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Mustang Mach-E GT vs. Charger Daytona Scat Pack

Edmunds Puts To Modern EVs Takes On Classic Muscle Car Nameplates For Their U-Drags

In a fresh twist on an old-school rivalry, Edmunds.com recently lined up two of the most iconic American nameplates — the 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack Stage 2 and the 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT Performance — for a head-to-head battle on their U-Drags course. This wasn’t your typical rumble; both cars are fully electric, marking a new chapter in muscle car history.

Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack Stage 2 and Ford Mustang Mach-E GT Performance. (Edmunds).

On one side, we’ve got the Mustang Mach-E GT Performance, a dual-motor AWD crossover putting down 480 horsepower and a monster 700 lb-ft of torque. It’s been on the scene for a few years now and, despite early backlash from Mustang purists, has proven itself as a strong seller. At 4,950 pounds, it’s no featherweight, but it’s still about 1,000 pounds lighter than its rival.

Ford Mustang Mach-E GT Performance. (Edmunds).

Enter the Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack Stage 2, the new e-muscle car tipping the scales at a hefty 5,974 pounds. Don’t let the weight fool you — with 670 horsepower and 627 lb-ft of torque going to all four wheels, this two-door coupe does have some serious muscle. On paper, it also boasts a better power-to-weight ratio, but as always, real-world performance is what counts.

Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack Stage 2. (Edmunds).

In the first run, the Mustang jumped off the line quicker, but the Charger’s stronger top-end power helped it surge ahead by the halfway mark. Around the U-turn, the Charger showed its muscle again, easily pulling away from the Mach-E, which struggled to regain momentum once it was rolling.

The second race told a similar story, even after switching drivers. The Mach-E continued to shine in off-the-line launches, but the Charger’s extra power came through strong once up to speed. During braking before the turnaround, the Scat Pack got sketchy, with its rear end sliding out under hard deceleration. Edmunds Editor-in-Chief Alistair Weaver had to make some serious corrections to stay on course. But even after that heart-pounding moment, the Charger rocketed out of the turn with authority.

Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack takes the win at Edmunds U-Drags. (Edmunds).

When the numbers came in, both cars hit 0–60 mph in 3.5 seconds flat. In the quarter-mile, the Charger laid down an 11.9-second run at 120.0 mph, beating the Mustang’s 12.2 seconds at 113.8 mph. On the handling front, the Charger again edged out the Mach-E, pulling 1.12Gs in the corner versus 1.07Gs. For the full U-Drags course, the Charger clocked a 34.1-second run at 130.7 mph, while the Mach-E crossed the line in 35.9 seconds at 115.8 mph.

So what’s the verdict? While the Mustang Mach-E GT Performance is quicker off the line, the Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack Stage 2 proves to be the overall performance winner. It’s faster in the quarter-mile, corners harder, and carries the brute strength you’d expect from a Charger — even if it’s an electric car now.

Robert S. Miller

Robert S. Miller is a diehard Mopar enthusiast who lives and breathes all that is Mopar. The Michigander is not only the Editor for MoparInsiders.com, 5thGenRams.com, and HDRams.com but an automotive photographer. He is an avid fan of offshore powerboat racing, which he travels the country to take part in.

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What on paper made this even worth doing?

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So here's the thing. We all know this car is not going to win over any V8 muscle car purist or most people because I'll say 70% of people aren't sold on the idea of an EV and of the 30% who like or even tolerate EVs, there maybe 10%-15% of them who are into EV performance. The Daytona EV as it stands isn't what most people wanted it to be but that doesn't necessarily mean it's a bad car or that it should just be written off. You guys know me, I'm a fan of the Mopar brand, hemi powered and otherwise and I was sitting at work today and I thought about a weird kind of "What if" situation for the Daytona that might just be crazy enough to make sense.
Unfortunately for me, I'm one of the very few people who fell in love with this car the moment I saw it. I am not an EV person by nature but I love what Dodge has done with this car. My "What if" thought was, what if, the Charger Daytona became the first "Tuner" EV. Meaning, what if we as customers could actually hands on upgrade this car or get upgrades for this car, like real, actual performance upgrades. Stellantis talked about thing such as this "E-Rupt" system that would give the car the feeling of shifting gears along with a 3-speed gearbox but only talked about that for the 800-Volt car that may be a few years away (if the car even lasts that long). My thought would be to take the regular 400V cars, both Scat pack and R/T and give them this technology along with the semi-solid state batteries and see what that does for the car first. While this may or may not give the car any extra power, the solid state batteries are lighter and have the ability to give the car more range. Not only that but the 3-speed gearbox would also add to the range along with allowing for better use of power in both acceleration and deceleration. Which is something that this video make crystal clear. In a normal car, The automatic transmission is downshifting while a car is slowing down which assist the car in reducing speed. In an EV, especially one with the kind of weight the Charger has, trying to stop all of that speed and momentum is similar to trying to quickly stop a freight train at full speed. For what it's worth, those big Brembo brakes did a phenomenal job in scrubbing speed as the car danced around the cones and left the Mach E like it was standing still. The truth of the matter is the Daytona is a rushed and unfinished product. Not a bad product. There is a difference. At this trim level, the car doesn't need any more power in stock form it needs to be able to manage power better and be able to do the things an American performance car should be able to do, like burnouts!
I mentioned earlier about this being the first real electric tuner but obviously the customizations would be more geared towards chassis enhancements, suspension and brake mods along with styling, sound and power management. once things like the 3-speed gearbox and the new battery system comes into play. Basically just SRT pages that allow for the adjustment of torque delivery, shift points, suspension settings, etcetera, just like on an SRT car. The last major aspect I think should get some love is the Fratzonic exterior sound system. While Dodge did their best to make a unique sound for this car and it has some volume to it, the truth is, it could be louder. Borla has their active sound system for the Mach E but my thoughts go a little deeper than just that. Doesn't seem to far fetched to think that aftermarket companies could make an louder version of this with competition level subwoofers, better enclosures and even outlet ports that would actually be a complete diffuser replacement with more aggressive styling and even dual and quad outlet megaphones for a louder, deeper, clearer sound and even upgradable or replaceable speakers. I obviously can't view anything on this car like a regular ICE vehicle but I don't see this as a bad vehicle at all. If anything, the more I see videos like this and even some on different social media sites about what this car can and can't do, it makes me more interested in this vehicle. it's the imperfections that make it more interesting because of the fact that it shows me that there is room for upgrades and improvements. Granted the price definitely needs to drop significantly but the car itself has SOOO much promise in the EV realm. I guess time will tell

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I would have not had an issue at all with a Stratus, or Concorde, or Avenger that is BEV. That would have been the correct way to do this. Build a car that's just a really nice sedan, EV, and affordable to take Tesla on directly. That would have sold. That would have made sense. Just make a nice daily driver that's comfy, safe, BEV, reliable and $39,995. That's all you've got to do. Then they sell well and you have that feather in your portfolio for whatever political climate lies ahead.

Instead, what those morons did is they tried to mix oil and water. A muscle car without a big V8 is not a muscle car. An EV that's huge, heavy, expensive, and retro looking is not what those buyers are looking for. And Dodge took those two things and tried to blend them together in Frankenstein fashion. It was a horrible plan from the beginning, consumers tried like mad to warn them, and now sales bear it out. It's a disaster. And I don't feel sorry for them at all.

If they are smart, they'll cancel the "Daytona" EV completely and use parts of the powertrain in a new model that's aimed directly at the EV market. And then they'll sell the Charger ONLY with gasoline engines, both the I-6 and V8s. They need to get their vehicles back into a portfolio sorted into the correct folders.

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