Dodge launched the Challenger’s year-long farewell tour today with a special edition designed to speak to enthusiasts with a deep knowledge of the Dodge back catalog. It’s called the 2023 Dodge Challenger Shakedown, and the company will build just 1,000 of them.
A Long Goodbye
Dodge announced last week that its two big, rear-wheel-drive cars — the 4-door Charger sedan and the 2-door Challenger muscle car — will not live to see 2024. But the company will say goodbye to two of the oldest designs still on the market with a series of special editions.
They’ll be sold, Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis has said, “just like a sneaker drop.”
The company won’t accept orders ahead of time. Instead, the Dodge Garage website will track which dealerships have the limited-edition models and count down as they sell out. That site doesn’t appear to have those allocations listed yet, but Dodge has released details of the first of the “Last Call” editions.
The 2023 Challenger Shakedown takes its inspiration from a 1971 Challenger Dodge modified for the show car circuit in 2016. That model was a ’70s classic fitted with parts from the modern Challenger.
Shaker Hood Scoop, Black (or Gray)-on-Black Stripes
The 2023 Shakedown is a visual package with no mechanical upgrades. It uses the go-fast bits from the R/T Scat Pack, meaning you’ll find a 485-horsepower 6.4-liter V8 under the hood. It sends power through either a 6-speed manual or an 8-speed automatic transmission.
Dodge will build 500 copies using the R/T Scat Pack body and 500 more with the R/T Scat Pack Widebody. Regular body models will be finished in Destroyer Gray and widebody models in Pitch Black.
They’ll be unmistakable, with a shaker hood scoop and three off-center glossy black stripes of varying widths plus a single thin red stripe for accent. Fender decals read “392” in red, matching the red Brembo brake calipers.
Inside, you’ll find black and red Alcantara faux-suede, red stitching, and seatbelts in a shade Dodge calls “Demonic Red” (Dodge is subtle like that). Like all Last Call models, it will wear an under-hood plaque announcing its status as one of the last Challengers.
What the Future Holds
Dodge will announce its next Last Call model on August 31.
What happens when they’re gone? Dodge hinted at its electric future last week, debuting a concept car it says previews the “electric muscle car” that will replace the Challenger.
