Photo: Screenshot from YouTube video by Westen Chaplin
The Ram TRX is quite a capable truck right off the bat, and it comes with more power than most people will ever need. We are writing about a 702-horsepower supercharged HEMI V8 that has 6.2 liters of displacement. It also has all-wheel-drive, an eight-speed automatic transmission, and a suspension that was optimized for off-road use.
If you look around, you will find it is still the quickest gas-powered pickup sold today, as it has a 0-62 mph (100 kph) sprint of 4.6 seconds, with a top speed of 118 mph (190 kph). Now, those values are nothing to be shy about, and the noise made by the supercharged V8 makes it even more interesting.
Sure, you might get a Rivian R1T that is quicker than it, but it may not be the same when you want to race them off-road. Also available in the Stellantis portfolio, you may also get a two-door coupe with a retro style and plenty of muscle. It comes with the same HEMI push rod supercharged V8 motor, with the same 6,166 cubic centimeters of displacement, and 707 horsepower.
Just like the Rivian R1T, the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat can sprint from 0 to 62 mph in 3.3 seconds, while its top speed is rated at 197 mph (317 kph). As a reference, Rivian claims its R1T is good for 125 mph (210 kph).
Now, if you put a stock Ram 1500 TRX in a drag race against the Challenger SRT Hellcat, you know who is going to win, right? You can probably train a skilled monkey with a set of stilts to perform the launch control procedure on the Challenger SRT Hellcat and then you are off to the races. Be sure to pack plenty of bananas, as it may be the prize that you are betting on.
However, what would it take to make the Ram TRX have a fighting chance against a Challenger SRT Hellcat in a drag race? Well, Westen Champlin wanted to find out, and his quest took off almost a year ago, when he acquired a Ram 1500 TRX, which he called Carrot.
Ten months ago, the pickup truck was sent all the way to Albuquerque, New Mexico, at the Hellion Turbo workshop, where it was set to receive a twin-turbo kit. Mind you, this did not involve removing the supercharger, so handling the intake plumbing alone is a hell of a job, especially since it involves two turbochargers and a supercharger.
As you can imagine, the result makes enough boost to carry in its bed, yet it handled it like a champ. The resulting dyno test announced over 900 horsepower to the wheels, which is roughly 1,100 horsepower at the crank.
With that power in tow, this is what it can do when facing a Challenger SRT Hellcat. Now, where can Westen find an R1T to race against?
Sebastian's love for cars began at a young age. Little did he know that a career would emerge from this passion (and that it would not, sadly, involve being a professional racecar driver). In over fourteen years, he got behind the wheel of several hundred vehicles and in the offices of the most important car publications in his homeland. Full profile
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