After a brief pause to let regulators and accountants catch their breath, the TRX is back as the 1500 SRT TRX, the first shot from a revived SRT performance division and a very clear message to Ford. Under the bonnet sits a new take on the 6.2 litre supercharged Hellcat V8, now wound up to 777bhp and 680lb ft, comfortably topping the 720bhp F 150 Raptor R and even outgunning the old 702bhp TRX Final Edition. Ram says 0 60mph takes just 3.5 seconds, a figure that would shame plenty of supercars, never mind something on 35 inch tyres.
This is more than an ECU tickle. Engineers raided both “orange block” and hotter “red block” Hellcat hardware, blending bottom end toughness from the regular motors with valvetrain tech from Demon and Redeye cousins, then feeding it all through a TRX specific induction system that cuts airflow restriction by around 18 percent. The result is that neat 7 7 7 headline number and a torque curve thick enough to haul a small moon. Power goes through a beefed up TorqueFlite eight speed auto and a BorgWarner transfer case, with permanent four wheel drive and launch control on hand when you fancy turning tyres into fog. Top speed is capped at around 118mph by the all terrain rubber rather than the engine running out of breath.
Chassis wise, Ram has not gone shy either. The TRX sticks with its desert racer ethos, packing up to 14 inches of suspension travel, Bilstein Black Hawk e2 remote reservoir dampers and an Active Terrain Dynamics system that constantly tweaks compression and rebound based on speed and surface. There is a new low range calibration for slow, technical work and the usual spread of Baja, Rock and Sand modes when you just want to point it at the horizon and see what happens. Massive 35 inch tyres sit under pumped arches, while a wider track and braced frame aim to keep two and a half tonnes of truck composed when you land from that jump you probably should not have taken.
Ram knows exactly who it is picking a fight with. On paper, the TRX now beats the Raptor R on power and torque, undercuts it by roughly ten grand in the US and throws in toys Ford does not, like Level 2 plus Active Drive Assist hands free cruise for those long, dull highway slogs between dunes. Inside, the cabin leans hard on the latest 1500 with big screen infotainment, SRT graphics, chunky paddles and seats designed to keep you in place when the truck goes light over crests. Outside, the styling doubles down on menace, wide stance, hood scoops and a new Bloodshot Night Edition with two tone black and red paint plus splashy graphics that look like they fell straight out of a 90s off road game.
The timing says as much as the spec sheet. With Ram boss Tim Kuniskis back in charge of mischief and SRT officially reborn, the TRX becomes the poster child for a new wave of loud, fast Stellantis performance models. American buyers made it clear they missed V8 noise; Ram has answered with something louder, faster and angrier than before. Ford’s Raptor R had a brief moment at the top of the food chain.
