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Old vs. New: 2014 SRT Viper takes on upgraded 16-year-old Dodge Viper

It's easy to play the "Would you rather have a New X or an Old Y with a bunch of upgrades?" game more often than we care to admit, but the crew at Car and Driver have taken bench racing to the next level with their latest video. In it, the magazine pits a brand-new 2014 SRT Viper against a highly modified 1997 Dodge Viper GTS. There are 16 years between the time this particular GTS rolled off the production line and when the new car bowed, but that doesn't mean the old snake's owners have been sitting on their hands.
Thanks to a spate of modifications, the GTS offers up a better power to weight ratio than the new machine, but is that enough to overcome the technological leap forward represented by the 2014 Viper? We won't spoil it for you. You'll just have to check out the full clip below for yourself.

Barracuda's Dodge branding no biggie, but what about engines?

Rumors about a revival of the Barracuda nameplate have been circulating for years now, though which brand it might fall under has been a bit of a mystery. Initial speculation had the car labeled an SRT product, but that acronym has since returned to its former role as a sub-brand for top-performance Mopars. Thanks to leaks from a recent FCA dealership event, we know the Barracuda is back on the table but will be sold under the Dodge umbrella, a move that has been generating a bit of ire from Pentastar fanatics, as the car was originally part of the defunct Plymouth brand. Given what's known about the new model, however, the badge is the least of my concerns about the new car. Let's start with the re-branding itself. This isn't the first time Chrysler has shuffled models around to different brands. The current-generation Viper spent two years as the flagship model under the SRT banner, only to return to Dodge for 2015 when SRT resumed its former role as a sub-brand. Years ago, the Neon was sold as a Plymouth, a Dodge, and a Chrysler model, depending on where you shopped for one. When Plymouth ceased to exist, the last few years of Prowler production got Chrysler badges instead. Then there's the new Jeep Renegade, a model whose name was born out of a trim level. The Barracuda might not turn out to be a muscle car in the way we currently define them. Further examples of naming liberties taken throughout automotive history could fill a book, but suffice it to say that these days a model's name has very little to do with the vehicle itself or any legacy it might have. The Barracuda name might be a particularly sacred cow with enthusiasts, but to me, a much bigger concern is the fact that the car might not turn out to be a muscle car in the way we currently define them. News from the Fiat Chrysler dealer briefing earlier this week indicates that when the next Charger debuts it will share its platform with the Barracuda, much the way the Charger and Challenger are twinned now. One difference is that the Barracuda is tipped to be offered as a convertible, while the modern Challenger is tintop-only. The Charger and Barracuda will use the rear-drive platform developed for Alfa Romeo's new Giulia, itself designed as a BMW M3 fighter both from a dimensional and dynamic standpoint; the Barracuda is expected to be slightly smaller than the current Challenger.

Hennessey's Dodge Challenger Hellcat cranks out 1,032 hp

Enthusiasts know the Dodge Challenger Hellcat produces 707 horsepower. It's one of the modern muscle-car era's iconic numbers. But for some, that's not enough. Enter Hennessey Performance. The Texas tuners loaded the Hellcat with a twin-turbocharger that works with Dodge's supercharger to boost output to 1,032 hp and 987 pound-feet of torque. Yes, that's an engine dyno rating, not at the rear wheels, but still! It's a little more complicated than a bolt-on booster. Called the HPE1000, the turbo kit has stainless steel headers and down pipes, billet aluminum compressor wheels, and a high-flow air system. There's also an an improved fuel pump, and the engine and chassis are specially calibrated. You also get numbered plaques signed by John Hennessey himself and the engine tech who builds your mill. All of this helps get your Hellcat to 60 miles per hour in 2.7 seconds, and it can do the quarter mile in 9.9 seconds at 142 mph. The Hellcat and it's 6.2-liter blown Hemi V8 are not for the faint of heart. Hennessey makes this Dodge downright demonic. Related Video: Related Gallery 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat View 23 Photos Image Credit: Hennessey Performance Dodge Coupe Performance