Dodge deleted the manual transmission option for the Challenger SRT Hellcat sometime during 2021, Road & Track reported Tuesday. But it's due to return.
Production of manual Challenger Hellcat models was suspended in November 2021, according to Road & Track. It's not currently possible to configure a 2022 Challenger Hellcat manual, but that option will return at an unspecified date.
The absence of the manual is only temporary, as Dodge is working on a revised calibration for the Hellcat/manual combination, spokesperson Dave Elshoff told Motor Authority. He wasn't able to tell us when orders for manual Hellcats will re-open, however.
2022 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody Jailbreak
For now, you can still get a 6-speed manual in Challenger R/T models with the 5.7-liter V-8 and Scat Pack models with the 6.4-liter V-8.
The 2022 Challenger enters the new model year with minor updates. The main change is a new Jailbreak option for the Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody, with model-specific exterior color and interior trim options. Dodge is also reviving its Direct Connection performance parts program, which originally launched in 1974 to offer factory-backed parts for Chrysler, Dodge, and Plymouth muscle cars.
The Challenger has been with us since 2008, but sales have remained strong, averaging more than 60,000 units annually for the past six years. Dodge has said the Challenger and its four-door Charger sibling will stick around through the end of 2023 in their current forms. You can count on Dodge offering a Challenger successor, likely with some form of electrification, but it's unclear if the Hellcat engine will survive into the next generation.