I had a Durante R/T and the only thing that was different besides the interior and some badging was the wheel size and the R/T's had 4.10 gears. I had a 2000 Dakota with a 4.7 that would kick the R/T's ***.
I had a 2000 Dakota R/T that would kick the 4.7s butt. Your Dakota was quicker then the Durango R/T because the durango is a big heavy 4x4.
Some 4.7 5 speeds were close to an RT but those 5 speeds are truck tranny not performance 5 speeds.
Still, the RT came standard with a 5.9, but it was the same 5.9 you could order in other stuffm the only way to get the 5.9 in a regular or extended cab Dakota was with the RT package. The 4 door or the durango could get a 5.9 without the RT package.