This is one of my favorite all-time 1990s-era cars that often gets overlooked. You have the obsession over the likes of the VW GTi, the Honda CRX, and countless others, but rarely do enthusiasts mention just how awesome the 1993 Dodge Daytona IROC R/T and its slick Lotus-designed head is. This was a performance car above reproach in many respects, with awesome pedigree and blistering performance for the era. Find this rare Daytona in perhaps the best color with a 5-speed manual listed here on Facebook Marketplace for $20,000.
So, the reason it’s still for sale is because the price is bonkers. However, I’ll put a big, fat asterisk next to that statement because the seller is totally within his rights to test those waters considering the rarity of this car. There are numerous Daytonas for sale at any given moment, even the rarer specs with Shelby-specific touches and turbochargers. However, very few of them are the later cars after Shelby had left the room and Dodge decided to enlist Lotus to design the head for this powerful variant. The numbers I’ve seen indicate fewer than 250 were built with this special engine.
Lotus took the standard Chrysler Turbo III engine and had Lotus design an aluminum DOHC 16-valve cylinder head. Lotus further worked its magic by shoehorning the engine under the low-slung Daytona hood by utilizing a number of engineering feats, including shaft-mounted, ultra-low-friction roller rocker arms, eliminating standard bucket tappets. The result was a high-revving, competition-inspired engine that produced 224 b.h.p. and 217 lb.-ft. of torque and could rip to 60 in 6.2 seconds. For a sport compact in 1993, that was pretty impressive. By comparison, it would have trounced the VW GTI 16-valve, which is often heralded as one of the dominant tuner cars of the era.
Unfortunately, the Daytona’s magical engine suffered from several engineering faults that led to reliability issues – and with a near non-existent parts supply, no doubt exacerbated by the limited production, you’re in between a rock and a hard spot if you end up experiencing one of the many common failures. These include cracked cylinder heads (good luck finding a replacement) and a timing belt that liked to lose tension – causing near-immediate oil pressure loss and instant drivetrain death. The seller notes that his water pump is leaking but doesn’t disclose any other issues, which is a a good thing – for now. Does anyone else thin the Daytona IROC R/T is one of the cooler cars of the 90s?
I remember it, Jeff, and even had some seat time in one. Yes, the engine was pretty zoomy for its time, but as “mine” was a press-fleet car, I didn’t have it long enough to encounter any difficulties.
I also drove the other performance coupes you mention, and others. By comparison, I found the Daytona’s chassis in need of some fairly major upgrading. The Turbo also lagged in quality of materials inside and less-than-stellar fit and finish.
Not saying it was bad. It just didn’t quite meet the standards set by European and Japanese competitors.
It was a good looker, and for daily driving (as opposed to canyon-carving, which I then had the roads nearby to enjoy) it was quite nice. My preference would be for the 16V GTi or a CRX on better-than-stock tires.
Would be nice if it had been rolled outside for full view of the car. Loved our ’86 Daytona Turbo Z Shelby. Comfortable, fast, and good looking.
Almost forgotten about today but what a hoot to drive. I owned one for 3 years as a daily driver- it was so much fun. Black with a red leather interior-it was stunning. It had its fair share of issues but when all was right it was a force. Saved by the 7/70 warranty but the dealer loved it because it was the only one they had ever seen. I’ve been fortunate to have a lot of cool cars since then but if I could have one back it would be that Daytona.