2023 Dodge Challenger Configurations: Trims, Engines, and Options Explained

The 2023 Dodge Challenger marked the final model year of one of the longest-running muscle car nameplates in modern production. Dodge used that swan song to offer an unusually wide range of configurations — from a relatively accessible V6 entry point all the way to supercharged V8 variants producing well over 800 horsepower. Understanding how those configurations are structured helps you figure out what you're actually getting, and what you're giving up, at each level.

How the Challenger Lineup Is Organized

The 2023 Challenger is built around three engine families, distributed across roughly a dozen trim levels. The trim name doesn't always tell the whole story — the same trim can mean very different things depending on which powertrain option was selected.

The three engine options:

• 3.6L Pentastar V6 — the base engine, paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission only
• 5.7L HEMI V8 — mid-range power, also paired with the 8-speed automatic
• 6.2L supercharged HEMI V8 — the high-output option found in SRT Hellcat variants, available with either the 8-speed automatic or a 6-speed manual

A fourth engine — the 6.4L 392 HEMI V8 — sits between the 5.7 and supercharged 6.2, powering the Scat Pack trims.

The 2023 Challenger Trim Levels at a Glance

The Demon 170 was a limited-production model with factory-rated output exceeding 1,000 horsepower on E85 fuel — offered only in the final model year with significant production constraints.

🔧 What "Widebody" Actually Means

Several trims offer a Widebody designation, which isn't purely cosmetic. It includes wider fender flares to accommodate a broader track and larger wheels — typically 305-width tires versus the standard 275 or 245 widths. That wider footprint affects handling characteristics, braking performance, and available wheel options. It's not just styling.

Key Variables That Shape What You Get

Transmission Choice

Not all trims offer both transmission options. The V6 trims are automatic-only. The 5.7L R/T is also automatic-only. If a manual transmission matters to you, that narrows the field to Scat Pack and above.

Performance Packages

Within several trims, Dodge offered additional packages — like the Plus Package, Technology Package, and Super Track Pak — that add features like launch control, line lock, adaptive damping, and performance data recording. What's available varies by trim.

Special Editions

2023 included several "Last Call" special editions — including the Black Ghost, Swinger, Shakedown, and others — each with unique appearance packages, badging, and in some cases trim-specific features. These were produced in limited quantities.

Fuel Type

The Demon 170's headline power figure depends on E85 fuel. On regular pump premium gasoline, output is lower. That's a detail that matters practically for ownership, not just on paper.

🚗 How Output Numbers Compare

Output figures are manufacturer-rated and can vary based on fuel grade, options, and testing conditions.

What Changes Across the Spectrum

At the lower trims, the Challenger is a rear-wheel-drive muscle car with modern infotainment, reasonable fuel economy for a V6, and a relatively comfortable daily driving experience. Features like heated seats, a larger touchscreen, and driver assist technology are often available as options or packages.

At the upper trims, the character shifts entirely. The Scat Pack and Hellcat variants are built around straight-line performance — larger Brembo brakes, launch control, line lock, wider tires, and suspension tuning that reflects those priorities. The Hellcat Widebody adds stability that the narrower standard body can't match at those power levels.

The Demon 170 exists in a different category — it's a street-legal drag car with very few practical compromises made in its favor.

The Part Only Your Situation Can Answer

The 2023 Challenger lineup is unusually broad. Whether the trade-offs at each level — fuel costs, tire costs, insurance rates, track-use requirements, manual vs. automatic preference, or daily usability — work for a given buyer depends entirely on how and where that car will be driven, and what a specific buyer's budget and priorities look like.

Those are the variables no trim chart can resolve on its own.