There have long been rumors that, at some point in the
future, the Dodge Challenger would be discontinued as the Chrysler Group
reincarnated the Barracuda name.New information
has been offered up to suggest that the Dodge Challenger will continue on
alongside the SRT Barracuda but the Challenger will likely go on without the
SRT variant.
According to the Automotive News, the SRT Barracuda will be
introduced in 2014 with a new supercharged 6.2L V8 (no mention of that engine
being a Hemi but I expect that it will be) in an effort to compete with the Chevrolet
Camaro ZL1 and the Ford Shelby GT500 Mustang. The Chrysler Group already has an advanced adjustable suspension system
at work in a variety of SRT vehicles and when you combine that with a
lightweight version of the Challenger chassis and a high horsepower blown V8 –
the SRT Barracuda could help the Chrysler Group compete in the budding super
muscle car segment.
Early rumors suggested that the Barracuda would replace the
Challenger but the Dodge muscle car is expected to receive a redesign for the 2015
model year.If the reports about the SRT
Barracuda prove to be true, there may not be an SRT variant of the
Challenger.However, we can expect that
there will be a base V6 and a Hemi-powered R/T that will compete with the
Camaro V6/SS and the Mustang V6/GT.To
do that, the V6 will need a bump in horsepower to at least the 323hp offered by
the base Camaro and the Hemi V8 will need somewhere in the ballpark of 425hp to
keep up with the Camaro SS (426hp) and the Mustang GT (420hp).Provided that the Chrysler Group can chop
some weight out of the next generation Challenger – the extra horsepower and
new chassis could make the Challenger lineup a far more formidable opponent in
the horsepower war.
The prospect of a new Barracuda is awesome but it won’t be
cheap.If it is intended to compete with
the Camaro ZL1 and the Shelby GT500, we can expect that it will carry a $60
price tag just like those other two super muscle cars.This expected high price will also sit better
with the SRT brand than the Dodge brand – serving as an entry level model for
the SRT lineup rather than a premium option for the Dodge brand.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
