Ram's Rebel TRX concept gives Ford F-150 Raptor a run for its money
#1
09-30-2016, 10:01 AM
Ram's Rebel TRX concept gives Ford F-150 Raptor a run for its money
Ram's Rebel TRX concept gives Ford F-150 Raptor a run for its money
By Stephen Edelstein
ˇPublished September 30, 2016
With its combination of speed and off-road ability, the Ford F-150 Raptor is virtually without peers. There are many competent off-road machines, but they all move at a much more leisurely pace. Despite competing aggressively with Ford in all things truck, General Motors and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) have repeatedly refused to build Raptor rivals. Until now.
The Ram Rebel TRX unveiled at the 2016 State Fair of Texas may only be a concept vehicle, but Ford had better hope Ram decides not to put it into production. Unlike the previous Ram 1500 Rebel and Ram 2500 Power Wagon, the TRX combines off-road ability with serious muscle.
Under the hood sits a 6.2-liter supercharged Hemi V8, which may have Mopar fans screaming "Hellcat," but Ram won't use that magic word. While it has the same displacement and boasts a supercharger, this engine does produce less power than the Hellcat V8s in the Dodge Challenger and Charger. Instead of 707 horsepower, the TRX musters 575hp. That's still enough to get the truck to more than 100 mph off-road, according to Ram. It's also over 100hp above the 450hp confirmed output of the 2017 Ford Raptor.
That power is sent to all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters, a fairly unusual feature on a big pickup truck. In addition to the more potent engine, engineers increased suspension travel by 40 percent compared to a standard Ram 1500 Rebel. The TRX also features a beefed-up rear axle, and 37-inch tires.
The exterior is just about as cool as the mechanical upgrades. Fender flares make the TRX look like a race truck, and accommodate its wider track. Ram also crafted a new hood to provide clearance for the V8's supercharger, and a bed "sport bar" straight out of the 1980s. The rock rails running below the doors incorporate side-exit exhaust pipes. Hopefully, Ram found a way to keep people's legs from getting burned by them.
Officially, the Ram Rebel TRX is just a concept, although rabid fans could eventually pressure Ram into putting it into production. That would be something to see. Ford's Raptor has gone unchallenged for too long.
By Stephen Edelstein
ˇPublished September 30, 2016
With its combination of speed and off-road ability, the Ford F-150 Raptor is virtually without peers. There are many competent off-road machines, but they all move at a much more leisurely pace. Despite competing aggressively with Ford in all things truck, General Motors and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) have repeatedly refused to build Raptor rivals. Until now.
The Ram Rebel TRX unveiled at the 2016 State Fair of Texas may only be a concept vehicle, but Ford had better hope Ram decides not to put it into production. Unlike the previous Ram 1500 Rebel and Ram 2500 Power Wagon, the TRX combines off-road ability with serious muscle.
Under the hood sits a 6.2-liter supercharged Hemi V8, which may have Mopar fans screaming "Hellcat," but Ram won't use that magic word. While it has the same displacement and boasts a supercharger, this engine does produce less power than the Hellcat V8s in the Dodge Challenger and Charger. Instead of 707 horsepower, the TRX musters 575hp. That's still enough to get the truck to more than 100 mph off-road, according to Ram. It's also over 100hp above the 450hp confirmed output of the 2017 Ford Raptor.
That power is sent to all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters, a fairly unusual feature on a big pickup truck. In addition to the more potent engine, engineers increased suspension travel by 40 percent compared to a standard Ram 1500 Rebel. The TRX also features a beefed-up rear axle, and 37-inch tires.
The exterior is just about as cool as the mechanical upgrades. Fender flares make the TRX look like a race truck, and accommodate its wider track. Ram also crafted a new hood to provide clearance for the V8's supercharger, and a bed "sport bar" straight out of the 1980s. The rock rails running below the doors incorporate side-exit exhaust pipes. Hopefully, Ram found a way to keep people's legs from getting burned by them.
Officially, the Ram Rebel TRX is just a concept, although rabid fans could eventually pressure Ram into putting it into production. That would be something to see. Ford's Raptor has gone unchallenged for too long.
#2
09-27-2017, 10:31 PM
It does indeed. The TRX has the 8HP70 trans and the Borg-Warner 44-45 transfer case - which may be why the engine was toned down. The Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk which has all 707 Hellcat horsepower consists of the 8HP95 trans and a Magna Power 3015C AWD transfer case. So . . . perhaps the production version may have the feral cat instead of the domesticated one.
All indications I have seen are that it will not be built - at least not on the current generation of Ram ("DS"). Concept to production typically takes about 18-24 months. Ram Truck's web site up until a few weeks ago had it listed under "UPCOMING VEHICLES", but that has since changed and is now "CONCEPT VEHICLES". Chrysler engineers posting in other forums have emphatically repeated that it will not be built - at least not on the current platform. The new Ram truck platform is scheduled to be unveiled in January at the 2018 Detroit Auto Show. The vehicles unveiled there are scheduled to be available for purchase May 2018. David Zatz (allpar.com) stated in an e-mail that he does not expect a dedicated off-road Ram truck to be announced "until the 2019s are out for a while". Other sources claim the dedicated off-road Ram will be unveiled at the January 2019 Detroit Auto Show, the following year. That vehicle will likely be the closest thing we will ever see to a Ram Rebel TRX.
I've done a fair amount of research on the concept and have listed a lot of what I have found on the Facebook group "Ram Rebel TRX". It is an open group. All invitations are accepted.
All indications I have seen are that it will not be built - at least not on the current generation of Ram ("DS"). Concept to production typically takes about 18-24 months. Ram Truck's web site up until a few weeks ago had it listed under "UPCOMING VEHICLES", but that has since changed and is now "CONCEPT VEHICLES". Chrysler engineers posting in other forums have emphatically repeated that it will not be built - at least not on the current platform. The new Ram truck platform is scheduled to be unveiled in January at the 2018 Detroit Auto Show. The vehicles unveiled there are scheduled to be available for purchase May 2018. David Zatz (allpar.com) stated in an e-mail that he does not expect a dedicated off-road Ram truck to be announced "until the 2019s are out for a while". Other sources claim the dedicated off-road Ram will be unveiled at the January 2019 Detroit Auto Show, the following year. That vehicle will likely be the closest thing we will ever see to a Ram Rebel TRX.
I've done a fair amount of research on the concept and have listed a lot of what I have found on the Facebook group "Ram Rebel TRX". It is an open group. All invitations are accepted.