Is Daytona 4 wheel drive?
No. The classic Dodge/Plymouth Daytona sports coupes were front-wheel-drive, and there has never been a factory four-wheel-drive Daytona. This article explains the Daytona’s drive layout, its history, and why AWD did not appear from the factory.
What is the Daytona?
The Daytona name was used on a family of sporty, front-wheel-drive coupes produced by Chrysler’s Dodge and Plymouth brands from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s. Built on the K-car/Horizon-derived platform, the Daytona was offered in naturally aspirated and turbocharged variants and was marketed as an affordable performance model with distinctive body styling. Its focus was on on-road speed and handling rather than off-road capability.
Before discussing drive layout in detail, here are some core facts about the Daytona lineup.
- Production years: 1984–1993 for the Dodge/Plymouth Daytona family.
- Drive layout: Front-wheel drive across all production variants.
- Engine options: Naturally aspirated and turbocharged inline-four engines were used, with a range of horsepower depending on year and trim.
- Transmission options: Both manual and automatic transmissions were offered.
- Market position: Positioned as a performance-oriented, affordable sports coupe rather than an all-terrain vehicle.
These points summarize the Daytona’s drivetrain and design decisions during its production run. No factory AWD Daytona existed, and aftermarket conversions are occasionally discussed by enthusiasts, though they were not official from Chrysler.
Is there any Daytona with all-wheel drive?
There is no factory all-wheel-drive Daytona. All production Daytonas were front-wheel drive. While aftermarket or custom shops may claim to convert a Daytona to AWD, such modifications are not factory-backed and can affect reliability, warranty, and value. If AWD is a priority, prospective buyers should look to other models that offer factory AWD from the outset.
Other uses of the Daytona name
Beyond the original Dodge/Plymouth Daytona, the name has occasionally appeared in different contexts—racing heritage, special editions, or marketing tie-ins—but these uses rarely involved a factory AWD setup. For collectors and enthusiasts, the key distinction remains that the original Daytona lineup was FWD and not an AWD configuration.
Summary
In short, the Daytona as produced by Chrysler and its Dodge/Plymouth brands was never a four-wheel-drive model. All production Daytona variants were front-wheel drive, with turbocharged and naturally aspirated four-cylinders available through the late 1980s and early 1990s. If AWD is essential, this particular nameplate does not offer a factory option, and any AWD Daytona would be the result of aftermarket modification rather than factory specification.
