Dodge Won't Make A Manual Hellcat, So One Enterprising Fan Did
There is now manual Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat in the world, thanks to Dennis McCarthy and his Effects crew. The Hellcat has never been available with a manual transmission, which has upset some drivers, so McCarthy took it upon himself to create a manual Hellcat (the only one on the planet). building iconic movie cars in films "Gran Turismo," "Transformers: Rise Of the Beasts," and the "Fast & Furious" franchise, it's no surprise that McCarthy's work on the Hellcat looks legit, with a manual swap worthy of a showroom floor.
The manual Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat makes a bit over horsepower thanks to enlarged injectors, a pulley kit, and a tune. The SRT Hellcat usually has around hp, so fans were pretty stunned by the powerful, tuned Hellcat with an dramatic whine. When test driving the manual Hellcat, Autopia LA said it pulls nicely without being as violent as expected. In first gear, Autopia LA founder Shawn Davis got up to 4,500 rpm and the car was sprinting, thanks to its low-end torque power delivery. The consensus? A powerful, fun car to drive with surprisingly great stability.
Why doesn't Dodge make a manual Charger?
Dennis McCarthy's one-of-a-kind creation was a hit with American muscle-car fans — said they've been dreaming of a manual Charger and begged Dodge to make it happen. So why doesn't Dodge mass-produce a manual Charger? The main reasons are that Chrysler believes there wouldn't be enough demand for a manual Charger and that there are mechanical and physical limitations due to the vehicle's floor panel being too expensive to change to accommodate a manual.
Dodge has spottily produced manual transmission Challengers, the return of manual for the Challenger's last run in 2023. Dodge initially the manual option from the Challenger Hellcat in 2021, explaining that the powertrain required updated calibration so manual had to be temporarily removed. While the Challenger lived to see manual one last time, the 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona doesn't have manual, and neither will the — no surprise, since they're electric.