The Chrysler Laser was an upmarket version of the Dodge Daytona, sold from 1984 until the middle of 1986. A front-wheel-drive hatchback on the G platform derived from the K platform, it offered naturally aspirated and turbocharged 2.2-litre engines and was replaced by the luxury-oriented Daytona Pacifica.
Chrysler Laser at a glance
| Production | 1984 to mid-1986 |
|---|---|
| Based on | Dodge Daytona |
| Platform | Chrysler G, derived from the K platform |
| Layout | front engine, front-wheel drive hatchback |
| Engine | 2.2 L Chrysler K four |
| Power | 93 hp naturally aspirated; 142 hp turbo, 146 hp from 1985 |
| Transmission | manual or automatic |
| Daytona 1984 production | 49,347 cars |
| Optional feature | Chrysler electronic voice alert to 1987 |
| Replaced by | Daytona Pacifica trim, 1987 |
The Chrysler Laser is described within the English Wikipedia article on the Dodge Daytona, which is the only source used here; no free photograph of a Laser was available, so the picture shows the Dodge Daytona it was based on.
History of the Chrysler Laser
A Daytona in a dinner jacket
The Chrysler Laser was the upscale rebadged version of the Dodge Daytona, which Chrysler built from 1984 to 1993. The Daytona was a front-wheel-drive hatchback based on the Chrysler G platform, itself derived from the K platform, and it replaced the Mitsubishi Galant-based Challenger, sitting between the Charger and the Conquest in the Dodge range. The Laser gave Chrysler dealers a more luxurious version of the same car.
Engines and equipment
The Daytona started with the 2.2-litre Chrysler K engine in naturally aspirated and turbocharged form, producing 93 and 142 hp. A 2.5-litre K engine with 100 hp joined for 1986, and in 1985 the 2.2 Turbo was raised to 146 hp with a new shift linkage. The 1984 Daytona came in standard, Turbo and Turbo Z trims, and the Daytona Turbo made Car and Driver’s 10Best list for 1984. Both the Daytona and the Chrysler Laser could be ordered with Chrysler’s electronic voice alert system through 1987, a novelty that spoke warnings to the driver.
The end of the Laser
The Laser was dropped in mid-year 1986. For 1987 the Daytona was restyled with pop-up headlights, and a more luxury-oriented Pacifica trim line was added to replace the Laser. The same year brought the Shelby Z with the intercooled Turbo II engine, 174 hp, a heavy-duty A555 transaxle with Getrag gears and four-wheel disc brakes; in Europe that version was sold as the Chrysler GS Turbo II. A Lamborghini-engined, all-wheel-drive Daytona prototype called the Decepzione was built after Chrysler bought Lamborghini, but it was abandoned because the V8’s sump left only 1.5 inches of ground clearance.
Design and features
- Upscale Daytona: the same body and chassis with a more luxurious specification.
- 2.2 turbo: 142 hp at launch, 146 hp from 1985.
- Electronic voice alert: Chrysler’s talking warning system, offered to 1987.
- G platform: a K-platform derivative with front-wheel drive.
- Choice of gearboxes: manual or automatic transmission.
Chrysler Laser versions
- Laser (1984–1986): the Chrysler-badged Daytona in naturally aspirated and turbo forms.
- Daytona Turbo Z: the equivalent Dodge with Mark Cross leather in its first year.
- Daytona Pacifica (1987): the luxury trim that took over the Laser’s role.
The Laser was replaced in the luxury role by the LeBaron coupé and convertible, and it shared its market with the Conquest. More cars are in the Chrysler collection.
Video: Chrysler Laser XE 1985 commercial
Video by m35a2 on YouTube.
Sources
- Dodge Daytona, English Wikipedia: engines, trims, Laser version, successors
- Dodge Daytona, Wikimedia Commons: photographs
