2018 Dodge Charger Daytona R/T 392

2018 Dodge Charger Daytona R/T 392

An Automotive Love Affair
By Joe Mavilia

Overview:

This is the 2018 Dodge Charger Daytona R/T 392. In a word it is a Racer. Not your ‘normal’ driver. This is special and not for everyone looking for a transportation car for the family. It is a serious performance car that will appeal to the Macho Guy who wants ‘muscle’. One look and one crank of the engine will speak volumes – like you’re in for Mr. Toads Wild Ride (as Disneyland lovers will recall).

Hang onto your hat. Better yet wear a helmet. This is serious business and not for the Faint Hearted. BUT you’re gonna love the exhilarating ride.

And for the serious performance driver this car has an App. The Performance Pages App that gives drivers the tools to become familiar with their vehicle’s performance. The App provides access to real-time vehicle performance information including timers (such as 0 to 60 mph elapsed time), G-force, gauges, and engine performance. This data can be downloaded to a USB stick or SD card, allowing for easy sharing of your driving performance. You can also download the data to the web.

General Information:

It is assembled in- Brampton, Ontario, Canada; Parts- US/Canadian 63%, Mexico 26%; Engine – Mexico / Transmission – USA; Classification is- Large; Cars from Dodge- Challenger, Charger, Dart, Durango, Grand Caravan, Journey and Viper.

Handling & Performance:

392 horsepower V8 HEMI (High Energy Metals, Inc. or HEMIspherical combustion chambers in the engine) MDS (Multi Displacement System which shuts down 4 of the 8 cylinders to conserve fuel). Bottom line – it is an exciting power plant that takes us back to the Muscle car days of the mid-20thCentury. Those were happy days when the roar of the engines of the day excited the passions of youth.

The Active Exhaust or dual mode exhaust system uses a pair of electronic valves located near the rear of the vehicle to control the level of the exhaust noise. At idle and in light throttle situations, the valves are in their closed position to keep sound levels down. This also helps to reduce “drone” when cruising on the highway, but when you put the hammer down, the valves open and the exhaust gets a whole lot louder.

Today this Charger is unique on an automotive landscape where cars are to be seen and not heard. So, you get looks of curiosity about what the noise is. But at the end of the day it is a deep roar bellowed out of the exhaust that attacks your senses of sound and feel whether you’re in or outside of the car. The sound is rich and exudes raw power as your body literally vibrates. Not a car for everyone, especially in today’s world, where that exhibition is looked down on. But it has a way of exciting the senses in a rather magical way for those who found their manhood behind the wheel of Muscle Cars of the 1950’s and 1960’s. You gotta love it.

Styling:

Retro look that speaks of bygone days.

Fit and Finish:

Today the assembly of Chrysler cars is light years advanced from the early days of most cars of the day. That careless assembly so often resulted in rattling and squeaking when the rough roads caused a “shake rattle and roll” and even Elvis wrote songs about that.

Cost:

Well, cost is a relative value and although it is competitively priced, it is expensive, unless you appreciate cars that are bold performers, then they are cheap. This is the way it is with this Charger. It is surely worth the price of admission.

Conveniences and comfort:

The MSRP price represents the basic standard features. If you want all the trick hi-tech stuff the price jumps to nearly $53,000 or about $12,000 additional. At about $40,000 it is decently equipped. Heck, some folks would rather not have a sun roof anyway, and at the end of the day we did without all the gadgets for over 100 years. However, there is much more in the options that would appeal to most if they can justify the cost. Look at the optional equipment below and see how much you could do without.

Consumer Recommendations:

If you are looking for a rocket, you don’t have to be a rocket scientist. And I’m guessing this car will resonate largely with those who can now afford to have what they could NOT afford in their youth. But if it appeals to the nostalgic or adventuresome feelings in you, this may just be the car you’re looking for.

Driving this Daytona gave me a tingle that took me back to my teenage years when I had a love affair with a Corvette powered 1928 Ford model A Sedan. It was beautifully painted a Rose Mist with a white Naugahyde top.

Recognized Competition:

Good News:

Wow – fast, astounding performance, roar of the glory days of Muscle cars in the mid-20th Century and it has a mountain road ride magic about it. Fabulous experience!

Bad News:

Muscle Car performance that will consume fuel voraciously. Low to the ground limits roads you can take.

Standard Equipment:

5.7 liter 392 HP V8 HEMI MDS (Multi-Displacement System) engine, 8-speed automatic transmission, front, side, side curtain front and rear airbags, Parkview backup camera and park sense park assist system, stability control, high speed engine controller, Bilstein high-performance suspension, Brembo 4-piston high performance brakes, active exhaust, stability control, traction control, power steering, hill start assist, tire pressure monitoring, keyless enter and go, remote start, sentry key theft deterrent system, security alarm, Dodge performance pages.

Options:

Custom Package $5,000: 20” forged painted aluminum wheels with performance tires, Daytona upgrades with decals and badges to signify such things as 6-cylinder Brembo high performance front brakes and Pirelli brand tires, special seat and interior Carbonite accents, heated and ventilated front seats & steering wheel and heated rear seats, power tilt and telescopic steering column, auto adjust in reverse exterior mirrors, auto dimming driver exterior mirror, memory for radio, driver seat and mirrors, power heated memory mirrors and manual fold away.

Technology Package $1,495: Blind spot and cross path detection, adaptive cruise control with stop, full speed forward collision warning, lane departure warning with Lane Keep assist, auto high beam control, advanced brake assist, rain sensing windshield wipers, power heated memory mirror with blind spot indicator.

Harman Kardon Audio Group $1,995: 19 premium speakers including subwoofer.

Power Sunroof $1,295: Special tires Navigation with 8.4” display, SiriusXM with Traffic Plus and travel link with 5-year subscription. Adds another couple of grand.

Gas Stats:

$2.45/ Gal avg. September 3, 2018

www.fueleconomy.gov
for more information.

15 City 25 Highway MPG

Pricing:

MSRP $39,995.