All of the Big Three in Detroit are selling off-road packages of their half-ton pickup trucks, but only the Ford Motor Company goes beyond that level of go-anywhere capability with the F-150 Raptor. Not long now, Fiat Chrysler will join the party – a bit late, though – with the Ram 1500 TRX.
FCA has previously teased a debut date of late summer, but now we have confirmation about the day and the hour. August 17th at 12:00 pm EDT is when the Helltruck will roll out, promising to go places “you thought you could never go.” Of course, that statement is a tongue-in-cheek reference to the F-150 Raptor’s reign as the top dog among off-roading pickup trucks.
A landing page on Ram’s website adds fuel to the fire by claiming that “the reign begins” and that the “TRX charges forward.” Emphasis on charges because the 4x4 leviathan features a different kind of forced induction from the twin-turbo V6 EcoBoost of the F-150 Raptor. Indeed, the engine bay is where a 6.2-liter Hellcat with yet-to-be-confirmed output ratings is hiding.
A few years ago, Ram took the veils off a Rebel-based concept with 575 horsepower, a top speed of more than 100 mph off the beaten path, 13-inch front and rear suspension travel, and 37-inch tires. The 4x4 Performance Control System is another highlight of that one-off build, featuring a BorgWarner 44-45 case as well as a Dynatrac Pro 60 rear axle with a locker.
The series-production model, on the other hand, is supposed to pack more than 700 ponies, probably 707 in the worst-case scenario. The ideal rating would be that of the Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat – 710 horsepower.
Spied only a few days ago, the 1500 TRX off-road pickup truck appears to come with the same kind of no-nonsense rubber shoes as the F-150 Raptor. BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 tires, to be more precise, which are good enough to win the Baja 1000 as well as to plow through severe snow.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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