It is no secret that the current generation Dodge Challenger is a bit of a dinosaur. The Challenger is based on a Mercedes E-Class that is over a decade old, and clearly the competition is way ahead when it comes to sophistication. Rumors have been circulating about the next generation Challenger, which will likely be unveiled sometime in 2019. This new car is rumored to share a platform with the Alfa Romeo Giulia and continue to offer V6 and V8 engines. The Alfa-underpinnings are far from the only rumors, though.

The top-of-the-line Hellcat model should make a return, despite earlier reports regarding its demise, this time with around 750 horsepower. Another rumor is a convertible version. The modern Challenger has not offered a convertible, which would make a refreshed Challenger convertible the first one in decades. The convertible could be named the Barracuda and wear different sheet metal than the Challenger. We have been hearing about the revival of the '\Cuda name for a while now, so we will believe this news when it starts to materialize closer to the car's actual unveiling. All we know is, the Alfa Romeo platform would help the Challenger lose a ton of weight which should help it be more competitive against other pony cars.

Automobile Magazine has speculated that the next generation Hellcat and the Convertible Barracuda will be unveiled in 2019. We love the current Challenger, but it clearly has a lot of limitations. The car's hefty weight keeps it from being a nimble competitor for the newest Mustang and Camaro which have both garnered comparisons to the best models from Europe, such as the BMW M4. We think that an updated Challenger is key to Dodge's success in the future. The current lineup is pretty unique, but doesn't seem future-proof as other companies continue to downsize and improve efficiency.