It was inevitable that with the arrival of the new electric Dodge Charger Daytona, the first road comparisons with other vehicles would follow. The same will surely happen with the arrival of the Charger SIXPACK, expected in summer 2025. Usually when we talk about drag races involving a Dodge vehicle, the result is always the same: victory. Unfortunately, this is not the case for the Charger Daytona R/T Stage 1 featured in the video at the bottom of the article, which was bitterly defeated by a Tesla Model Y.
Dodge Charger Daytona beaten by a Tesla Model Y Performance in a drag race
The result obviously left fans very disappointed. On paper, the Charger Daytona R/T Stage 1 is much stronger in many aspects compared to the 2024 Tesla Model Y Performance. For example, the Mopar machine boasts 496 horsepower and 404 lb-ft of torque, which with the PowerShot function activated gains an additional 40 horsepower for ten seconds. Despite these numbers and all-wheel drive, it had to surrender to the Model Y.
The latter boasts 455 horsepower and 487 lb-ft of torque, also with all-wheel drive and dual motors like the Daytona. While the Charger Daytona’s 0-60 mph acceleration is 4.7 seconds, the Model Y Performance drops to 3.5 seconds, and this detail is clearly noticeable at the start. A contributing factor to this defeat could also be the weight difference between the two vehicles: 5,698 pounds (2,584 kg) for the Charger Daytona versus 4,416 pounds (2,002 kg) for the Tesla Model Y Performance. A significant difference of 1,282 pounds (582 kg) that was noticeable in the drag race.
The difference is also strong in prices: the 2025 Dodge Charger Daytona R/T Stage 1 has a starting price in the United States of $59,595, while the 2024 Tesla Model Y Performance starts at $42,990. And despite Tesla not having the same tradition and aggressive style as the muscle car, it offered superior performance at a significantly lower price.
At the green light, the Tesla immediately jumped ahead, staying in front of the Charger Daytona R/T the whole time, despite the efforts of the electric muscle car. The Model Y Performance completed the quarter mile in 12.54 seconds at 111.52 mph (179.46 km/h), while the Charger Daytona took 12.87 seconds and finished at a trap speed of 111.84 mph (179.99 km/h). Judging from the video, perhaps more could have been achieved at the start, but we are sure that this is just the beginning and the reckoning will soon come.