[Allpar News System]

The much-rumored 6.2 Hemi will be pushed back until next year, debuting in the 2015 SRT Challenger when it debuts on its new “LA” platform, according to reliable source oh20. The platform change from Challenger’s current LC setup was spurred by the availability of the eight-speed automatic, which reportedly won’t fit into Challenger as it stands. The Challenger continues to use the Mercedes-design WA580 transmission. Ralph Gilles said that the 2015 Challenger will debut in March 2014, at the LX Club’s Springfest in California. It will then meet the mainstream media in New York City in April 2014, at which point all the official statistics will likely be unveiled.  Production is not slated until July 2014, and given the status of many recent projects, may be delayed until August or September 2014. Even after production starts, availability will be limited for months. In addition, Mr. Gilles reported that Barracuda..

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[MoparNorm]

So...is this the rumored "Barracuda"?
Did, as many suspected, the Barracuda name become the project name and NOT the car name, or is the rumored Barracuda car with the 6.2 still out there?

 

[Dave Z]

Prior story by bill C noted that Barracuda was mentioned as coming a couple of years after the new Challenger.

 

[Muther]

Very Nice, do we know anything else about the next gen Challenger?

Do we know anything about the Z/28 fighter (aka Challenger T/A)?.

 

[MoparNorm]

Prior story by bill C noted that Barracuda was mentioned as coming a couple of years after the new Challenger.

Yes, however, when first rumored, Barracuda was a replacement car for Challenger with, as Chrysler and insiders both noted, a 6.2 Supercharged Hemi.
Now Barracuda appears to be simply a "code name" for the new engine and lighter, smaller Challenger, with any possible Barracuda car coming in 2 years as an SRT only model?
Just saying, those claiming Challenger was being replaced, seems to have been premature.

 

[james.mooney.]

Ralph Gilles in the Motor Trend interview at the NY Auto Show, when asked about the Z/28, at about the 13:45 mark:

“Oh, man! You know what? It’s something. We did a concept ACR of the Challenger, and my owners, you know, the Moparians I call them, within seconds, emails, “Ralph, when are you going to do your version of that?” So, you know, we’re aware of that, and there’s people inside the company that think the same way. The Challenger is about to go under the knife. It’s actually under the knife as we speak. We’re doing to a lot to it, and, uh, we’re going to come with an answer for that and an answer for our friends at Ford. So, um, there’s a point where, we didn’t know what we were going to do with the Challenger. There’s talk about ‘Cuda, a lot of talk about ‘Cuda, and I’ll tell you guys out there, the ‘Cuda is not happening any time soon. Um, it’s a rumor that kind of went out of control. We looked at it, to be honest with you, we looked at the ‘Cuda. We said, if we did it, it wouldn’t be right to just do a re-bodied Challenger. It has to be something intrinsically new, so. The platform that that would come from is not ready yet. So it’s going to be sev-, a couple years out. In the meantime, we said let’s take that investment and re-invest in our baby, the Challenger. So we’re going to make what is a great car, an outstanding car. So stay tuned. This space, this time next year, you’ll see exactly what I’m talking about.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-ItYO0LoMU&feature=youtu.be

^Is this the source of the Barracuda rumors, or are they sourced from other statements by Mr. Gilles regarding this car?^

He said "'Cuda," not "Barracuda." Yes, he could just be using the nickname and might have meant "Barracuda."

He said "a couple years," and seemed to stumble over the words, as though he started to say "several," but then corrected himself (that's what it sounded like to me, anyway). Are we taking "couple" literally and interpreting it as "two"?

"...the 'Cuda is not happening any time soon."

2016 is three years from now, not two.

Isn't LA an architecture, like LC, and not a platform?

 

[dakrt99]

Very Nice, do we know anything else about the next gen Challenger?

Do we know anything about the Z/28 fighter (aka Challenger T/A)?.

We do know it will probably come with the 8.4" screen, 7" TFT, other electronic goodies, 8SPD, probably an updated 5.7, maybe DI 3.6 and maybe an updated 6.4. Personally, I think it is going to rock. Just a feeling.

 

[MoparNorm]

Isn't LA an architecture, like LC, and not a platform?

L is the platform, A, C and H, is the model on that platform. Architecture, is the chassis parts that distinguish the models.

 

[Dave Z]

Model years vs production years ... always the mixups. There is a new SRT slated for 2016 (model year) and the LX cars are being redone in 2015 (model year), I believe. I could be wrong about the latter but I'm sure about the former.

That explains some of our confusion.

 

[james.mooney.]

Model years vs production years ... always the mixups. There is a new SRT slated for 2016 (model year) and the LX cars are being redone in 2015 (model year), I believe. I could be wrong about the latter but I'm sure about the former.

That explains some of our confusion.

In the FIve Year Plan, the years are SoP (Start of Production). '13 Dart, '13 Viper, and '13 1500 are all listed under 2012. What appear to be the 300, Charger, and Challenger refreshes are scheduled to start production in 2014, and the "Mystery SRT" (which I still think is the next-gen Grand Cherokee) is scheduled to start production in 2016. It's possible that the new SRT will be introduced for the '16 model year if it begins production in Q1 or Q2 (otherwise, it would likely be a '17), but the plan has it starting production in '16.

L is the platform, A, C and H, is the model on that platform. Architecture, is the chassis parts that distinguish the models.

So the LA Challenger will be a new model on the same platform as the LC Challenger it replaces as well as the LD Charger and LX 300, correct?

 

[MoparNorm]

So the LA Challenger will be a new model on the same platform as the LC Challenger it replaces as well as the LD Charger and LX 300, correct?

Yes.

 

[Muther]

The p[attern has been to intro the bread and butter cars at the NAIAS (Detroit), and for the performance models to be introduced at the NYIAS (New York). It's not hard and fast, ruleswise, but it has been generally what they are doing.

A good gues would be the 300/CHarger at the 2014 NAIAS, and the Challenger(s), at the 2014 NYIAS. Then in 2015. it'll be the Barracuda/'Cuda at NYAIS, and in 2015 NAIAS it'll be the pedestrian domestic version of the Barracuda/'Cuda. The new 200 is also going to debut, will that be in LA later this year, or Detroit early next.

To me it looks like the Chally will live on, and it will get a little brother, 'Cuda/Barracuda/cuda/playertobenamedlater.

 

[oh2o]

In the FIve Year Plan, the years are SoP (Start of Production). '13 Dart, '13 Viper, and '13 1500 are all listed under 2012. What appear to be the 300, Charger, and Challenger refreshes are scheduled to start production in 2014, and the "Mystery SRT" (which I still think is the next-gen Grand Cherokee) is scheduled to start production in 2016. It's possible that the new SRT will be introduced for the '16 model year if it begins production in Q1 or Q2 (otherwise, it would likely be a '17), but the plan has it starting production in '16.

Next gen Grand Cherokee is set for 2017 model year. Jeep SRT has always lagged by one model year (2005>2006; 2011>2012). If the trend continues, new Jeep SRT would be 2018 model year (definitely not 2016 model year, that's too early).

A good guess would be the 300/Charger at the 2014 NAIAS, and the Challenger(s), at the 2014 NYIAS....

Unlikely for the 2015 300/Charger to be unveiled at NAIAS Detroit/Chicago or NY, they are coming along later than the new Challenger.