This Is The Greatest Modern-Day Charger Super Bee… Period!

The Super Bee was first introduced in 1968 as a member of the Dodge Scat Pack performance group, the iconic model brought high performance to a very affordable price class. Based on the midsized Coronet, the 1968 Dodge Super Bee came standard with a 335 horsepower 6.3-liter (383 cubic-inch) V8, while the legendary 7.0-liter (426 cubic-inch) HEMI V8 was also available.

Paired with a standard heavy-duty 4-speed manual transmission with Hurst Competition-Plus floor shifter. The power bulge hood let everyone know that this was no ordinary Coronet. The Super Bee could accelerate to 60 mph in 6.8 seconds and cover the 1/4-mile in 15 seconds. Not bad for a car that you could purchase for a tad bit over $3,000.

Fast forward some 36 years later, Dodge would resurrect the Super Bee nameplate, but this time it would not follow the original Super Bee formula. Instead, the name would be used on the top-of-the-line performance-oriented Charger SRT8 from 2007 to 2009 as a sticker package offering unique colors to the SRT8 lineup. A total of 2,425 Super Bees would be built between that time frame with Detonator Yellow (2007), B5 Blue (2008), and HEMI Orange (2009) being the colors available.

It would take Dodge another three years to re-introduced the Super Bee name on the Charger, but this time, Dodge would look to its past roots for inspiration. From 2012 to 2014, the Dodge Charger SRT8 Super Bee represented a more budget-friendly version of the brand’s high performance sedan.

The 2012 to 2014 Dodge Charger SRT8 Super Bee models dumped much of the high-end luxury and technology items in favor of low-cost performance. Each car came with the following standard features:

Exterior –

• Super Bee Branding – 
  • Super Bee Rear Side Stripe in Pitch Black (Charcoal Gray on Pitch Black colored cars)
  • 392 HEMI Badges (standard SRT8 got 6.4L badges)
  • Black Grille Inserts with SRT Super Bee Logo
• 20-Inch 5-Spoke Cast Aluminum Wheels with Black Pockets
• 4-Inch Round Dual Exhaust Outlets
• 392 HEMI Engine Cover (standard SRT8 got 6.4L HEMI ones)
• Matte Black Rear Spoiler (standard SRT8 got body-colored)
• Body-Colored Front SRT Fascia (standard SRT8 had black highlights around grilles)
• Standard Halogen Headlamps and Fog Lights
• SRT Rear Fascia
• SRT Side Sills

Interior –

• Performance Cloth Seats with Super Bee Logo and Stripe (standard SRT8 cars had Nappa Leather)
• 4.3-Inch Uconnect 4 Touchscreen with Super Bee Performance Pages (standard SRT8 cars came with 8.4-Inch system)
• Leather-Wrapped SRT Steering Wheel
• Unique EVIC Super Bee Start Up Screen

Mechanical – 

• Brembo® Black 4-Piston Brake Calipers
• 3-Mode Electronic Stability Control
• 3.06 Rear Axle Ratio
• Engine Oil Cooler
• Tire Service Kit
• SRT Track Experience

Optional Equipment – 

• P245/45R20 BSW Performance Tires
• Low-Beam HID Headlamps
• Black Roof
• 8.4-Inch Uconnect 4 Touchscreen with CD/DVD/MP3 
• 8.4-Inch Uconnect 4 Touchscreen with CD/DVD/MP3 and Navigation
• 8.4-Inch Uconnect Audio
  • 276-Watts
  • 6-Speakers
• Steering Wheel-Mounted Paddle Shifters
• Convenience Group II
  • ParkSense Rear Park Assist System
  • Remote Start System
  • Universal Garage Door Opener

The 2014 Dodge Charger SRT8 Super Bee had a U.S. starting Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $43,385 (plus $825 destination).

Dodge said that the 2012 to 2014 Dodge Charger SRT8 Super Bee had a 0 to 60 mph time in the high-4-second range, a 1/4-mile time at 12.8 seconds, and a top speed of 175 mph. From 2012 to 2014, Dodge offered a number of colors on the Super Bee, which included Stinger Yellow and Pitch Black (2012), Pitch Black, Bright White, and TorRed (2013), and Pitch Black, Bright White, TorRed, Header Orange, and Plum Crazy (2014).

For 2023, Dodge has returned the Super Bee name to the Charger for a final hurrah of the current generation of muscle car. Although, its “Last Call” series of special editions are most sticker packages thus far, that can’t be said about the Super Bee.

This time, the 2023 Dodge Charger Super Bee aims to be the highest-performing Charger Super Bee model ever produced, with standard drag radials that will help the Super Bee “fly” to low 1/4-mile ETs, special Super Bee badges, and graphics to help make the package stand out on the strip and the street.

Just like the 2012 to 2014 cars, lies the mighty 6.4-liter (392 cubic-inch) HEMI® Apache V8 delivering 485 horsepower and 475 lb.-ft. of torque (470 horsepower 470 lb.-ft. of torque on the 2012 to 2014 models). Unlike those cars those, this time around Dodge has equipped the Super Bee with a fast-shifting 8-speed 8HP70 TorqueFlite automatic transmission. The 2012 to 2014 cars featured a Mercedes-sourced W5A580 5-speed automatic.

According to Dodge, they will only produce 1,000 units in total of the Super Bee package for the 2023 model year. This includes 500 units based on the Charger Scat Pack in B5 Blue and 500 units of the Charger Scat Pack Widebody in Plum Crazy.

Both packages take bits and pieces from the drag-racing-oriented Challenger R/T Scat Pack 1320 and Challenger SRT Super Stock package and put them on the Charger for the first time.

All cars will be equipped with the Plus Group and Carbon/Suede Package content. To make them different than the rest of the swarm, the 2023 Dodge Charger Super Bee includes the following equipment…

• Super Bee Exterior Badging on Grille and Front Fenders
• Super Bee Exterior Graphics on Functional Hood Scoop/Rear Fenders (Blue Graphics on non-Widebody, White Graphics on Widebody)
• 20-Inch x 9.5-Inch Forged/Painted Aluminum Wheels with 275/40R20 102Y Drag Radial Tires (non-Widebody)
• 18-Inch x 11-Inch Aluminum Wheels with P315/40R18 102W Drag Radial Tires (Widebody)
• Adaptive Damping Suspension with Drag Mode
• Black Mopar Hood Pin Kit
• SRT Hood with Functional Scoop and Dual Heat Extractors
• SRT Black Exhaust Tips
• Red Four-Piston Brembo Brake System
• Super Bee Interior Instrument Panel (I/P) Badge
• Super Bee Seat Back Logos

The 2023 Dodge Charger Super Bee packages are what some diehard drag racing Charger owners have been asking for since the debut of the 2019 Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack 1320. Unfortunately, it comes a little too late for most. 

The other downside to the Super Bee name being used on the 2023 models, is that once again it doesn’t follow the Super Bee’s original formula of big horsepower at a budget-friendly price. As these models are loaded with creature comforts and tech, the price for these Super Bee has climbed to $61,805 for the non-Widebody and $67,300 for Widebody models (excluding $1,595 for destination). And that is before dealer markups.

Overall, we have loved the modern-day Super Bees. But there is no other model that best represents what the Super Bee nameplate stood for then the 2012 to 2014 models in the modern era. While the new 2023 models might be faster down the 1/4-mile, the 2012 to 2014 stood for the best “bang for your buck” and that’s why it wins in this comparison.