With the Challenger evidently walking off into the sunset, this is the last chance to get one before they’re all gone!
FRONT VIEW
Last year Dodge sold 55K Challengers. That is more than its competitors the Ford Mustang and Chevy Camaro managed to push off the dealers’ lot. In fact, if we add the Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300, which have the same platform and mechanical parts, the grand total was 147K. In spite of this good news, all three models are being discontinued after this 2023 model year. But introduced in 2008, these had a successful run. Now is your last chance to get one of these soon-to-be classics.
SHAKEDOWN PACKAGE
This Challenger has the Shakedown package, one of seven special editions Dodge is offering on their RT Scat Packs. It starts with racing stripes from front to rear, red 392 badges on the body panels, Nappa leather seats with suede lining, a shaker hood, and a Harmon Kardon sound system. It was supposed to include bright red seat belts, but those are missing on our test car.
ENGINE
There is a variety of motors offered in the Challenger, starting with an economical 303 hp 3.6 liter V-6, a more common 375 hp 5.7 V-8, and for maximum power, the 6.2 Hellcats with 717-1000+ horsepower. This Scat Pack has the most practical of the lot, a 6.4 liter (392 cubic inches) V-8 cranking 485 horsepower. Fuel economy is listed at 15/24 mpg.
FUEL
The V-6 engine takes 87 octane fuel, while the bigger 5.7 V-8 requires 89 blend. All others need premium 91 to feed those ponies. But surprisingly there is no sticker on the filler cap to tell the driver what type of gas to use, which seems to be common oversight on many Dodge models. As always, check the owner’s manual for specs.
HEADLIGHTS
The Scat Pack is missing a pair of headlights. In spite of only two, the night drives showed plenty of illumination with no complaints. This donut hole acts as a parking/emergency blinker light.
PADDLE SHIFTERS
The gears can be shifted manually with the paddles. They are located on the steering wheel, which allows easy manipulation regardless of wheel position. It is a far better setup than placing them on the steering column, where they can't be reached when taking corners, only when driving in a straight line. Dodge got it right.
TIRE/WHEEL
These 20x11 wheels mount Pirelli 305/35ZR20 performance tires. This plus the WideBody design helps provide excellent traction in most cases.
INFO SCREEN #1
The info screen allows Street, Sport, and Track modes of operation among other settings.
INFO SCREEN #2
This is part of the launch control setup. Ours was set up for a 3,300 rpm limit which seemed to work best.
CONTROLS
These controls are very simple to operate. For launch control, simply hit the button, press the brake, push the gas pedal down, the let up off the brake....and off you go down your quarter-mile run. Also notice we get real radio knobs, one for volume and tuning, the way it should be for all cars!
TRUNK #1
While the cabin is cramped, the trunk area is not. There is plenty of room in there, so why don’t they issue a spare tire? The factory says it’s to save weight, but with a mass of 4,200 pounds, it wouldn’t make much difference with this porker.
TRUNK #2
Under the floor are a tire repair kit, our "missing" battery, and a few speakers from the sound system.
POV
According to the computer, our best 0-60 mph time was 4.6 seconds and the quarter mile was a brisk 13.1 seconds with a 108-mph trap speed. Fuel economy was 22 mpg on highway trips. In a total of 750 miles of mixed commuting, we observed 18.7 mpg. But when taking short rides in heavy city traffic, 1-4 miles each trip, and hitting that throttle to pass everyone, it dropped to 11.6! At $5.65 a gallon, this ran up a huge weekly bill on our credit card. But it was worth it. This is a fantastic ride!
REAR VIEW
The price of our black beauty was a tidy $68K. But just like the older 1970 Challengers that sold for $5K when new are now at auctions selling for way over $100K, forty years from now these 2023 MOPARS will be selling to collectors at crazy prices as well. Bet on it. So get in on the ground floor, and invest in one now before they are all gone!
>>Join the conversation about the 2023 Challenger Scat Pack Shakedown right here in the Dodge Forum.
For help with your maintenance and repair projects, please visit our how-to section in the forum.
