It’s an easy realization that the 80’s and early 90’s weren’t exactly known for high performance cars straight from the factory. Just one look at this 1992 Dodge Daytona Iroc we spotted on eBay, and you’ll see what I mean almost instantly. Body lines that read more like a grocery getter with a mean streak became the norm for the Daytona, replacing the “coke bottle” shape of yesterday.

Under the hood is an even more saddening story. Our eBay example has a Mitsubishi power plant, topping out at 195 horsepower at 5000 RPM, and torque peaking at 205 lbs-ft at 4000 RPM.  In today’s standards, you’d get wiped all over the floor by a current generation Charger.

Back when this little machine was made though, it was a different story.  The majority of the 70’s, 80’s, and even 90’s saw massively detuned engines, higher gear ratios, and less aggressive styling from all the American makes. If you wanted affordable performance, you’d be hard pressed in doing so. The Dodge Daytona of ’92 isn’t what I’d call a bright spot for the company, but it is something of a gem when you think about it.

The 2.2 Turbo III available at the time delivered 224 horsepower, and the highest output engine was a Lamborghini designed 3.5 liter that made 255 horsepower at a high-revving 7000 RPM. Available transmissions was either a 3 or 4-speed automatic, or 5-manual transmission.  Also bear in mind that these cars only weighed a tad less than 3000 lbs, making them a contender if you had the opportunity to order the highest output engine.

The Daytona we found on eBay is currently available for $1995–what you might consider a steal. Judging by the pictures and the seller’s description it will need a little work, but it’s a solid car and there’s nothing mechanically wrong with the car, so it could definitely make for a nice daily driver.

It’s got the bucket seats, 4-speed automatic floor shift, power door locks, and disc brakes all around. While it’s nowhere close to being a muscle car, it’s still a quick and useful car for less than $2000.