There have been rumours circulating for a couple of weeks, but nobody really dared dream they were true. Dodge wouldn't actually make a Ram with a Hellcat engine in, would they? While the idea was teased with the TRX concept in 2016, it seemed too barmy - even by the standards of the Hellcat cars - to be a viable production vehicle. Even the F-150 Raptor went down to a V6 from the old V8.
How times have changed. Here we have what's said to be a heavily camouflaged mule for the production Ram Rebel TRX. The photographer responsible reported that the truck "made a loud V8 roar upon acceleration", which is encouraging. Furthermore, while the cladding is doing a very good fake-'tache-and-spectacles job of cloaking the Ram's true look, it's worth noting the heavy-duty suspension hardware lurking under the body, with some hefty protection for the sump as well. See as well two prominent exhausts out back, off-road tyres just like the concept and, well, the sheer size of it, swollen arches and bonnet bulging under all that disguise.
The rumours that have begun circulating of late have also suggested that this production TRX will be more powerful than the 575hp concept, in fact using the 707hp derivative of the engine as found in the Jeep Trackhawk. That would give the Ram an enormous power advantage over the 450hp F-150 Raptor and, to be honest, most other cars on the road. In a pick-up.
So while the TRX is unlikely to be the humble pick-up to keep rural America moving, it does look like being another very exciting addition to the crazy range of Hellcat-engined stuff. As for when we might see the showroom-ready Ram, revealing it alongside that Redeye Widebody Charger would surely make sense from a brand perspective. We'll keep fingers firmly crossed that it can be unleashed onto the world sometime before 2021.
Spy pics: S.Baldauf/S.B.Medien
1 / 8