Modern Challenger SRT Hellcat recognizes as ’71 cuda

Custom bodywork is made entirely of carbon fiber and rides on the basis of Hellcat

If the idea of ​​a Plymouth Barracuda sounds like the ride you dreamt of during the performance and handling of a modern muscle car, this creation may just be your choice. This is a new era Dodge Challenger Hellcat, transformed into the 1971 Cuda and will cross the Indy auction in Mecum this May.

The building begins with the life of Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat in 2022, but that’s the end of the similarities. The entire body has been redesigned to embrace the aggressive, nostalgic nature of the early 1970s classic, third-generation Plymouth Barracuda, the line itself shares its platform with the challengers of that era.

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The body is made of pretreated fibers and has a grille produced by CNC on the front. The Challenger extended four-wheel LED headlights from the Challenger, but the taillights have been reshaped to match the ’71 Cuda’s taillights.

The reverse restomod is finished in a custom pink metallic tone with clear carbon trim on the hood and rear fenders. It rolls on black three-piece alloy wheels and comes with pink brake calipers that exudes color.

Photo: Mecum

Indoor movement, pink stitching and trim in the cabin matches the exterior colors, which contrasts sharply with the black leather interior. Carbon fiber trim, starry headlines and Alcantara plugged in the lower dashboard, center console and door card with a sporty interior vibe.

Still very strong

Under the hood, there are Hellcats. The muscle car retains the supercharged 6.2-liter V8 engine, offering 707 hp (527 kW/717 PS) in stock form. While there is no mention of performance upgrades, it does have a custom exhaust with a double tail tube installed in the middle. The car is only 55 miles (89 km) on the odometer and is basically brand new.

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According to the list, the transformation reportedly took more than 3,000 hours of work and was the fourth of 10 points. Although Mecum doesn’t mention the builder, CUDA appears to be the creation of six twelve automatic Vaux.

Interestingly, although this custom muscle car failed to be sold at the 2025 auction of Mecum Kissimmee in January, despite the bids up to $275,000. Sellers are now looking to get better results at the Indy auction in May. In the context, the purple CUDA-style challenger from the same builder sold for $310,000 at the Mecum Kissimmee 2024 auction, although it is based on the Hellcat Redeye, not the standard Hellcat.

In addition to the Cuda creations of six twelve cars, another company called Modern Classix also converts challengers into Cuda LookAlikes with different body kits. One of their buildings was sold on Mecum Indy 2024 for $160,000.