The good news for Ford is that it has about six months to up-spec the F-150 Raptor R. The bad news is that it only has six months. RAM brought back the iconic Hemi V8 last year after a backlash from clients, and decided, while they are at it, to build a new version of the old SRT Hellcat V8-powered TRX, upping the power from 702 horsepower to over 770. The official announcement was made on January 1st, and the RAM TRX has kicked off the next arms race among hyper-powerful full-size half-ton pickups. There is nothing subtle about the RAM TRX; it is the equivalent of a wrestler jumping into the ring with a steel chair.
Ford’s F-150 Raptor R is an icon, a power truck developed through years of desert racing and chassis development. But when the TRX was announced, the conversation shifted. It was no longer about efficiency or balance. The TRX is on another plane, where the talk is about power, presence, and emotional impact. The TRX will be an out-and-out performance truck first, redefining what this segment should be.
Hellcat Power: The TRX’s Defining Advantage
The Ford F-150 Raptor R is the other truck in this conversation. This has the supercharged 5.2-liter V-8 from the Shelby GT500, tuned for 720 horsepower and 640 pound-feet of torque. Dodge also has a solid muscle car legacy, and the SRT Hellcat can produce massive power and is used in the top-level Charger and Challenger Hellcats, and even turns the large Durango SUV into a sleeper that scares Porsches. And now the Hellcat has found its way into the RAM 1500.
777 Horsepower Changes The Rules
The RAM TRX is powered by the Hellcat SRT, a supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 tuned to produce 777 horsepower and 680 pound-feet of torque. It uses an eight-speed automatic transmission and has full four-wheel drive. Top speed is 118 mph, which is a bit too fast in a full-size truck.
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Incredible Torque Figures From Both
Both the Raptor R and TRX have supercharged V-8s, which bring immediate torque even at lower revs. This is important in a working truck when towing or hauling, and when the truck is used off-road, and steady crawling is required.
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Suspension And Chassis: Built For Violence, Not Lap Times
When your truck has so much power and torque, you’d better be sure that the ladder frame chassis and suspension have been built to match and maximize the abilities of the truck. The TRX sits on a 98 percent high-strength steel frame, giving it the stability, durability, and rigidity for you to push its performance to the limit.
Bilstein Black Hawk Shocks
To keep those 777 horses anchored to the road and the dirt, the TRX comes with a factory-installed Bilstein Black Hawk e2 shock system. This has a control algorithm that continuously monitors vehicle sensors for speed, throttle position, brake torque, steering angle, vehicle tilt, and jump detection. This regulates each shock absorber continuously to control compression and rebound forces as needed.
Go-Anywhere Capability
The RAM TRX has 11.8 inches of ground clearance, 13 inches of front suspension travel, and 14 inches of rear suspension travel. Add to that the TorqueFlite eight-speed automatic transmission, a BorgWarner 48-13 transfer case providing full-time four-wheel drive. The rear axle has full-float shafts and an electronic locking differential. This, with the 35-inch Goodyear Wrangler tires, means the TRX can go more or less where you want it to go with little to no fuss.
Ram Listened, And It’s Good For Enthusiasts
Ram, perhaps unsurprisingly, has elected to put the Hemi V8 back in trucks.
Interior, Technology, And Comfort
The RAM TRX is designed to match the truck’s extreme performance with an interior that adds genuine luxury and top-shelf technology. The cabin is trimmed in premium materials, with Alcántara leather as an option, brushed metal, and carbon fiber accents. The steering wheel is leather-clad and flat-bottomed, while the paddle shifters are aluminum. These features ensure that, while ripping trails and shredding tires, you’ll be comfortable and well-accommodated. Thanks, RAM.
Cabin Technology Is Just As Impressive As Performance
The centerpiece of the TRX tech cabin is the Uconnect infotainment system, with a large touchscreen giving access to nav and information such as off-road data. An optional heads-up display keeps the driver’s attention on the road, while the digital instrument cluster can be configured as needed. Sound is handled by the excellent Harman Kardon system, with 19 speakers. All told, the cabin should be a fairly nice place to spend time, especially when time spent behind the wheel consists of breakneck driving and rough-road conquering.
Comfort For All Who Enter The Fire-Breathing Pickup
Details will still be firmed up before the official launch date in the second half of the year, but so far, the TRX cabin looks really inviting. Snug-fitting front seats will keep the passenger and driver secure during rough driving. The front seats will be heated and ventilated, with memory settings and a massage function. Rear seats will offer enough space, and also have heating and ventilation. Again, cabin quality and comfort will be key when tossing the big beast to and fro.
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When RAM Dropped The V8, And Was Forced To Bring It Back
In 2023, RAM decided to drop the iconic 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 and replace it with a “Hurricane” 3.0-liter turbo inline-six instead for the 2025 model year. Their reasons were for emissions, better fuel economy, and greater power than the old Hemi. And while the inline-six in the RAM 1500 RHO excelled in those fields, customers felt something just wasn’t right about not having a V8.
Nobody really needed to drive around desert dunes in a Ram powered by a Hellcat engine, but its sheer existence in the truck realm created a precedent that, sadly, the RHO simply couldn’t top.
– William Clavey for TopSpeed
Customer Backlash Applied Enough Pressure To Sway The Suits
The corporate thinkers at RAM did not consider the visceral affection RAM drivers had for the old V8. Pickup drivers are amongst the most brand loyal of all US drivers, often driving the same brand their fathers did. For most, the comfortable cadence of the Hemi V8 was an essential part of owning a RAM truck. RAM sales plummeted by nearly 20 percent in the first year, with projections of 30,000 lost sales causing panic at the head office. The bean counters were wrong. RAM drivers did not care for the greater power of the turbo inline-six; they wanted the V8 back.
Sales Surge And Return Of The TRX
When the V8 Hemi was brought back, sales were running 2.5 times higher than the Hurricane inline-six in the US. In fact, when the announcement of the 5.7-liter Hemi’s return was made for the 2026 model year, RAM received 10,000 orders in the first 24 hours. RAM had a TRX before the V8 was canceled, and this made 702 horsepower. In the meantime, the SRT Hellcat became more powerful, and because of the competition with the 720-horsepower Raptor R, RAM did the logical thing and announced the 777-horsepower SRT as the 2027 model.
Sources: RAM, Ford