Ram Just Gave Its Pickup Truck Hellcat Power: Meet the 702-horsepower Ram TRX

The company previously known as Fiat Chrysler Automobiles continues to plop Hellcat engines left and right in a bid to grab headlines. The latest one to receive the supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI V8? The Ram 1500.

Transformed into the Ram 1500 TRX, it now becomes the apex predator (because its rival is the F-150 Raptor, get it?) of the pickup truck world. With the ubiquitous HEMI V8 shoved into the hood, it now makes 702 horsepower and 881 Nm of torque. The century mark arrives in about 4.5 seconds, 160 km/h in 10.5 seconds, and the quarter mile in 12.9 seconds.

The Ram 1500 TRX benefits from a dual-path air induction system enabling the supercharged engine to receive a steady supply of clean, cool air regardless of inbound dirt or debris. The two paths draw air into a 29-liter box that filters the nasty stuff (including water) before it heads to the engine. Matched to this monster of an engine is an 8-speed automatic designed to handle the high-torque demands of the Hellcat engine. Ram has even fitted the TRX with launch control and “Jump Detection” that uses accelerometers to mitigate possible driveline damage when the truck goes airborne.

The Ram TRX is fitted with five on-road drive modes and three off-road drive modes including “Baja.” Of course, having that setting tells you what’s underneath. The frame itself has been modified with thicker high-strength steel for added durability and stability. Meanwhile, the doors, hood, and tailgate are made of aluminum to help reduce weight. The suspension itself is unique with a front independent and rear coil spring suspension fitted with Bilstein Black Hawk e2 adaptive performance shock absorbers. Together with 35-inch tires, ride height is also up to 300 mm—or a 50.8 mm increase over the regular Ram 1500.

The Ram TRX is about 203 mm wider than the rest of the Ram 1500 family with composite flares helping to compensate for a 152 mm increase in track width. This was done to accommodate the massive bespoke Goodyear Wrangler Territory all-terrain tires measuring 325/65R18.

A unique R-A-M badge, front grille, hood, skid plates and steel bumpers help the TRX meet extreme functional objectives. The R-A-M badge is bigger when compared to the rest of the Ram 1500 lineup and features a new “flow-through” design that assists with airflow. A hood scoop is responsible for 50 percent of air entering the engine, with designers adding LED clearance lights to set it apart. All-black LED headlamps, including twin bi-functional projector headlamps, are standard.

The Ram 1500 TRX has undergone thousands of kilometers of testing. Extreme environmental testing occurred at various sites, including in the scorching Arizona heat, the blistering cold of northern Michigan and Minnesota and thousands of feet above sea level in Colorado for weeks at a time. In addition to all laboratory and standardized tests, the new Ram TRX scaled sand dunes, crawled rocks in Moab, Utah, and traversed two-lane tracks all over the United States.

It will be sold in North America with a price tag of US$ 70,000 (P 3.4 million~) with the Ram TRX Launch Edition going up to US$ 90,000 (P 4.38 million~). Ram says that the TRX is not a limited edition model which increases the chances of it arriving at local showrooms. No official word yet from local distributor Auto Nation Group (ANG) if they will be bringing in the Ram TRX, but they have been very busy promoting it on their local social media accounts which increases the possibility of a Philippine launch.

Source: Car Guides PH