The 2017 Charger Daytona is essentially a Charger R/T with additional features, referred to by Dodge as the Customer Preferred Package 29S. These modifications are spread across the entire car, both internally and externally, including its mechanics. The most noticeable changes are to the exterior, although they are not as drastic as the original's huge wing or beaked nose.
For 2017, Dodge has brought back the Charger Daytona name, with two variations available: the standard Daytona with a 5.7-liter V-8, and the Daytona 392 with a 6.4-liter V-8. This is a fitting tribute to the original Charger Daytona, which was the first stock car to break the 200-mph mark at Talladega Superspeedway. The Daytona name has been used on many cars over the years, all of which take their name from Daytona Beach, Florida, the birthplace of stock-car racing and home to Daytona International Speedway.
The exterior of the muscle car is made even more striking with the addition of a black spoiler, a wide matte-black stripe that runs across the back of the car and down the sides, and Daytona lettering. It also has a matte-black roof, a hood scoop, a black grille, an SRT body kit, 20.0-by-9.0-inch black forged-aluminum wheels, LED fog lights, and special badging. To make the car even more eye-catching, Dodge offers vibrant retro colors such as Green Go, Go Mango, TorRed, and Yellow Jacket. The HEMI hood and Daytona rear-quarter decals can be removed at no extra cost, but it would take away from the overall look of the Daytona package.
The Carbonite trim looks like a brushed and beaten piece of metal, which adds to the overall theme of the vehicle. Heated front sport seats are upholstered in leather and microsuede, and come with a power lumbar adjustment, but the headrests are set at an uncomfortable angle. The heated rear seats, leather-wrapped heated steering wheel, metal-trimmed pedals and illuminated cupholders are all features of the Daytona, but the stereo volume causes the door panels to rattle when playing songs with heavy bass.
The engines in the Daytona may not be as large as the 426 and 440 cubic inch powerplants of the original Charger, but they are still hefty V-8s. The non-392 Daytona has the same 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 as the R/T, but it has a Mopar cold-air intake and a functional hood scoop, giving it an output of 370 horsepower and 395 lb-ft of torque. The active exhaust, now standard on the R/T, gives the Daytona a classic muscle car sound, ranging from a deep snarl to a powerful battle cry when the throttle is pressed.
The powerful eight-speed automatic transmission sends torque to the rear wheels, providing swift, well-coordinated gear changes. In our tests, the Charger accelerated from a standstill to 60 mph in an impressive 5.1 seconds, despite its hefty 4287-pound weight. It took the car only 13.7 seconds to cover a quarter-mile, reaching a speed of 105 mph. Dodge also allows the driver to completely deactivate the stability and traction control, allowing for huge burnouts and massive clouds of tire smoke.
The Charger's brakes proved to be effective, bringing the car to a stop from 70 mph in 171 feet with only slight fading. This is an acceptable distance for this class, though the brakes require a firm press to engage. Once the pads make contact with the rotors, they inspire confidence.
The Charger Daytona offers a lot for its base price of $41,090, but it would be an even better deal without the Daytona extras. For the same amount of money, you can get the more powerful R/T Scat Pack with the 485-horse 6.4-liter. Though the idea of a vehicle honoring one of the most significant cars and venues in motorsports history is fun, it should be placed at the top of the lineup, not in the middle. The only thing that connects this car to the original is the rear stripe with the Daytona lettering. A heritage vehicle should be recognizable without needing to read its name; this car does not quite meet that criteria. Source: caranddriver.com