat, but when they reached out to their local dealership, the 6-speed still was not in the order system. Some of those folks then asked me for an update on the status of the manual transmission option for the final year of the current supercharged Dodge Challenger, so I reached out to the brand to see if they had any official input.
The good news is that the brand still plans to offer the 6-speed manual for the 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat – we just don’t know when exactly the option will become available. In short, nothing has changed since we first talked about a 2023 Challenger SRT Hellcat with the manual transmission, so for those who insist on having a clutch pedal, patience is a virtue.
The bad news, as many people have already learned, is that the manual transmission is still not available for ordering in the 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat. In fact, it has not been available since the order banks for the 2023 model year opened, but we knew early on that it was planned to be a “late availability” option. Even though a few publications have made social media posts about the M6 being available in the supercharged Challenger, that is still not the case – at least in terms of being able to actually order a three-pedal supercharged Dodge right now.
Many people in the Dodge social media community question why some buyers want the manual transmission, seeing as how the 8-speed automatic has proven to offer excellent performance in both stock and modified form. While some modern drag racers will scoff at this, there is no question that the manual transmission adds an extra element of driving connection with the vehicle and – for those who possess the skill needed to proper handle a manually shifted Hellcat car – they are a hell of a lot of fun to drive with the 6-speed.
It should be noted that both the R/T and Scat Pack models are currently available with the 6-speed manual transmission, so if you are insistent on getting a 2023 Challenger with three pedals and you don’t want to wait for the option to arrive for the SRT Hellcat, those other two Hemi-powered models may meet your demands. Of course, they both come with far less power than the Hellcat, but for some prospective buyers who wants a manually-shifted, Hemi-powered 2023 Dodge Challenger sooner than later, that compromise might be acceptable.
