All of the hoopla around the introduction of the 2014 SRT Viper TA at the New York International Auto Show had one downside – a great many people paid no attention to the brief comments by SRT boss Ralph Gilles about the future of the expected “Cuda”. It has long been rumored that the Chrysler Group is working on a variant of the Dodge Challenger that will be named the SRT Cuda (after the Plymouth Cuda of the 1970s) but there has never really been much company acknowledgement.
During a discussion that centered primarily around the new Chevrolet Camaro Z28, the alleged Cuda project was brought up to Ralph Gilles. He explained that the company has considered making a higher performance version of the Challenger but the Cuda needed to be more than just a rebadged Challenger with some extra power. Gilles went on to explain that the Cuda was a couple years out and that the platform on which the Cuda will ride is not yet ready.
Later in this same conversation, Gilles revealed that the next generation Dodge Challenger will debut at the 2014 New York Auto Show and it is widely expected that the new Challenger will ride on a new chassis platform. There is a chance that the next generation Challenger’s chassis platform is being developed with the Cuda in mind so that this new chassis can service two distinct vehicles that are closely related but uniquely their own. One would be the new Dodge Challenger and the other, the new SRT Cuda.
While there will likely be more rumors on the future of the Challenger and the Cuda over the next year, it will be almost eleven months before we get a good look at the next generation Challenger. However, once that new Challenger is revealed we could have a much better idea as to whether or not the SRT Cuda is realistic.
Vehicle shown is a 1971 Plymouth Cuda at the Woodward Dream Cruise
"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.
