Lucas Bell 
The 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona is quite simply one of the most iconic muscle cars of its era. Thanks to its nose cone front end and a genuinely massive rear wing, the Daytona’s purpose was unmistakable. A genuine homologation special designed for NASCAR racing, only 501 of these muscle cars were ever produced. When it came time for Dodge to celebrate the 50th anniversary of this racer, the automaker didn’t disappoint. The 2020 Dodge Charger Hellcat Widebody Daytona 50th Anniversary Edition quietly arrived as one of the coolest Hellcat products yet, thanks to a host of unique interior and exterior treatments. But did you know that Dodge only built 501 of these future classics?
Dodge didn’t need to meet a production quota for entry into NASCAR with the 2020 model, but limiting build numbers to 501 units paid perfect homage to the original 1969 Daytona. Of these 501 cars, only 431 production models were sold here in the United States. 50 examples of the 2020 Dodge Charger Hellcat Widebody Daytona 50th Anniversary Edition were also sold in Canada, while 20 others were exported to other global markets. That means that over 6.5 times as many Dodge Demons were built than this Daytona 50th Anniversary Edition model.
Under the hood of the Charger Hellcat Widebody Daytona 50th Anniversary Edition sits the familiar 6.2L Hellcat V8, but this was the first variant to arrive with 717 horsepower and 650 ft-lb of torque. The exterior of this Mopar is also rather unique, starting with the white Daytona tail stripe and rear spoiler setup. For the few owners who optioned White Knuckle paint, the stripe and spoiler combo featured a blue color. The Daytona’s Warp Speed wheels were also finished in an exclusive Satin Carbon color, which hid a set of blacked-out Brembo brake calipers. Hellcat badging with a unique bright finish round out the exterior treatments. Buyers could choose between four exterior paint options: B5 Blue, Pitch Black, Triple Nickel, and White Knuckle.
Inside the Dodge Charger Hellcat Widebody Daytona 50th Anniversary Edition is where things get truly special however. The Napa leather and alcantara seats featured unique Daytona embroidering, as well as some slick blue accent stitching. The headliner and flat-bottom steering wheel are finished in suede, while velour floor mats further highlight how special this muscle car is. The interior is also rife with real carbon fiber accents, which pop nicely against the blue and silver accent stitching. The dashboard even features some exclusive badging, which includes a serialized build number.
The current crop of muscle cars on offer today are certainly more potent than their forebears, but you’d be forgiven for thinking they aren’t quite as special. We certainly don’t see anything quite as crazy as the original Charger Daytona hitting the streets these days. That said, the Charger Hellcat Widebody Daytona 50th Anniversary Edition does its best to hark back to the glory days of the segment. For anyone who owns one of these machines, you are clearly part of a lucky few. One of 501, to be exact.
