Love him or not, Scotty Kilmer is up there with the most popular automotive-related channels on YouTube. A self-entitled cheapskate who prefers the reliability of Toyotas from the '90s and '00s, the 67-year-old mechanic had the opportunity of getting up close and personal with the most powerful half-ton pickup in production today, the 2021 Ram TRX.
To be raffled by an online fundraising platform this fall with taxes and shipping included, the balls-to-the-wall pickup is finished in a color that Ram calls Granite Crystal Metallic. In addition to the $200 paintwork, the decals add $1,390 to the $70,425 starting price. The RamBar by Mopar retails at $1,895, and you can have it only if you get an optional equipment group.
Obviously enough, this no-nonsense machine is not within the reach of too many people. Electronically limited to 118 miles per hour (190 kph), not 119 as Scotty mentions in the following video, the Ram 1500 TRX can’t go faster because the 35-inch Goodyear Wrangler Territory all-terrain rubber shoes haven’t been engineered for high-speed shenanigans. Scotty likes the beefed-up front control arms and Bilstein Black Hawk e2 adaptive shocks, but he’s most impressed by the whine of the twin-screw supercharger.
The 2.4-liter blower sits on top of a 6.2-liter HEMI that Dodge calls the Hellcat, a pushrod engine that may be discontinued in the not-so-distant future in favor of hybridized transmissions and electric muscle cars. In this application, the motor develops 702 horsepower and 650 pound-feet (881 Nm) of torque on 91-octane premium unleaded. By the way, the owner’s manual states that the higher-priced gasoline is required, not just recommended.
A long-time critic of anything from Chrysler, the YouTube mechanic who likes to say “money pit” every two minutes or thereabouts can’t help but mention how bad the fuel economy is. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the off-road pickup gets 10 miles per gallon (23.5 l/100 km) in the city and up to 14 miles per gallon (16.8 l/100 km) on the long haul.
“It really handles well for a truck with four-wheel drive and a solid rear axle,” said Kilmer, who also mentions a comfy ride while cruising around.
Obviously enough, this no-nonsense machine is not within the reach of too many people. Electronically limited to 118 miles per hour (190 kph), not 119 as Scotty mentions in the following video, the Ram 1500 TRX can’t go faster because the 35-inch Goodyear Wrangler Territory all-terrain rubber shoes haven’t been engineered for high-speed shenanigans. Scotty likes the beefed-up front control arms and Bilstein Black Hawk e2 adaptive shocks, but he’s most impressed by the whine of the twin-screw supercharger.
The 2.4-liter blower sits on top of a 6.2-liter HEMI that Dodge calls the Hellcat, a pushrod engine that may be discontinued in the not-so-distant future in favor of hybridized transmissions and electric muscle cars. In this application, the motor develops 702 horsepower and 650 pound-feet (881 Nm) of torque on 91-octane premium unleaded. By the way, the owner’s manual states that the higher-priced gasoline is required, not just recommended.
A long-time critic of anything from Chrysler, the YouTube mechanic who likes to say “money pit” every two minutes or thereabouts can’t help but mention how bad the fuel economy is. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the off-road pickup gets 10 miles per gallon (23.5 l/100 km) in the city and up to 14 miles per gallon (16.8 l/100 km) on the long haul.
“It really handles well for a truck with four-wheel drive and a solid rear axle,” said Kilmer, who also mentions a comfy ride while cruising around.