Fiat Chrysler is running what seems to be an endless procession of special edition versions of its muscle cars. Some, however, are better at adding "special" than others. The latest is the 2020 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Widebody Daytona 50th Anniversary Edition, which comes with more power for the Hellcat V8, and that's always a win. Plus, there are some special interior bits.
We're not going to type out its full name every time, so from here on, we'll call it the Charger Daytona. It's meant to celebrate 50 years since the original Charger Daytona, the big wing and fancy nose streamliner that was built to break a 320 km/h lap around Daytona Motor Speedway and decimate NASCAR competition back in 1969. It did exactly that, setting a track record that stood for 17 years.
So what does the 2020 Charger Daytona do to commemorate its namesake? For starters, this is the new widebody Charger. So there's more rubber meeting the road under those big fenders and it'll be on special Warp Speed 20-inch by 11-inch wheels. There's also a new special powertrain calibration that gives the 6.2L supercharged V8 more power. Up 10 from the standard Hellcat to 717 hp, along with 650 lb-ft of torque.
The Charger Daytona will come in four colours. B5 Blue, Triple Nickel, Pitch Black, and White Knuckle. If you want a B5 Blue Charger this year, this is the only way to get it. Adorning the flanks of the car are Daytona graphics with a special rear quarter decal and rear spoiler. They match the graphics of the original, if not that car's C-Series-worthy rear wing.
On the inside, the cars will get heated and ventilated seats with Nappa leather and Alcantara. The seats get blue accent stitching and Daytona embroidery. The blue stitching continues throughout the cabin, including the flat-bottom wheel and velour floor mats. The steering wheel and mats are unique to the 50th Anniversary model.
Dodge will only be building 501 of the cars at the Brampton, ON, factory that's home to Charger and Challenger. That's a nod to the number produced back in 1969 as the minimum needed to get them qualified for NASCAR use. Each car will get a numbered instrument panel plaque.
Orders open in the fall with deliveries starting in the spring.
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