Are you yearning for a slice of the old days? There are still new 2023 Dodge Chargers for sale.
Before Dodge officially pulled the plug on both the Charger and Challenger late last year, folks all over the Internet bemoaned the death of the Hemi V8 engine from their beloved muscle cars. No more thunderous exhaust notes, no more 717-plus horsepower…just a new wave of electrons (and a twin-turbo inline-six, as if that soothed any troubled waters). As the folks over at CarScoops point out, however, there’s still a chance to pick up a brand-new, rip-snorting V8 example of either car, if holding on to a slice of Dodge’s history and V8 Americana means that much to you.
Head over to Dodge’s retail website, and you can lock down any model you choose, and see how many are available. Nationwide, there are 2,083 brand spanking new 2023 Challengers sitting on lots. If you’re of the four-door persuasion, you can pick up one of 2,223 available Chargers. Now, not all of those vehicles are V8s, granted — but once you narrow that down, there are still more than 2,600 cars to choose from between the two models beloved by Mopar enthusiasts (1,232 Chargers and 1,836 Challengers) . Better yet, it offers an alternative if you aren’t willing to bite the bullet and shop for a new Ford Mustang.
Remember, before their demise Dodge built four different versions of the Hemi V8, depending on which model you’re shopping for. The base R/T is the least potent, with its 5.7-liter engine putting out 375 horsepower and 410 lb-ft of torque. That’s still plenty of grunt for most folks out there. Above that, the Scat Pack offers the big Hemi 392: a 6.4-liter engine with 485 horsepower and 475 lb-ft of torque. Then, there are the big boys with the SRT Hellcat and Hellcat Redeye models.
The “standard” Hellcat is sure as hell no slouch, offering up 717 horsepower and 645 lb-ft of torque. The Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye ups the ante to 797 horsepower and 707 lb-ft of torque, which is definitely more than enough to roast some rear tires. Amazingly, though, even the Redeye is remarkably composed when you’re in a spirited mood, so long as you aren’t a complete idiot on when and where you put your right foot down.
Sadly, enough folks have snapped up the Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye to where none of those particular models are still available new. That said, at last you can still get the standard Hellcat, at least for now.
Depending on which car you go for, you can still prepare to pay some big bucks, especially for the higher-end Hellcats. Some are carrying an eye-watering asking price of $162,836…which probably explains why they’ve been sitting this long in the first place. You’ll have to be mindful of dealer markup, because that is still an issue, even several years removed from high watermarks set in 2021-2022.
The point is, however, that there are still some V8 Dodges out there waiting for owners. And if you aren’t buying into the age of electric Chargers or even the Sixpack with the High Output 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged I-6, well…you know what to do.
