The Legendary ‘Cuda Muscle Car Is Coming Back, And 2020 Can’t Come Fast Enough
HELL yeah.
The experts in all things Mopar at FCAuthority.com report that Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has filed for a trademark on the ‘Cuda muscle car name, with the expectation that a new ‘Cuda will go into production in 2020.
The ‘Cuda was the hip abbreviation of the later-model Plymouth Barracuda, a compact sporty car launched in 1964, shortly before the debut of Ford’s Mustang. The Barracuda’s ungainly lines prevented it attracting the following the Mustang did, which is why sporty compact cars are called “pony cars” today and not “fish cars.” Fortunately.
Chrysler has maintained its rights to the names “Barracuda” and “Cuda,” so the recent Patent and Trademark Office renewal is routine. But FCAuthority says that the anticipated migration from today’s Mercedes-Benz E-Class-derived Challenger platform to a replacement model using the same chassis as the Alfa Romeo Giulia.
At the time of this changeover, the company is expected to dust off the Barracuda name for use on the new model, to distinguish it as something new from the current Challenger.
The upside of this change is that the new cars will be much lighter than ones built on mid-’90s luxury sedans. The horrifying downside is that FCAuthority says that Chrysler will kill off the Hemi V8 engine in 2019, with the new Barracuda using turbocharged V6 and four-cylinder engines.
That not only means no more “That thang gotta Hemi innit?” V8s for regular Challengers (or Barracudas), but it also means the base engine for the Hellcat and Demon will no longer be available to create those outrageous halo models.
Considering the value of the V8 engine for Chrysler’s Ram truck line, let’s hope the company sees the need to keep that engine factory running.
h/t: The Drive
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