2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Makes “Last Call”

Automatic transmissions have gained so much popularity over the last ten years as shown by its widespread adoption by automakers around the world, which have ditched manual offerings for the sake of achieving more fuel efficiency.

Automatic gearboxes have become so prevalent that many new drivers don’t know how to operate conventional stick-shift cars. This trend prompted even Dodge to suspend the production of the Tremec TR-6060 6-speed manual transmission in its Challenger SRT Hellcat and SRT Hellcat Widebody in 2021.

The transmission’s suspension shocked many muscle car enthusiasts as news about the nearing end of the supercharged HEMI era. At the time, the Tremec was still available as a standard option for Dodge customers who choose a naturally-aspirated HEMI engine.

2023 will be a lucky year for those who want to pick the “Last Call”, as the Tremec will return to the Challenger SRT Hellcat and Hellcat Widebody models for the last time.

It’s not just the transmission, but Dodge will also stop producing the Challenger, including its manual Hellcat. The lives of the Challenger SRT Hellcat, Redeye, and the rest of retro-style Challengers will soon come to an end.

The American automaker has also sealed the fate of its naturally-aspirated 5.7-liter R/T and 6.4-liter R/T Scat Pack models, in addition to the gas-powered Charger. All of the previously mentioned models will die after 2023.

As a final tribute, the new Charger and manual Challenger Hellcat will come out as limited edition models labelled as the “Last Call”, which carry a 6.4-liter and a supercharged 6.2-liter Hellcat engines respectively. For some Hellcat variants such as the Black Ghost, production is limited to as low as 300 units.

Tremec has been a popular option among the buyers of SRT Hellcat who love to change gear the manual way. While the 6-speed model is slower than its automatic counterpart, it’s actually not a slow runner at all. In fact, it can launch from 0 to 60 mph in 4 seconds and clear a quarter mile in 12.4 seconds at 120 mph.