For those waiting for a manual transmission for the Challenger, the company has a bad news: all the 7,100 2008 Challenger SRTs — the initial production run — will be equipped with a five-speed automatic transmission and a 6.1-liter Hemi V-8 engine. The six-speed manual gearbox, a Tremec 6060, will not be available until the 2009 Challengers arrive later this year. The Tremec box is a modified version of the same 2008 Dodge Viper SRT10 unit.

The first production Challenger will be built April 14 at Chrysler LLC's Brampton, Ontario, plant, according to a Canadian Auto Workers official who declined to be identified.

Chrysler usually introduces the SRT performance versions of its vehicles only after it has rolled out the high-volume version. But with the Challenger, the SRT comes first in the short 2008 run, with the lower-priced units arriving for the 2009 model year.

Also in the 2009 model year, Dodge will offer a lower-priced version with a 3.6-liter V-6.

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