Is Ram Building a Hellcat Model?

Some spy shots surfaced recently showing a pair of newer Ram HD test trucks with a bulging hood Hellcat-like air inlet – leading many to believe that these could be Hellcat powered Ram trucks. While these mysterious Ram trucks could be some sort of high performance test truck, I don’t recommend that anyone holds their breath while waiting to buy a 707hp Ram pickup at their local dealership.

While there are most certainly some people out there who insist that they would run right out and buy a Hellcat Ram, the truth is that a 707 horsepower pickup would have a very, very low take rate. When you factor in the heavy duty components needed to “safely” put 707 horsepower and 650lb-ft of torque to four huge tires, the drivetrain of a Hellcat Ram would cost so much that these pickups would surely have astronomical prices. They would almost have to be four wheel drive, as the trucks would never get any traction with the rear wheels doing all of the work. That 4WD system would need to be much tougher and much more expensive than any other Ram to hit a showroom, so in the long run, a Hellcat powered Ram 2500 would be the most expensive “Dodge truck” ever.

Right now, the Hellcat Hemi is still in short demand. We are seeing more and more Challengers and Chargers available around the country at MSRP, but there are still areas in Florida and California where dealers are still selling the cars at $5-10k over MSRP. Until the company gets to the point where they are able to quickly satisfy every new order for a Hellcat Challenger or Charger, they aren’t going to introduce a new vehicle with a much lower take rate and – more importantly – a much lower profit margin.

Also, the fact that the company is planning a Hellcat Jeep by the end of 2017 means that there will soon be a shortage of Hellcat engines once again. The Jeep has historically been the bestselling of the SRT vehicles prior to the arrival of the Hellcat cars, and we can expect that the Hellcat Jeep will be very popular as well. Again, the company isn’t going to allocate engines to the Ram when they have so much demand for the Hellcat Jeep, along with a history of the high performance Jeeps selling very well.

What I suspect those spy shots show are a couple Power Wagon mules with Mopar hoods. One is a Regular Cab and one is a Mega Cab, while the new Ram 2500 Power Wagon is only offered as a Quad Cab. Perhaps the Ram brand is looking at offering the sporty Power Wagon in different cab configuration or perhaps they are working on something sporty for SEMA – but I don’t think that they are cooking up any Hellcat Rams for production in the near future.

Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com

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