RETURN OF THE 'CUDA?

Dodge has the Dodge Challenger. Ford has the Mustang, Chevrolet has the Camaro, and Plymouth (who?) had the 'Cuda. What's a 'Cuda, you ask? It's shorthand for Plymouth Barracuda. Still, what is a Barracuda, and why does it matter? Read on for more!

ANCIENT HISTORY

Way back when, there was a car company called Plymouth. They built a sporty Pony-car type vehicle that was based on the 1964 Plymouth Valiant. This first-generation Barracuda was a fastback coupe with wraparound rear glass that was distinctive in design but not performance. It was available from 1964 to 1966.

Generation two of the Barracuda was introduced in 1967 and ran until 1969. Once again, it was based on the Plymouth Valiant but was heavily redesigned to reflect changing times. In addition to the fastback, the lineup grew to include a hardtop coupe and convertible version.

From 1970 to 1974, generation three of the Barracuda was based on Chrysler's E-body platform which also supported the 1970-1974 Dodge Challenger. Essentially the same car as the Barracuda, with slightly different grilles and other features, the Gen-3 car is the basic design inspiration for today's Dodge Challenger and its Hellcat, Demon, and R/T variations that we are familiar with today. It was back then that Chrysler started putting a HEMI engine under the hood of this car leading it to drag racing glory for years to come.

FAST FORWARD TO TODAY

The Plymouth Barracuda and its more powerful 'Cuda versions are long gone, killed when the Plymouth division ended its production in 1974. Chrysler further drove a stake into the corpse by offing the Plymouth brand entirely in 2001.

Reintroduced in 2008, the new and current Dodge Challenger was based on Chrysler's 300 and Mercedes-Benz E-Class

Recently, online reports have speculated that Chrysler's Connor Avenue Assembly Plant, the plant responsible for the Dodge Viper, was being prepared for something new. Those reports are claiming the plant is being retooled for production of a "specialty" vehicle with "legendary roots." The reports go on to suggest that the plant is building an assembly line responsible for a new Dodge or Chrysler SRT 'Cuda.

POWER? WHAT POWER

Speculation on such a vehicle states that it will be a smaller production run than the Challenger but it will share some of the Dodge's architecture. Power could be from an already tough 6.2- or 6.4-liter supercharged HEMI engine with updated gearing that could produce 800+ horsepower. It could be the fastest Barracuda ever, based on the power found in the current Dodge Demon and Hellcat Redeye.

The reports go on to claim that chassis engineers are trying to create various suspension setups including magnetic dampening, as seen in a Ferrari and other high-performance vehicles.

And just how much will it cost? That's a damn good question. Wild speculation tags the base MSRP in the neighborhood of $28,700 for a 3.6-liter equipped V6 engine. A performance version could hit the market, based on Challenger pricing, in the neighborhood of $70,000.

We have reached out to the "Mothership" at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) for comment. As of publication time, we have not received a response.