In America, performance pick-ups are a big thing. Literally and figuratively. And demand for the most potent V8 variants remains strong, so the long awaited introduction of a 702hp HEMI-powered Ram 1500 TRX makes all sorts of sense, probably. Plainly some people need a Hellcat motor to get surprisingly little cargo across unmade roads - and the TRX is intended to be peerless at doing that job. Ram says it's officially the most powerful and quickest production pick-up in the world.
Using FCA's ubiquitous supercharged 6.2-litre V8, the TRX also produces 650lb ft of torque and gets a higher-strength steel frame with thicker sills. 75 per cent of the base is said to be new, so it's capable of handling that enormous output and also survive heavy abuse on the rough stuff. The TRX is very much built with off-road capability in mind, although Ram's 12.9 second quarter mile time suggests it has not forgotten about the asphalt.
A more comparable figure is the 0-60mph time of 4.5 seconds, but the off-road focus of the TorqueFlite eight-speed automatic means the pick-up tops out at 118mph. Ram said that the engine's thirst for air is fed equally by the front grille and bonnet scoop, while a solid rear axle with full-floating hubs and an axle-hop damper, mean its power can be more extensively used on uneven surfaces, helped along by an electronic locking rear differential.
The chassis itself uses 2.5-inch Bilstein Black Hawk e2 adaptive performance shocks, said to be capable of dealing with rough surfaces "at speeds greater than 100mph". Accompanying the dampers is five-link coil suspension, tuned to "deliver the best combination of ride, handling and comfort no matter the road surface", with 13 inches of wheel travel on all four corners. The TRX can wade through quite a lot of water, too. So you get the point; this is a performance brute you can drive to the drag strip as the crow flies.
It's been suitably altered in the looks department, too, with lots of LED lighting, underbody protection that protrudes out from the front and rear of the car, and thick off-road boots. The tyres are nine inches wide, a full inch wider than a normal 1500 uses. Coupled to thosInside, there's more standard kit and higher-grade materials, so it's plusher than them, too. The cabin tech includes three new modes - Mud/Sand, Rock and Baja - which alters the powertrain and control responses to suit.
Want one? While its technically a North American model, FCA importer AEC Europe will be shipping cars for sale on this side of the Atlantic. It's not yet clear whether Britain will be included, but given that sales of pick-ups were growing here before the pandemic, we're fully expecting a few to make it to our shores. Although quite how much use a 702hp one would be on Her Majesty's byways is an interesting question. One we'd dearly love to answer.
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