The Last V8 Dodge Challenger Has Been Built

Final Friday, whereas the world was busy prepping for the vacations, Stellantis confirmed that the final L-platform muscle automobile rolled off the road at Brampton Meeting Plant, a facility positioned about 40 minutes northwest of Toronto, Canada. Painted a fittingly somber black, it was a 2023 Challenger SRT Demon 170, Dodge’s 1,025-horsepower sendoff that may do the quarter mile in 8.91 seconds. Judging from this Fb publish, it was an appropriately emotional occasion for a lot of plant employees.

“Right now was my final day on the plant, I’ve by no means seen a lot emotion over a automobile,” wrote one commenter.

“Because of all of the women and men who constructed my 2019 Challenger R/T Scat Pack Widebody. I like my automobile and it’ll stick with me until I depart for the Mopar Storage within the sky,” feedback one other.

The ultimate Charger, by the best way, occurred to be a Scat Pack Wideboy in Destroyer Grey whereas the final Hemi-powered Chrysler 300, the extra luxury-leaning L-car, was a Velvet Crimson 2023 300C that rolled off the road earlier this month.

The trendy Dodge Challenger has been in manufacturing since April 2008, which implies it has been round for greater than 15 years. First launched as a retro design that harkened again to the unique ’70s Challenger (which was solely round for 5 years), this model of Dodge’s muscle automobile has change into an icon in its personal proper, turning into a mainstay in motion pictures, automobile meets, and, after all, navy bases throughout the nation. The Charger and Chrysler 300, in the meantime, have been round since 2005 and 2004, respectively, making the L-plat muscle automobile a near-20-year-old dynasty.

Whereas it is undoubtedly the tip of an period, it possible is not the tip of the Dodge efficiency automobile. The Charger will probably be again, it simply will not have a Hemi V8. As previewed by the corporate’s Charger Daytona SRT electrical idea automobile, Dodge intends to maintain the Charger story going. Its subsequent chapter will simply be electrical, or on the very least, electrified. Chatting with The Drive on the situation of anonymity again in October, a supply with provider info confirmed that the following Dodge Charger will preserve the gasoline engine round, particularly the Hurricane straight-six.

As for the Brampton Meeting Plant, it’s also being reworked to accommodate a extra electrical future. Per Automotive Information Canada, the manufacturing facility goes offline for 2 years so it may be retooled to construct “electrified automobiles.”

So, whereas the Charger identify could also be going away for now, we absolutely anticipate it—and, given the adaptable nature of electrical powertrains, the Challenger identify too—to come back again sooner or later. They will simply be totally different. Within the case of the V8-powered variations, although, it’s, sadly, time to say goodbye.

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