Don’t mind the fact that the Plymouth Barracuda model us gearheads prefer over all others is a rare muscle car breed. Be it the 426 HEMI or 440 RB blunderbuss, the E-body platform isn’t rigid enough to handle the ferocity of a Dodge Viper-sourced 488 cu.in. (8-liter) V10 motor.
With a bottom line as-is price of $135,000 (€123,550), a one-off 1971 Plymouth Cuda with a modern heart is, even by restomod standards, a bit of a unicorn with all-American badasstitude. Currently lying in the inventory of RK Motors Charlotte, words are not merely enough to comprehend the fury hiding under that 1970s body.
After a series of dyno pulls, the owner is adamant that this bad boy right here channels 547 RWHP and 623 lb-ft (844 Nm) at the 18-inch rear wheels, wrapped in sticky Michelin Pilot Sport radial rubber. This savagery comes courtesy of the beating heart of a 1995 Dodge Viper, a heart that is kept in check by a Borg Warner 6-speed manual and a Dana 44 rear end with 3.55 gears.
The chassis, including the fully independent track-ready suspension system, is scavenged from the donor Viper as well. RK informs that this thundering machine is car number 3 of “Time Machine’s well-known Six Shooter Viper Cudas.” But wait, how can a 20-year-old engine produce so much grunt without any forced feeding? It’s simple - a Roe Racing supercharger is bolted on top of the humongous ten-cylinder motor for added potential.
Good thing the engineers behind this monster swapped the original super-skinny rear tires with 335/30-section performance rubber. As far as the interior is concerned, we’d drop that Sony Xplod audio system for obvious reasons - the bellow of the V10 lump, amplified by a centered stainless steel exhaust system. Air con and power steering are on the menu as well, to make this Cuda a breeze to drive on Sunset Boulevard.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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