Dodge is saying goodbye to the combustion-powered Challenger and Charger with seven special edition models, and the latest is the 2023 Charger Super Bee. A drag strip special, the model will be limited to just 1,000 examples.
Based on the Charger Scat Pack, 500 Super Bees will be built on the standard width model [all of which come in B5 Blue] and another 500 will be built on the Widebody model [all of which will be finished in Plum Crazy].
That means that the new limited edition will be powered by a 6.4-liter Hemi V8 that churns out 485 hp [362 kW/492 PS], making this the most powerful Super Bee ever to leave the factory. That power is sent to the rear wheels, which for this model are designed especially to make this a powerhouse on the drag strip.
Read Also: Dodge Unveils First Of Seven ‘Last Call’ Special Editions, The 2023 Challenger Shakedown
The standard-width model will be equipped with 20-by-9.5-inch knurled wheels with 275 drag radials, whereas the Plum Crazy Widebodies will get 18-by-11-inch drag wheels with 315 drag radials in order to get it through the quarter-mile as fast as possible.
A Drag Mode, meanwhile, tunes the adaptive suspension specifically for straight-line speed, while the SRT hood features a functional scoop with dual heat extractors and hood pins. Black SRT exhaust tips at the back help give this model a sinister appearance.
The Charger Super Bee also comes with red four-piston Brembo brake calipers. Inside, meanwhile, there’s a Super Bee instrument panel badge, and drivers are greeted by the Plus Group Carbon/Suede Package for comfort and a sporty look.
The Super Bee name was introduced in 1968, and was first applied to the Charger in 1971. Always intended as the perfect car for drivers who wanted a street car that could run low quarter-mile times, it had a four-year run and captured the imagination of many a muscle car fan.
“The Dodge Super Bee is more than commemorative of a cool heritage name — it is also a Charger variant of the Challenger 1320 grassroots race package,” said Tim Kuniskis, Dodge brand chief executive officer. “The special-edition 2023 Dodge Charger Super Bee once again offers a Dodge vehicle that is equally at home on the street or on the drag strip.”
This model will continue the Super Bee legacy when it hits the road in spring 2023. Ordering information for this and the six other special edition models that Dodge has planned for the run of “Last Call” special edition vehicles will be announced this fall.
The current Dodge Challenger and Charger are going away after the 2023 model year, and Dodge is sending them off with a series of Last Call special editions. Revealed Wednesday, the 2023 Dodge Charger Super Bee is the second of the seven planned specials.
Following the Challenger Shakedown introduced last week, the Charger Super Bee marks the return of the classic nameplate, which first appeared on a standalone muscle car in 1968 and has been used on different Charger models on and off since 1971 [plus a Rumble Bee version for the Dodge Ram 1500 pickup].
Styling highlights include a functional hood scoop adorned with the Super Bee mascot, color-coordinated graphics, a black Mopar hood-pin kit, black SRT exhaust tips, and Super Bee logos for the instrument panel and seat backs.
2023 Dodge Charger Super Bee
The Super Bee is based on the Charger Scat Pack and Scat Pack Widebody, which both use a 6.4-liter V-8 producing 485 hp and 475 lb-ft of torque. Super Bee models based on the standard-body Scat Pack get 20-inch by 9.5-inch knurled wheels with 275 drag radials, while Widebody versions get 18-inch by 11-inch wheels with 315 drag radials.
All versions also get adaptive suspension with Drag Mode and Brembo brakes with four-piston calipers, as well as the content from the Plus Group and Carbon/Suede Package.
Production is limited to 1,000 units, including 500 Scat Pack versions in B5 Blue and 500 Scat Pack Widebody versions in Plum Crazy. Order books open this fall, with pricing to be announced closer to that time.
2023 Dodge Charger Super Bee
The next Last Call model will be revealed September 7, with three more following between then and September 21. The seventh and final 2023 Dodge Last Call model—the last of the last—will be revealed at the 2022 SEMA show, scheduled for November 1-4 in Las Vegas.
Even if you miss out on the Last Call editions, all 2023 Challenger and Charger models will feature special goodies signifying them as the last of their kind. Exact content will vary by model, but all will come with a commemorative plaque under the hood bearing the texts "Last Call," "Designed in Auburn Hills," and "Assembled in Brampton."
Dodge is culling the V-8 Challenger and Charger to prepare for an electrified future, which it recently inaugurated with the 2023 Hornet plug-in hybrid crossover and all-electric Charger Daytona SRT concept. The latter previews Dodge's first production EV due in 2024, which will likely serve as a replacement for the internal-combustion Charger and Challenger.