Chrysler’s Street and Racing Technology (SRT) now stands alone as its own brand, and the division is hungry for new models to peddle. The first of those is the 2013 Viper, but our colleagues at Motor Trend report that SRT already is mulling adding two more models to the mix.
The two new vehicles will be SRT-specific models, just like the 2013 Viper. That means they have no non-performance counterparts, unlike the existing SRT versions of Chrysler vehicles (Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8, Dodge Charger SRT8, Chrysler 300C SRT8, and Dodge Challenger 392 SRT8).
The first model that MT promises is a muscle car called the SRT Barracuda. Based on an interview with Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne, we reported on the arrival of this car in the July 2012 issue of Automobile Magazine.The Barracuda name has plenty of history as a Plymouth muscle car, but Chrysler Group won’t try to resurrect the erstwhile brand.
The Barracuda will debut in 2015, just as the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro are redesigned. The Dodge Challenger may live on until 2017, but the Barracuda is designed to replace the Challenger, and provide more competition to the popular Chevy and Ford pony cars. MT reports that the rear-drive Barracuda will be based on a new platform called LA, which is a smaller version of the chassis used for the current Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300. The Challenger, meanwhile, will most likely soldier on unchanged.