2013 Dodge Charger Daytona: Limited to 2500, Packs 5.7L Hemi and Stripes
Dodge quits NASCAR, debuts NASCAR-inspired street car.
November 2012
BY RON SESSIONS
MULTIPLE PHOTOGRAPHERS
BY RON SESSIONS
MULTIPLE PHOTOGRAPHERS
2013 Dodge Charger Daytona: Limited to 2500, Packs 5.7L Hemi and Stripes - Photo Gallery of Official Photos and Info from Car and Driver - Car Images
Look at it this way: Although it doesn’t have the beaky nosecone and five-foot-tall rear wing of the 1969-vintage original, the 2013 iteration of the Dodge Charger Daytona will likely fit into your garage more easily, and it’s far less likely to scare small children and offend your mother-in-law.
Arriving in the spring of 2013, the new Charger Daytona is a suite of functional and not-so-functional upgrades for the Charger R/T and Charger R/T Road & Track models. Dressed up with a spiffy Daytona Blue engine cover, the Daytona’s 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 pumps 370 hp and 395 lb-ft of torque through a paddle-shifted five-speed automatic transmission and a 3.06:1 final drive. The Daytona also features performance-calibrated steering and a racier suspension setup, and rolls on polished five-spoke, 20-inch aluminum wheels with black accents.
Inside are heated and ventilated front seats with added bolstering; the blue-piped and stitched upholstery is cloth in Charger R/T models and Nappa leather and suede in the Charger R/T Road & Track. Other Daytona toss-ins include a 10-speaker, 552-watt Beats audio system; an 8.4-inch touch-screen infotainment setup; dark brushed-aluminum interior trim; a Mopar pedal kit; and a plaque on the dash with each car’s build number from the 2500-unit run.
The familiar Dodge cross-hair grille is blacked-out and sports a “heritage” R/T emblem, while the rear fenders and hood get black “DAYTONA” graphics. The hood, roof, and rear spoiler have matte-black vinyl appliqués. Buyers can specify exterior hues of Daytona Blue, Pitch Black, Billet Silver, or Bright White.
We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the irony in the fact that this special Daytona performance option group named after a famed NASCAR track and an iconic racing model is launched at the same time Dodge is taking a break from NASCAR competition. Nevertheless, you’d have to give a six-figure sum to bring home a street-legal cousin of the 426-cubic-inch Hemi-powered 1969 Charger Daytona race car that was the first to break 200 mph on Talladega’s high-bank oval. The 2013 Dodge Charger Daytona can’t touch the terminal velocity of its amply schnozzed forebear, but it fits much better into an everyday buyer’s budget: It will take just $33,985 to own an R/T version and $37,490 for an R/T Road & Track.
