Dodge reveals Challenger Black Ghost special edition as it ghosts gas-powered muscle cars

Ghost, and you might miss it: The sixth heritage-inspired special edition from Dodge's "Last Call" lineup is the 2023 Dodge Challenger Black Ghost, and 300 of the 807-horsepower vehicles will be made.

Production of Dodge's gas-powered muscle cars ends in December of next year. To make the most bang from the last model year before the launch of its all-electric Charger in 2024, Dodge is dropping seven special-edition models at specific dealerships as a part of its effort at transparency. It will announce online in October the allocation to dealers of the final vehicles being produced. The special editions include six paying homage to Dodge's history, and the seventh, which Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis has said will make history, will be revealed at the Specialty Equipment Market Association Show in November in Las Vegas. Pricing and other details on the 2023 model-year vehicles will come later this fall.

The Black Ghost is a modern version of Godfrey Qualls' black 1970 Dodge Challenger RT SE that roamed Woodward Avenue in the 1970s with 426 Hemi-powered muscle, according to the Stellantis NV performance brand. The vehicle, however, would disappear for months at a time, leading to its "Black Ghost" nickname.

The 2023 model bumps the Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody's horsepower by 10 from 797. Like the classic, it has a black "gator skin" roof vinyl graphic, Challenger script badges and white tail graphics. The vehicles in Pitch Black exterior paint have a black six-piston Brembo brake system, 3.09:1 rear axle ratio, 20-by-11-inch Satin Carbon Warp Speed wheels and carbon-fiber bezels.

In 2020, Qualls' vehicle earned a spot on the National Historic Vehicle Register. It remains in the Qualls family.

“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,” Kuniskis said in a statement. “The 2023 Dodge Challenger Black Ghost is the prelude to what we’re going to unveil with our seventh and final special-edition model.”

The Dodge Challenger Black Ghost follows the previously announced Dodge Challenger Shakedown, Dodge Charger Super Bee, Dodge Challenger and Charger Scat Pack Swinger models and Dodge Charger King Daytona.

bnoble@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @BreanaCNoble