Peter Lyon
September 20, 2022
- The 2023 Dodge Charger ‘King Daytona’ will be the fifth in a series of ‘Last Call’ special models
- This King Daytona packs 807 horsepower, loud Go Mango paintwork and matte-black graphics
- Limited to 300 units, the King Daytona will go on sale this fall
Just launched at the recent Detroit Auto Show, the 2023 Dodge Charger King Daytona is the fifth out of a series of seven “Last Call” models designed to say farewell to the traditional Charger and Challenger as a new era of muscle car is about to start.
Limited to just 300 units and pumping out 807-hp, 10 horsepower over the Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody on which it’s based, the King Daytona follows the Challenger Shakedown, Charger Super Bee, and Challenger and Charger Scat Pack Swinger models. And like the Redeye, it is powered by the same 797-hp supercharged 6.2-liter V8, but tweaked marginally for show. Dodge, however, says it does not expect the extra 10 horses to impact performance figures, meaning its 0-60mph time will stay at 3.5 seconds.
The sixth model will be revealed on September 21 at the Detroit show, while the last one will land at the 2022 SEMA Show in November in Las Vegas.
The new King Daytona pays tribute to the raw energy of the 1960s and 1970s West Coast drag-racing scene. Around the time man was landing on the moon, well-known street racer William Robinson nicknamed his 1969 Dodge Charger “King Daytona” in an attempt to persuade racers to compete at the track and not on the streets. This tribute model is painted in a unique Go Mango finish combined with satin black King Daytona graphics added on the rear fender. It sits on 20-inch Satin Carbon Warp Speed wheels accented with orange six-piston Brembo brakes.
Inside, the seats are wrapped in black Nappa leather mixed with microsuede inserts and sharp orange stitching, which can also be found on the instrument panel, console, steering wheel, and door trim. It also has a suede headliner, carbon fiber interior bezels, and an Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel. The King Daytona badges are placed on the instrument panel, while a Harman Kardon audio system, power sunroof, and a navigation package come as standard.
The 2023 Dodge Charger King Daytona will be limited to 300 units, all destined for specific dealers. Pricing is still unclear but it will no doubt be north of the current Charger Hellcat Redeye’s near $90,000 when orders open this fall.
