Recent reports say that the SRT Barracuda will co-exist with the current Dodge Challenger, and now further evidence supports this belief as the 2015 SRT Barracuda will be built on an entirely new platform.
Given the size and weight of the Dodge Challenger, Chrysler has decided to develop the new Barracuda on a smaller platform in order to make it more of a global model. Thanks to its relationship with Fiat, the American automaker wants to export its current Challenger model, but views its size as a barrier to do so. Combine that with the growing awareness of fuel economy as a main purchasing factor in other markets, and a shorter, lighter Barracuda makes sense.
The 2015 SRT Barracuda is now expected to be similar in size to the current Ford Mustang, losing more than six inches compared to the current Challenger’s wheelbase. Overall length will be close to eight inches shorter, while the rear track and overall width should be shrinking a tad more than 2 inches. This also means that the Barracuda will be almost 300 lbs lighter than the Challenger, which means throwing in a four-cylinder would actually be viable.
If the weight savings are significant enough, we might be seeing the new 2.4-liter Tigershark inline-four under the hood with a form of forced induction to make it fitting for the SRT name.
[Source: Car and Driver]