Image: RedLetterDodge.com

When the Charger was reintroduced in 2006, Mopar purists were disgusted that a name made famous in Bullitt and The Dukes of Hazzard was put on a four-door sedan. But there are also a bunch of Mopar faithful like Kurt Balhorn who proudly drive their neo-Chargers along with their muscle-era ones.

According to Red Letter Dodge, Kurt’s father had owned a 1968 Charger and a 1972 Plymouth Satellite Sebring, so Mopars most certainly were in the family’s blood. When it was time for Kurt to choose his first car, he logically went with a Plum Crazy 1970 Charger R/T.

Come 2007, Kurt was in the market for a new daily driver. Why not a Plum Crazy Charger Daytona R/T to match his old Charger? In his words, “[I] absolutely love it!”

Image: The Old Car Manual Project

To someone like me, there’s no comparing the two vehicles. There were around 10,000 Charger R/Ts built in 1970, and Plum Crazy accounted for 12.8% of US-spec production. Standard motor was the 440 Magnum rated at 375 gross horsepower, while those looking for more power could also choose the 440 Six Pack or 426 HEMI, respectively rated at 390 horsepower or 425 horsepower.

There were three stripe choices – traditional bumblebee, new-for-1970 longitudinal, or no stripe – and Kurt’s car appears to have the V6X black longitudinal stripe.

However, if you compare the two vehicles, the 2007 Charger Daytona R/T ends up looking pretty good itself. The Daytona package included a spoiler front and rear, a sportier interior, a performance suspension, and a black surround in the grille. In a nod to Chargers from the muscle car era, the hood, rear fenders, and deckled sported black decals, and the R/T badging was done in the same font.

With a 5.7 liter HEMI and 350 horses, it probably could be surmised that the neo-Charger gives the old one a run for its money and not the other way around.

All told, 1400 Plum Crazy Daytona R/Ts were built in 2007, with an additional 120 for Canada.