The Dodge Challenger is common in the local US market. It lives in the same name and glory of many other muscle cars. Chrysler and Fiat have now decided to reincarnate the Barracuda in 2015 as a replacement of the current Challenger range. Reports say that it will join the SRT range. It will be much smaller than its predecessor.
The current Challenger is based on Chrysler’s LX platform, which is derived from the W210 E-class Mercedes (1996-2002) with much of its components first appearing in the 1982 W201 (190E) era. The Barracuda is expected to be more than eight inches shorter than the Challenger and will have a wheelbase reduced by six inches, just like the Ford Mustang. It will shed off 160kg over the current Challenger.
The Barracuda will likely get three engine options; a 2.4 liter inline-four force-fed Tigershark, a direct-injected version of the Pentastar V6 3.6 liter and a direct-injected HEMI V8 topped with some extra power. The multi-link layout for the suspension may be retained, but with a different geometry.
The main quesion is if the Barracuda will return strong enough to beat the Mustang like it did back in the 60′s and if it is able to compete with the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and the Ford Shelby GT500 Mustang.
