Back in the 1970s, there was a black 1970 Dodge Challenger with a 426 Hemi V8 that cruised Detroit's Woodward Avenue. It would show up at random and then disappear for months, allegedly putting the hurt to competitors in stoplight battles on the infamous stretch of road. It was called the Black Ghost, and it rides one more time as the sixth Last Call special edition model from Dodge.
This is the 2023 Dodge Challenger Black Ghost, and as with the Dodge Charger King Daytona that debuted on September 14, this isn't a Scat Pack with an appearance package. The Challenger Hellcat Redeye Widebody is the foundation, but Dodge bumps the supercharged 6.2-liter V8 to 807 horsepower. In the current Challenger hierarchy, it's equal to the SRT Super Stock that debuted in 2020, and it will be nearly as rare. 300 Black Ghosts are slated for production, and as the name suggests, it's only available in black.
Gallery: 2023 Dodge Challenger Black Ghost
In addition to more power, there are some special exterior upgrades that pay homage to the original Challenger. Gator skin vinyl graphics are applied to the roof, with contrasting white stripes added to the quarter panels. Retro badging is in effect, with scripted Challenger badges on the fenders and chrome Dodge branding on the nose. The SRT badge in the grille has a bright finish, as do the 20-inch wheels. Inside there's a special Black Ghost badge for the instrument panel, with bezels made of carbon fiber. Alcantara on the seats, door bolsters, and steering wheel further dress up the interior.
"There are so many legendary muscle cars in Dodge brand history, it was hard to choose the seven vehicles we wanted to pay homage to with our Last Call lineup, but the Black Ghost was an easy pick," said Dodge Brand CEO Tim Kuniskis. "The 2023 Dodge Challenger Black Ghost is the prelude to what we’re going to unveil with our seventh and final special-edition model."
Dodge kicked off its seven Last Call announcements in late August with the Challenger Shakedown. The Dodge Charger Super Bee followed, with both the Charger and Challenger getting a Swinger package. We already mentioned the Charger King Daytona, but the seventh and final model won't debut until the 2022 SEMA Show in November. Given the extra pomp and circumstance for this special model, it's quite possible we could see a 900-hp Challenger tuned to run on E85 as the final high-horsepower Hemi before electrification takes over.
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