Barracuda....Back from the dead

[SfanGoch]

As a Dodge convertible only model. Not liking this look at all.

[Jon Haigwood]

Not really liking it

[sjordan2]

I always thought that '99 Charger at the top was a terrific design and should have been used rather than the rolling brick that the Charger became. Still looks great to me after 16 years. But is it an heir to the original Cuda? No. 

[Draggon]

I'd rather have the Alfa its based off of. 

Edited August 27, 2015 by Draggon

[SfanGoch]

I've never been a fan of the aerodynamic "jellybean with wheels" design. There are no individual styling characteristics anymore. Almost everything on the road today looks like a slightly modified version of the car next to it. Either a bulky, rolling toaster with a sunroof or a Silly Putty egg with four doors and a sunroof. I blame Ford coming out with the Sierra XR4, initiating the "Bulgemobile" look, and killing off creative automotive design. This 'Cuda is just another example. 

[Joe Handley]

I've read elsewhere that the '99 Concept Charger will be the basis for the next generation Charger, that there will be a GLH badged Dart, and a Hellcat powered Grand Cherokee, supposedly even a plug in hybrid Minivan!

[StevenGuthmiller]

I've never been a fan of the aerodynamic "jellybean with wheels" design. There are no individual styling characteristics anymore. Almost everything on the road today looks like a slightly modified version of the car next to it. Either a bulky, rolling toaster with a sunroof or a Silly Putty egg with four doors and a sunroof. I blame Ford coming out with the Sierra XR4, initiating the "Bulgemobile" look, and killing off creative automotive design. This 'Cuda is just another example. 

I agree whole heartedly!

If it wasn't for the "retro" craze over the past decade, there wouldn't be a car on the road worth looking at.

& I have little love for those retro wannabe's either.

 

Steve

[sjordan2]

I'll risk flaying by the wetblanketeers to suggest that the current Challenger Hellcat , or SRT Hemi, is the most obvious successor to the Barracuda/Cuda.

Edited August 27, 2015 by sjordan2

[MrObsessive]

As the owner of a current gen Challenger, this is great news! I love my car, but it'll be good to see FCA carry on the tradition of the pony car with a more modern chassis. I've read from other sources that the 'Cuda will be available in coupe AND convertible styles. This would be more in keeping in competition with the Camaro and Mustang. Unfortunately, with the switch to Alfa's chassis (this includes the Charger), that may spell the end of the Hemi.
 

FCA wants to fit their future super high performance models with a twin turbo V6. I'm all for this if the cars are indeed lighter and a bit smaller than their current incarnations.

BTW, the car pictured on the site ('99 Charger show car) is said to heavily influence the next Charger. I say HOORAY as that what's the Charger should have been in the first place! The current Charger looks worlds better than the last version, and I can't help but wonder if the current car WAS supposed to debut back in '06 before Daimler stepped in and changed things. 

[Krazy Rick]

I've never been a fan of the aerodynamic "jellybean with wheels" design. There are no individual styling characteristics anymore. Almost everything on the road today looks like a slightly modified version of the car next to it. Either a bulky, rolling toaster with a sunroof or a Silly Putty egg with four doors and a sunroof. I blame Ford coming out with the Sierra XR4, initiating the "Bulgemobile" look, and killing off creative automotive design. This 'Cuda is just another example. 

I couldn't agree more, the only "taste" left now, is bad taste; I truly hate any & all of this new gunk .   

[SfanGoch]

Bill, I read an article last week in which indicated that 2019 will be the last year of the Hemi V8 and the Hellcat will be killed off in 2018. Sure, you can get the same horses out of a V4 or V6; it just ain't the same. It's like a juiced up squirrel on a treadmill making sounds like a Cox .049 engine instead of a predatory big cat on the loose roaring to let one know he's in the neighborhood. 

[AC Norton]

.............that's back from the dead,,,,,,should have stayed dead......awful, just awful.....the ace....

[uncle potts]

I agree that mot of whats out there today isn't worth looking at, and many of the "retro look" designs fall short of true design. But if they are going to stick a classic name such as the Barracuda on a "retro" design, at least base it on the '68-'69 models. What they plan on doing is just one more ugly glob they say is based on a clssic design. I've personally had enough of it.

[SfanGoch]

.............that's back from the dead,,,,,,should have stayed dead......awful, just awful.....the ace....

Good point. Where's Diver Dan when you need him?

 

[Jon Haigwood]

Best thing they could do would be to put a fish and a Barracuda emblem on a Challenger (and maybe a BIG back window)

And they could put  Roadrunner badgeing on a Dart

Edited August 27, 2015 by Jon Haigwood

[SfanGoch]

I agree that mot of whats out there today isn't worth looking at, and many of the "retro look" designs fall short of true design. But if they are going to stick a classic name such as the Barracuda on a "retro" design, at least base it on the '68-'69 models. What they plan on doing is just one more ugly glob they say is based on a clssic design. I've personally had enough of it.

This is part of the "a quirky new take on the classic ____________(fill in your own choice)" strategy which is targeted toward parentally subsidized, Smith Bros. neckbearded, toilet plunger physiqued, pipe cleaner limbed, nasally-helium-infused-kazoo-voiced, ski-caps-and-scarves-in-the-summer-skinny-chick-jeans-Dinty Moore-lumberjack-shirt wearing, celebrating-their-seventh-anniversary-as-first-semester-NYU freshmen-majoring-in-Etruscan-cat-poetry Like, Yahstafarians, aka "Millennials" looking to upgrade from that vintage (read "used and hand painted") 1954 Schwinn Phantom fixie that cost almost as much as a fully loaded Hellcat.

Edited August 27, 2015 by SfanGoch

[SfanGoch]

Best thing they could do would be to put a fish and a Barracuda emblem on a Challenger (and maybe a BIG back window)

And they could put  Roadrunner badgeing on a Dart

The former is doable. FCA might not be willing to pay Warner Bros. licensing fees for the latter. Sure miss that "Meep-Meep!" horn.

[AC Norton]

Good point. Where's Diver Dan when you need him?

 

....lets face it, Chrysler has been milking all the old  performance era names, decals, what ever  ,,,,for years now....everything is a hemi this, R/T that, super bee the other,,,bla bla bla.....it was novel at first, back in 2006 -7....but they have beat this to death, and it really doesn't fly anymore. frankly, I figured they would employ the cuda nameplate long before now, road runner and GTX too....its laughable in my opinion.  all those nameplates and cars have a very historical meaning, but all this new stuff, if you think about it....have been on the market far longer than any of the vintage cars ever were......just my opinion.......the ace.....

[SfanGoch]

Hopefully, FCA won't start using those ridiculous alphanumeric designations, which look like password codes, that every blasted auto manufacturer has adopted to replace real model names. Oh, quit the overused and annoying monochromatic model lineup in TV ads. The Deutsche Neue Welle look is sooooooooo 1980s. 

Edited August 27, 2015 by SfanGoch

[Jon Haigwood]

....lets face it, Chrysler has been milking all the old  performance era names, decals, what ever  ,,,,for years now....everything is a hemi this, R/T that, super bee the other,,,bla bla bla.....it was novel at first, back in 2006 -7....but they have beat this to death, and it really doesn't fly anymore. frankly, I figured they would employ the cuda nameplate long before now, road runner and GTX too....its laughable in my opinion.  all those nameplates and cars have a very historical meaning, but all this new stuff, if you think about it....have been on the market far longer than any of the vintage cars ever were......just my opinion.......the ace.....

Did that start with the Shelby Dodge Charger in 83 ?

 

[jbwelda]

IMO the USA became a wasteland of automotive design in the 70s and has never recovered. all the interesting designs are from Europe and Asia, whether anyone likes that or not. its been strictly a game of catch up but don't really try too hard to catch up on the part of America, very very few, and generally unsuccessful ones at that, vehicles have been exceptions. I cannot think of any right offhand, certainly none of those "nostalgia" designs, some of which might have been a bit better had they dared to put something approaching a performance engine in them.

 

jb

 

 

[AC Norton]

Did that start with the Shelby Dodge Charger in 83 ?

 

gee, I forgot about all those 80s era jokes....tried hard to forget that time in automotive history....the ace....

[mustang1989]

Looks like something that got left in the commode and needs to be flushed.

Good grief!!

Edited August 28, 2015 by mustang1989

[Mark]

This fish needs to be thrown back...

[unclescott58]

As a Dodge convertible only model. Not liking this look at all.

when I click on that link, I'm not seeing a picture of the Barracuda. They talk about it. But, I'm not seeing anywhere with that article.