Dodge Charger Daytona vs Plymouth Superbird

Although they superficially appear the same, the Dodge Charger Daytona (red) and Plymouth Superbird (blue) are actually two different vehicles.

In 1969 Chrysler and Dodge debuted the Charger Daytona, a heavily modified version of the 1969 Dodge Charger named after the Daytona International Speedway (in a major NASCAR event known as the Daytona 500). The signature design of the Daytona included an aerodynamic nose (which was a first for NASCAR) and a ridiculous 23 inch rear wing.

The Plymouth Superbird is a heavily modified version of the Plymouth Road Runner. In 1968 NASCAR driver Richard Petty was disappointed with the performance of the normal Road Runner, and he asked Chrysler for Charger 500s and Daytonas for the 1969-season. Chrysler told Petty that they were a Plymouth Team, not a Chrysler one.

The Dodge Charger Daytona won 6 races between 1969 and 1970 while the Superbird won 8 races only in 1970. Because of NASCAR Homologation rules, road-going versions of both the Daytona and Superbird had to be produced, and though it was a missile on track, the Superbird failed to garner enough sales to meet Homologation and by the end of 1970, NASCAR banned both the Charger Daytona and Superbird for their exceptional speed, along with the Ford Torino Talladega and Mercury Cyclone Spoiler II.

The Cars-character Strip “The King” Weathers (voiced by Petty himself) is based on his own #43 Plymouth Superbird, while a heavily modified 1970 Dodge Charger appears as a modernized Daytona in Fast & Furious 6 driven by Vin Diesel. In 2013 Chrysler debuted the Dodge Charger Daytona, a heavily modified limited version of the 2008 Dodge Challenger, also available as a Plymouth Superbird.