Dodge Daytona

The Dodge Daytona, taking a hallowed muscle car name from the past, debuted for 1984 along with its identical Chrysler Laser twin. These cars were (naturally) K-car based, but the wheelbase had been shortened from 100.1" to 97". Chrysler fancied the Daytona and Laser twins to be an alternative to such heavyweights as the Chevrolet Camaro, Pontiac Firebird and the Ford Mustang, even going so far as comparing it to the Porsche 944 in some of its advertising (which it did resemble somewhat in its side profile). But in reality it competed more favorably with sporty 2+2 cars such as the Nissan 200SX and the Toyota Celica. At the time of Daytona's introduction, Dodge had already had a 2+2 sports car on the market, the Charger. But Chrysler was convinced that the Daytona would appeal to a different, perhaps more sophisticated crowd than the Charger did, so they figured the intramural rivalry would be minimal. Whether or not that's really true is unknown, but the Daytona and Laser did offer a viable alternative to those who wanted a good looking, relatively sporty American-made 2+2 coupe that was fairly quick and got decent gas mileage, something a comparable Camaro or Mustang wasn't able to offer.

Here's a rundown from year to year:

1984

The Daytona's and Laser's premier year (known internally as the G24 coupes), they were the first sporty 2+2 coupes that were based on the venerable K-car. Daytonas and Lasers were virtually indistinguishable from more than 10 feet away - the biggest differences were that the higher-end Daytonas had a wraparound rear spoiler whereas the Lasers had a raised decklid spoiler. Standard engine was the 94 hp 2.2L I4 on base Daytonas and Lasers, the Daytona Turbo and Turbo Z models (along with Laser XE and XT models) had a turbo 142 hp 2.2L I4. The top-of-the-line Daytona Turbo Z and Laser XT models sported ground effects all around. Standard analog dashboards had a speedo, tach, voltmeter, oil pressure and turbo boost gauge (on turbo models), and a digital dash was available as an option. Transmissions were either a 5-speed manual or a 3-speed automatic, available on either engine. T-bar roofs (T-tops) were an option on all models, just like the Camaros and Mustangs of the era.

1985

Turbo engines got a minor power boost to 146 hp, along with some new color choices. All else remained the same.

1986

Daytonas and Lasers received the mandatory Center High Mounted Stop Lamp. A new Chrysler-built 100 hp 2.5L I4 engine was available as an option. Daytonas could have the Carroll Shelby Competition Series package, which consisted of different rims, sport shocks and beefed sway bars, along with "CS" badges on the fenders. Daytona Turbo Z and Laser XT models had modified ground effects that were even deeper and lower this year than before (watch those curbs!). Stereo sound systems were revised (an AM stereo could now be had), but engine and transmission choices remained the same as last year.

1987

The Chrysler Laser would be dropped this year (the Laser name would reappear on a Mitsubishi-made Plymouth sport coupe in 1990), and the Daytona saw its first major restyling. Exposed quad headlamps were replaced with dual pop-ups (perhaps as a tribute to its 1969 namesake), and the taillights were larger and upright instead of forward-sloped as before. Exterior and interior dimensions, however, remained the same. The base 2.2L I4 was dropped this year, and the 2.5 would become the standard engine on the base coupes.