The 2021 Ram 1500 TRX is more than just an insanely fast truck. For one this, is also one of the examples former SRT CEO Ralph Gilles used in an effort to assure us that a vehicle doesn't need the SRT badge in order to benefit from the now-axed performance division engineer's know-how. And until we get to see what Stellantis does with those engineers, now that their base camp has been demolished, why not check out the T-Rex duking it out with a truck that can be used as the definition of a sleeper?
The Hellcat-animated blue collar madness that is the TRX came to the fight in factory condition, which means we can talk about the supercharged 6.2-liter V8 delivering 702 horses.
As for its opponent, this started out in life as a 1954 International Harvester. Having been with its currently family for four generations, this classic bed machine has long left its stock configuration behind, even though there aren't too many visual clues towards that.
From the outside, the new-age wheels and perhaps the generously-sized exhaust pipe (for those who get to notice it) might show this isn't a factory offering, but nothing can prepare one for the transformation the machine has gone through.
To be more precise, the body of the Harvester now sits on a 2000 Chevrolet Silverado frame. And the 5.3-liter Chevy motor lurking under that old-school hood has received quite a bit of attention, with the list of mods including a Borg Warner turbo, a cam setup borrowed from a Corvette Z06, as well as ARP rod bolts, among others.
We're not aware of the motor's new muscle numbers, but its owners mention that it can take the truck past the quarter-mile point in 11.8 seconds at 114 mph - as is the case with the Ram, this... hybrid truck bets on AWD for its launch.
As the sprinting addicts among you will point out, the official numbers of the TRX show this is almost a second slower in the 1/4-mile.
Then again, the battle we have here is shorter than that - we're looking at an adventure delivered by the Fast Lane Truck, which took the machines to Colorado's IMI Motorsports Complex, with the straight serving as the battleground not being long enough for an 1,320 feet battle.
And you can skip to the 4:46 point of the clip below for a pair of races between the two trucks, but make sure to add a few seconds so you'll allow that turbo to build proper boost.
In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist. Full profile
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