Chevrolet Corvette vs Dodge Charger Daytona

Zora Arkus-Duntov. That name is to Corvette enthusiasts, what John Bonham is to Led Zeppelin aficionados. As far back as the late 1950s, he suggested to General Motors that the Corvette should be a mid-engine sports car. But that decision would have been costly and GM was just fine keeping the ‘Vette profitable. There was a rumour that the C7 Corvette was supposed to have a mid-engine layout, but the recession of the 2000s shut the plan down. Almost 25 years after his death, Arkus-Duntov’s dream came to fruition in the form of the 2020 C8 Corvette.

In moving the engine to behind the driver, the Corvette got an instant boost in performance. It was faster and more dynamic, but there was more to it. The mid-engine placement made the new Corvette less like a step up from the Camaro and more like a world-class exotic car—think Porsche 911 or even a Ferrari, McLaren, or Lamborghini.

But elevating reputation also elevates expectations. Does the mid-engine 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray live up to its newfound supercar reputation? Read on to find out.

The new Dodge Charger roars into showrooms in coupe and four-door sedan configuration, not to mention with an available all-electric powertrain lurking beneath its sleek retro-themed exterior. Dodge has made a concerted effort to drag the Charger into the 21st century, without alienating a loyal fanbase that loved the previous Charger’s penchant for tire-smoking antics thanks to its rumbling Hemi V8 engines.

The bad news for some is the Hemis are gone (though their return has been strongly rumoured). Stricter emissions requirements and the need to modernize the Charger’s solid, yet undoubtedly dated, underpinnings meant a fresh automotive blueprint was required.

The good news is the design of the Charger is classically handsome, and straight-line speed is a match for any of the outgoing Charger’s brag-worthy zero to 96 km/h and quarter-mile times (3.3 seconds and 11.5 seconds respectively).

Verdict: Simply put, many muscle car purists will decry the current lack of a growling V8 engine under the hood. Trust us, they don’t know what they’re missing. The 2024 Dodge Charger pairs practicality with boisterous excess, successfully reinventing the brand’s approach to crafting a head-turning muscle car. The biggest caveat we discovered is price — the Charger Daytona is many things, but a bargain isn’t one of them.