Chrysler is said to be working on a third model to add to its new SRT brand, which launches late this year with the 2013 Viper. A new-age SRT Barracuda will be the nascent brand's second model.
Chrysler launched its Street & Racing Technology models in the last decade as performance versions of existing models, from the Dodge Neon SRT4 to the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 and Dodge Ram SRT10. The 2013 SRT Viper drops the Dodge moniker.
Last January, we broke news that a new pony-musclecar would join the SRT Viper in the lineup. The SRT Barracuda won't necessitate revival of the Plymouth brand and will eventually replace the Dodge Challenger. The SRT Barracuda should appear by the 2015 model year, same as for the next-generation Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro, while the Challenger may live on into the 2017 model year.
The Barracuda will be based on Chrysler's new LA rear-drive platform, which is downsized from the full-size LY platform (Chrysler 300/Dodge Charger), or the Challenger's previous-generation, LX RWD platform. Fiat also will use the LA platform to underpin several of its cars, most notably the replacement for the front-drive Alfa Romeo 159 and likely a successor to the larger, BMW 5 Series-size FWD Alfa 166 produced from 1998 to 2007.So what will SRT Number 3 be? Two possibilities are a successor to the Dodge Ram SRT10 and a small, two-seat sports car.
There are issues with either idea. Ford has had unexpected success with the F-150 SVT Raptor. A Ram-based SRT designed more for extreme off-roading is a good prospect. However, the Raptor does fall under the Ford F-150 brand, and it's hard to imagine Ram splitting off a separate truck model.
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