Last Call? Nah, something with the Charger and Challenger nameplate is coming that is even better than before. Wayne Gerdes – CleanMPG – Aug. 15, 2022 The 4-door Dodge Charger and 2-door Challenger, in their current form, are coming to an end according to a recent release and the Dodge brand is ready to celebrate. The 2023 Dodge Charger and Challenger lineup will pay homage to the muscle car pair with seven special models, the return of a rainbow of heritage colors, an expansion of SRT Jailbreak models, a commemorative “Last Call” under hood plaque for all 2023 Charger and Challenger vehicles and a new, customer-focused vehicle allocation process. 2023 Dodge Challenger and Charger Last call my ass. Demon, Hellcat, Redeye, Scat Pack, Shaker, Jailbreak. Iconic Dodge Charger and Challenger models have ushered in a second golden age of the muscle car, continuously elevating the magic number for performance from the 707 HP of the original Hellcat to the 840 HP of Challenger SRT Demon. Since the modern-day Charger was launched in 2005, the Brampton (Ontario, Canada) Assembly Plant has built 3 million Dodge vehicles, representing a billion horsepower. Charger and Challenger are departing on top — Challenger closed 2021 as the No. 1 muscle car in the U.S. — with enthusiast demand that will only gain momentum as the brand teases the rollout of the 2023 vehicle lineup. US Sales of the Charger and Challenger through the first half of 2022 compared to its competitors from Ford and Chevrolet show the overwhelming popularity of these two Dodge brand performance icons. And why this may not be the beginning of the end but only a transformation to a new, even more powerful, all-electric drivetrain. Dodge Charger (38,459) and Challenger (25,682) were picked up by a boatload of new owners in the first half of 2022. By comparison, the Mustang reached 29,611 new garages while the Camaro was parked in just 11,255 new drives in the first half of 2022. All 2023 Dodge Charger and Challenger models will also carry a special commemorative “Last Call” under hood plaque, making every 2023 Charger and Challenger a true collector’s vehicle. The brushed aluminum under hood “Last Call” plaque features the vehicle name and a vehicle silhouette, as well as “Designed in Auburn Hills” and “Assembled in Brampton” to proclaim each vehicle’s origin. In honor of the Charger and Challenger, "Closing Time" by Semisonic seems appropriate. Closing time, open all the doors And let you out into the world Closing time, turn all of the lights on Over every boy and every girl Closing time, one last call for alcohol So, finish your whiskey or beer Closing time, you don't have to go home But you can't stay here I know who I want to take me home I know who I want to take me home I know who I want to take me home Take me home Closing time, time for you to go out To the places you will be from Closing time, this room won't be open Till your brothers or your sisters come So, gather up your jackets, move it to the exits I hope you have found a friend Closing time, every new beginning Comes from some other beginning's end, yeah I know who I want to take me home I know who I want to take me home I know who I want to take me home Take me home … My take? Yeah, every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end indeed.
HEMI - (H)as (E)lectric (M)otors (I)nstalled It will be funny to see a Charger or Challenger without the dual exhausts. Who knows, they may put fake pipes on them the way they put fake horse heads on the first horseless carriages.
The BMW i9 has the phony engine sound. To me, it sounds less like engine noise and more like two robots gettin' dirty with each other. I say just put baseball cards in the wheel spokes. Funny that they are pushing so hard in radio and TV advertising for the muscle cars - but understandable because it's all they have to sell. Hearing roaring engines and screeching tires in an ad for a new vehicle, in a world of high energy costs, seems like a sad anachronism. Those tires sitting on 20 in wheels are 300 a piece for cheapies, and only a fool would want to burn them up just to show off. They shouldn't miss the opportunity to tune the system to run on 426 volts so it can be a 426 Hemi.
Well…. The guy next door had a 6cylinder Challenger that didn’t wake the neighborhood up like 50 bicycles with baseball cards.
Ah yes, the dreaded Pentagram. It sees a lot of use in the company vehicles used by my employer. The engine has a most unfortunate variable pressure engine oil pump that - when it fails - dumps 90% of the engine oil pressure and sheepishly turns on the CEL. People used to ignoring the CEL because it's a Mopar and the light should therefore be understood as "the key is in the Run position indicator" will find themselves driving around with no oil pressure. The engines also have a plastic oil cooler and filter-mount housing that is known to crack and leak most of the oil out of the engine. If the tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick from the worn valvetrain doesn't drive owners insane, the tock-tock-tock-tock-tock-tock of the rod bearings will when the lack of oil and pressure catches up with the engine.
When I drove for Hertz, the Jeep Grand Cherokee was, by far, my favorite car in the fleet. It's an amazingly well-balanced vehicle and a large part of the overall feel was the Pentastar engine. All the Hertz JGCs had the Pentastar V6. I got nothing bad to say about it--uh, except that it was a low-tech/no-tech engine. It was so old that it didn't even have direct injection. It's power delivery was so polished and refined with that 8-speed auto that it was no secret (to me anyway) why they sold so many. The no-techness of the Pentastar, unfortunately, meant poor fuel economy and I was lucky to get 20mpg out of the thing. I guess the hot engine now for the new JGCs is the PHEV 4xe. I have not kept up with that model and can't report on the 4xe. The top of the line JGCs got the big high HP Charger engines. I'm sure they were awesome to drive but not for me.
