• The most recent Dodge Charger Daytona, as of October 2010.dodge challenger prototype image by Jorge Moro from Fotolia.com
  
  The Dodge Charger Daytona is an American muscle car manufactured by the car company Dodge. The Dodge Charger Daytona was produced in three separate time periods and was completely redesigned for each release. The name was taken from Daytona Beach, Florida, home of the car racing venue. The first time Dodge released a car with that name was 1969, the second was 1979, and the third was in 2006 which has kept going until present day, as of October 2010. You can learn about the differences in specifications for the Dodge Charger Daytona for these three distinct time periods.
  
  

1969 Daytona

• The first generation of the Daytona was built for high performance and was a modified version of the Dodge Charger. It was originally produced to win NASCAR races, which it succeeded in doing. The 1969 version won the inaugural Talladega 500 in the autumn of 1969. The 1969 version featured a 23-inch tail stabilizer on the rear of the car, that looked like a highly raised spoiler. The 1969 Daytona was a limited release automobile and is now a collector's car. The car had an optional 426 CID Hemi V-8 engine, of which less than 100 were produced.
  
  

1976 Dodge Charger Daytona

• The 1976 Charger Daytona was built in conjunction with the Chrysler Cordoba. In 1976, the car took on a look that more resembled a family car than a high performance sports car. The rounded edges were swapped out for a more square, boxy look and increased leg room, passenger space, and trunk space. The engine was available in either a 360 small block engine or a big block 400 cylinder engine and was available with either a four-speed manual or automatic transmission. The 1976 Daytona came standard with AM/FM radio.
  
  

2006 and Newer Dodge Charger Daytona

• In 2006, a limited production release of the Dodge Charger was reintroduced. The 2006 model included a sporty interior, attention-drawing paint jobs with bright colors, a front "chin" spoiler, and a black grill that entirely surrounded the front bumper. The 2006 Daytona came with stock 18-inch wheels, a lower profile and wider tires. In 2007 and 2008, the wheels were upgraded to 20-inch stock wheels. In 2009, buyers had the option to purchase a variable Camshaft Timing Hemi, which upped the horsepower to 368.