2023 Dodge Challenger Review and Test Drive
Last call for gasoline-fueled, internally combusted, traditional muscle-car power.
Years ago, when I covered the launch of the 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500, I had a chance to drive a vintage 1967 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 on a long, lonely highway outside of Las Vegas.
The old Shelby was comparatively slow and sloppy compared with modern muscle cars. But it also felt and sounded like it contained a snarling beast within, straining at its shackles, prepared to pounce and devour anything in its sight. Those sensations, combined with the scent of desert sage coming into the car through the open windows, the smell of gasoline and the suffocating '60s-era exhaust, and the roar of the carbureted V8, were intoxicating yet terrifying.
Christian Wardlaw
Driving the 2023 Dodge Challenger Black Ghost reminded me of that experience. Not the slow part, of course. It's not too sloppy, either. And with a modern drivetrain, your nose is blissfully unaware of the gasoline the car burns and the emissions it produces. Instead, it was the Black Ghost's unapologetically retro design, unrepentantly loud exhaust, and unrelenting potential for impending doom that reminded me of the vintage Shelby. Those characteristics and others make driving the 2023 Challenger Black Ghost undeniably exhilarating.
The Black Ghost is one of Dodge's Last Call models, a series of special editions built in limited quantities to help close out the traditional two-door coupe's final year of production. Dodge won't make any more V8-powered Challengers after 2023 and will create just 300 copies of the Black Ghost.
Christian Wardlaw
2023 Dodge Challenger Prices Meet a Variety of Budgets
Dodge offers the 2023 Challenger in 10 primary trim levels with base prices ranging from the mid-$30,000s to the mid-$90,000s, including the destination charge to ship the car from the Brampton, Ontario, assembly plant that builds it to your local dealership. You can choose a V6 engine with rear-wheel drive (RWD) or all-wheel drive, and Dodge offers a trio of V8 engines with RWD and a manual or automatic transmission.
Four Last Call special-edition versions of the 2023 Challenger are available. They include the Black Ghost, Shakedown, SRT Demon 170, and Swinger, each built in limited quantities. The rarest of them is the Black Ghost, the subject of this review.
Based on the SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody, the Black Ghost test vehicle had the Technology Group, Driver Convenience Group, Harman Kardon Audio Group, and a navigation system. The manufacturer's suggested retail price was $103,010, including the $1,595 destination charge and $2,100 gas-guzzler tax. Dodge supplied the car for this 2023 Dodge Challenger Black Ghost review.
Christian Wardlaw
Dodge Bases the Challenger Black Ghost Special Edition on a Woodward Avenue Legend
Dodge modeled the Black Ghost on a privately owned 1970 Challenger RT SE the automaker claims "ruled Woodward Avenue in the 1970s." (Woodward Avenue is a street in Detroit known for cruising and, occasionally, impromptu drag races.) The way Dodge tells it, Godfrey Qualls, the car's owner, would vanish into the night after vanquishing rivals on Woodward. The legendary car would then disappear for months before reappearing, earning it the Black Ghost nickname. The storied Challenger remains in the Qualls family and is listed on the National Historic Vehicle Register.
To create the 2023 Challenger Black Ghost, Dodge paints the car Pitch Black, adds white rear fender decals that wrap around the top of the trunklid, and bolts on 20-inch satin-finish wheels with 305/35 Pirelli tires. Chrome for the Dodge lettering, script Challenger badges, and fuel cap highlight the car, while black Mopar hood pins and a "gator skin" roof graphic complete the exterior transformation.
Christian Wardlaw
Inside, the Challenger's aging and inexpensively trimmed cabin gets a luxury overlay of Laguna leather upholstery, artificial suede, and carbon-fiber trim. The result is a mixed bag of quality materials and cheap plastics.
As in the original Challenger, the cockpit has a subtle curve, angling everything at the driver. The center console is driver-oriented, too. Analog gauges, a digital information display, and an 8.4-inch touchscreen infotainment system are standard. Dodge uses buttons and knobs to provide quick access to stereo volume, radio tuning, climate controls, driving modes, and the launch-control system.
Christian Wardlaw
The Challenger Is the Only Car in Its Class That Seats Four Adults Comfortably
Dodge equips the Challenger Black Ghost with five-occupant seating. In front, the oversized chairs have significant bolsters, but they ultimately prove soft and unable to match the Pirelli PZero tires for grip. Still, they're comfortable for long stretches, making the Challenger a better road-tripper than its primary rivals, the Chevrolet Camaro and Ford Mustang.
Outward visibility is surprisingly good despite the twin functional hood scoops, and it's relatively easy to place the front corners when parking. The '70s-style side mirrors and generous glass area offer a good view to the left and right, and you get clear sightlines through the rear window. Unfortunately, the Challenger lacks modern amenities like front parking sensors, a high-resolution reversing camera, or a surround-view camera, so take care not to crunch the lower front air dam or scrape the wide wheels.
Christian Wardlaw
Adults fit in the Challenger's back seat, something I cannot say about the Camaro and Mustang. I climbed in, and with the driver and front passenger seats moved forward an inch or two, I could travel comfortably in the back seat for some time. It's not claustrophobic, either, despite the thick rear roof pillars. Dodge also supplies a center armrest with cupholders and rear air-conditioning vents.
Christian Wardlaw
Ready for Road Trips, Thanks to a Big Trunk
The Challenger also does a better job of carrying cargo than its competitors. The 16.2-cubic-foot trunk is nearly as large as a Honda Accord's at 16.7 cu-ft, and the back seat folds down in a 60/40 split to handle long items. However, the liftover height is substantial, so get ready for a workout when loading luggage.
Christian Wardlaw
2023 Dodge Challenger Uconnect 4C Review: Gracefully Aging Tech
For years, the Uconnect 4C infotainment system was a model of simplicity and user-friendliness. It remains so today, though the Challenger doesn't use the latest Uconnect 5 software or interface from Dodge's parent company, Stellantis. Also, the 8.4-inch touchscreen display is small compared with what you might find in other vehicles.
Nevertheless, the Challenger's Uconnect 4C system includes:
Apple CarPlay
Android Auto
Access to 4G LTE Wi-Fi hot spot service
Voice recognition
Two USB-A ports
You need a cable to connect to Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. Also, the voice-recognition system offers hit-and-miss effectiveness, and the navigation map's graphics appear dated. Otherwise, Uconnect 8.4 has aged remarkably well, and though bass-heavy, the 18-speaker Harman Kardon surround-sound audio system provides good sonic quality.
There is relatively little technology aboard a Dodge Challenger. However, through the touchscreen infotainment system's SRT Dashboard, you can choose different driving modes and calibrate various dynamic settings. A Performance Pages menu is also standard, recording performance data for reference at a later time.
Christian Wardlaw
2023 Dodge Challenger Safety Features Are Few and Far Between
You won't find many modern safety features on a Dodge Challenger, and those that exist are options. Depending on the model, you can get:
Adaptive cruise control
Forward-collision warning
Blind-spot monitoring
Rear cross-traffic alert
They join a standard low-resolution reversing camera and, for most Challengers, rear parking sensors as the only driving-assistance systems. Automated emergency braking is unavailable.
The SRT Hellcat Redeye, arguably the model that needs a safety net the most, has an even shorter list of available upgrades. You can't get a forward collision warning system or adaptive cruise control on a Redeye and, by extension, the Black Ghost.
2023 Dodge Challenger Safety Ratings
Dodge engineered the Challenger's underlying safety structure in the mid-2000s. Still, it gets a five-star overall crash test rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The only four-star ratings apply to the driver in a frontal-impact collision and to the Challenger's ability to resist a rollover accident.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is not as impressed and has not subjected the car to the latest versions of its testing. Among the test results the IIHS publishes, red flags include a Marginal rating for small-overlap frontal-impact protection and the vehicle's lack of pedestrian safety features.
Christian Wardlaw
2023 Dodge Challenger Black Ghost: 807 Horsepower at Your Service
The 2023 Dodge Challenger Black Ghost is one of the most potent examples of the car ever built.
The Black Ghost has a supercharged 6.2-liter Hemi V8 engine. However, in the special-edition run of 300 examples of the Black Ghost, the engine makes 807 horsepower (10 more than the Redeye) and 707 pound-feet of torque. Those figures match the SRT Super Stock drag racer, but fall short of the 2018 SRT Demon and the 2023 SRT Demon 170.
An eight-speed automatic transmission directs power to the car's rear wheels, and both traction and stability-control systems work overtime to keep the back end planted on the pavement and aimed in the right direction. Overwhelm the traction and stability tech, which is frighteningly easy, and you'll have nothing but your driving skills to prevent losing control. Also, remember that both Sport and Track driving modes reduce their effectiveness.
Dodge supplies two key fobs with the Challenger SRT Hellcat models. The black key fob restricts engine output, while the red key fob supplies access to maximum power. Still, when using the red key, there is a way to limit the engine to 500 horsepower through the driving modes calibration menu within Uconnect.
Additional fortifications include an SRT-tuned adaptive damping suspension, thicker stabilizer bars, and a Brembo performance braking system. The Black Ghost also has a launch-control system with a line lock feature that can spin the back tires without moving the car to warm the rear treads before an acceleration run.
Christian Wardlaw
Save the Speed and Showing Off for the Track
You're tempting fate whenever you step on the Challenger Black Ghost's accelerator pedal. You must treat it as though an egg rests behind it, especially when you accelerate before the car completes a turn. If you push harder to experience the thrill of unbridled, internally combusted power and unrelenting, seemingly endless acceleration, the Black Ghost will demand that you pay attention to both the road ahead and the slipping and sliding at the rear wheels.
Four driving modes are available. I suggest saving Sport and Track for closed-course conditions where losing control isn't as potentially hazardous to your health and those nearby. Auto mode is perfect for daily driving, but the Challenger can feel soft and loose. So give Custom mode a try, where you can firm up the suspension while keeping the steering light and the drivetrain under extra control.
Aside from the deafening exhaust note, the Challenger Black Ghost is docile enough in typical driving situations. The car is loud inside on the highway, and the hood-pin tethers flutter in the wind, but otherwise, you could travel all day in comfort with regular stops for fuel to get out and stretch. According to the EPA, while burning premium gasoline, the car will get 13/21/15 mpg city/highway/combined. My test car returned 15.7 mpg on the evaluation loop.
Christian Wardlaw
Driving in Auto mode around town, the Challenger's light steering and decent outward visibility make it easier to maneuver the car than expected, while the suspension compliance and soft seat padding cushion the blows from pavement heaves and holes. Your primary concerns in this environment are curbs and parking blocks.
In the Santa Monica Mountains near Los Angeles, the Challenger feels wide on narrow sections of two-lane blacktop and when rounding blind corners. To keep the Black Ghost facing the right direction, I erred on the side of safety when accelerating out of curves and down straight sections of the road. The Brembo brakes coated the front wheels with dust but exhibited no fade.
Christian Wardlaw
Lots of Retro-Flavored Fun — but Danger Lurks
Driving a Dodge Challenger is entertaining, especially a high-powered model. It looks, feels, and sounds like it came straight out of the 1970s but with much better driving dynamics and more modern technology. That makes it the closest thing you can get to purchasing a factory-built restomod from a major automaker. But if you're buying one of the SRT models, know that the car can rapidly approach and easily exceed the edge of control.
So maybe use that black key fob and save the red one for special occasions.
Written by humans.
Edited by humans.
Christian WardlawMy first word was “car.” That’s what I’m told, anyway. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been obsessed with them. The design. The engineering. The performance. And the purpose. I’m a car enthusiast who loves to drive, but I’m also most interested in the cars, trucks, and SUVs that people actually buy. Anybody can tell you that a sports car is fast. What you need to know is whether or not you should buy that new SUV, and why. My life purpose is to help you make that decision.
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