It took four years for the Ram 1500 TRX to go from concept car to road car – and now we know why.
When Ram unveiled the Rebel TRX Concept with a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 in September 2016, the Ford F-150 Raptor rival was based around the previous-generation Ram 1500. Speaking with Muscle Cars and Trucks, Ram senior brand manager Carl Lally said the main reason for the vehicle’s long gestation period was switching it to the new-generation model.
“Back in ‘16 it was a concept, and we wanted to see exactly what the appetite was for a truck like this. Obviously it was very positive,” he told the publication. “We were in the midst of developing the all-new (DT) Ram 1500 for the 2019 model year already at that point in time. Rather than rush to market and drop an engine in a truck, we wanted to take our time to make sure we get it right, from top to bottom.”
Read More: 2021 Ram 1500 TRX Arrives With 702 HP, Wants To Make The Raptor Go Extinct
Waiting to launch the current generation 1500 was probably a wise decision for Ram as it will allow the TRX to better rival the next-generation F-150 Raptor which is just around the corner. In fact, some reports suggest that the launch of the TRX will prompt Ford to shoehorn the 760 hp engine from the Shelby GT500 into the new F-150 Raptor, making the high-performance pickup truck market all the more exciting.
As it stands, the Ram 1500 TRX easily out-muscles its rival, whose 3.5-liter V6 EcoBoost engine puts out 450 hp and 510 lb-ft (691 Nm) of torque. Those numbers are no contest for the TRX’s 6.2-liter supercharged Hellcat V8, which is good for 702 hp and 650 lb-ft (880 Nm) of torque and is able to hit 96 km/h (60 mph) in just 4.5 seconds.
