By now, you are probably aware of my fascination for the Nürburgring. I should probably write down a list of reasons why it's such a cool place. One of those reasons is the sheer variety of vehicles that take on the Green Hell every year. You get to see everything from beat-up cars to exotics, vans, motorcycles, even hearses!
Recently we had the opportunity of seeing a brand new Shelby GT500 going on a fast lap as well. But today, we're looking at another special American vehicle: the Ram TRX! That's right; someone summoned up the courage to take a 6,400 lbs (2,902 kg) truck out on the track. It's the same person that drove the GT500, and it's a good thing he's an experienced driver.
The TRX is so big that it can barely go through the cones that mark the track entrance. With a truck this huge, it's easy to forget that they've fitted it with a 702-horsepower, supercharged V8 engine. Unfortunately, we don't get to see a POV perspective of the whole lap from start to finish. But we do get an alternative view from an Audi RSQ8 that's giving chase.
The fact that the TRX is running on off-road tires isn't ideal for the given situation. But it does help with going over the curbs. Seeing the TRX go flat out around the corners is somewhat of a reminder of the Stadium Super Trucks series. I guess that with the proper suspension setup, weight reduction, and brake upgrades, the TRX could pull off an impressive time.
It is limited by its top speed, though. It doesn't take long until it reaches 118 mph (190 kph), and you can hear the tires at almost every corner. But the inevitable happens. Brake fade occurs not long after the start, and there's smoke coming out of them. But after a short cooldown, the Ram TRX proceeds with overtaking several cars. I can't help but wonder how it must feel like to be blown away by a truck!
The things Dragos enjoys the most in life are, in no particular order: cars, motorcycles, diecast cars, and drifting. He's seen (and driven) many vehicles since he started his writing career back in 2009, but his garage currently houses a 1991 Mazda RX-7 FC3S Turbo II and a 1999 Suzuki SV650-S. Full profile
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