Photo: motorscloud.com
The Fiat Chrysler dealer meeting in Las Vegas had provided enough news for us to label it as an auto show. And while this meeting doesn't allow media access, the latest news to come from it is delicious - the Barracuda is finally set to make a comeback.
We'll remind you the new-age Barracuda was initially supposed to land back in 2013 as an SRT vehicle. Now that SRT only serves Dodge, we'll get a... Dodge Barracuda. Moreover, this might only be offered in convertible form.
The open-top vehicle reportedly came onto the stage at the dealer meeting, confirming the rumors that were reignited earlier this summer, when Fiat Chrysler filed a trademark request for the Barracuda nameplate.
In order for Dodge to avoid canibalization, the Barracuda will be smaller than the Challenger.
We'll remind the younger part of the audience that the Golden Era Barracuda had grown to share its platform with the Challenger, so die-hard enthusiasts will regard this as sacrilege.
Then again, it's not like Dodge is pulling the four-door Charger move all over again. Yes, the new Barracuda will be smaller, but this also means it will be lighter.
As for the technical side of the story, Alfa Romeo is said to borrow the modular rear-wheel-drive architecture of the Giulia to Dodge. The Barracuda will obviously be one of the models that will benefit from this.
Nevertheless, the modern-day incarnation of the legend might not ever use Hemi power, at least not from the factory. As we've reported, SRT is rumored to kill both the naturally-aspirated 6.4-liter and the Hellcat V8 after 2019.
That is also the time when the Dodge Barracuda is expected to arrive.
In the quest to meet CAFE regulations, Dodge is expected to replace these with a twin-turbo V8, which is expected to deliver around 600 hp. Given the Alfa Romeo Giulia's 3-liter V6, which delivers 510 hp, this seems more than just a rumor.
And this is how we might end up in a world of muscle cars powered by Ferrari-developed engines...
The open-top vehicle reportedly came onto the stage at the dealer meeting, confirming the rumors that were reignited earlier this summer, when Fiat Chrysler filed a trademark request for the Barracuda nameplate.
In order for Dodge to avoid canibalization, the Barracuda will be smaller than the Challenger.
We'll remind the younger part of the audience that the Golden Era Barracuda had grown to share its platform with the Challenger, so die-hard enthusiasts will regard this as sacrilege.
Then again, it's not like Dodge is pulling the four-door Charger move all over again. Yes, the new Barracuda will be smaller, but this also means it will be lighter.
As for the technical side of the story, Alfa Romeo is said to borrow the modular rear-wheel-drive architecture of the Giulia to Dodge. The Barracuda will obviously be one of the models that will benefit from this.
Nevertheless, the modern-day incarnation of the legend might not ever use Hemi power, at least not from the factory. As we've reported, SRT is rumored to kill both the naturally-aspirated 6.4-liter and the Hellcat V8 after 2019.
That is also the time when the Dodge Barracuda is expected to arrive.
In the quest to meet CAFE regulations, Dodge is expected to replace these with a twin-turbo V8, which is expected to deliver around 600 hp. Given the Alfa Romeo Giulia's 3-liter V6, which delivers 510 hp, this seems more than just a rumor.
And this is how we might end up in a world of muscle cars powered by Ferrari-developed engines...
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