Ram Drops New TRX Video Following Raptor Reveal with V6 Power

Ram TRX remains the king of the truck world as the new Raptor sticks with a V6.

On February 3, Ford introduced the all-new 2021 F-150 Raptor. This is the truck that Ford fans claimed would dethrone the Ram 1500 TRX as the leader in the performance pickup world. However, rather than the rumored supercharged V8, the newest Raptor is still only powered by the EcoBoost V6. No performance numbers have been announced, but the automaker has stated that it will offer better low end torque.

In short, the new Ford F-150 Raptor doesn’t have the power to compete with the Ram TRX, so for the 2021 model year, the Hellcat Hemi-powered pickup is the leader in the performance truck world. To Mopar fans, this comes as no surprise, but to the many Ford fans who had been going on about how February 3 would mark the end of the TRX’s reign atop the segment, it comes as a painful disappointment.

Ford fans are finding some consolation in the fact that the press release introducing the 2021 Raptor said that a V8-powered Raptor R is coming next year, but it is going to be a long year for those people who expected to buy a TRX competitor from Ford. Meanwhile, the Ram Trucks YouTube channel shared a cool video of the TRX flexing its muscles right around the same time that the new Raptor was introduced on YouTube.

New Raptor Details

The most anticipated feature of the all-new 2021 Ford F-150 Raptor was the supercharged V8 from the GT500. That rumor did not prove to be true and instead, the 2021 Raptor packs the same 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 as the current truck. It sounds like the new V6 will offer more power, but we don’t know for sure, because Ford didn’t announce any power numbers. Ultimately, if the numbers were competitive with the TRX in any way, the Motor Company would have announced them.

The most significant change for the 2021 Raptor, aside from the stronger frame and redesigned exterior, is the new five-link coil spring rear suspension setup. This is a similar system to what Ram has been using since 2009, so Ford has finally stepped up to modern suspension technology. This new suspension setup should afford the Raptor a smoother ride and improved functionality, but it will be interesting to see how the head-to-head comparisons hammer-out between the two.

Having driven the current Raptor back-to-back with the TRX, I don’t know if a rear suspension change will be enough for Ford to close the performance gap.

TRX – “The Edge”

Around the same time that Ford published the three-minute video introducing the 2021 Raptor, the Ram YouTube channel shared the video below. Titled “The Edge”, this video walks us through all of the key aspects of the Ram 1500 TRX. On the other hand, the new Raptor video doesn’t provide any real information, instead just giving us a look at the new F-150 in action.

People looking on YouTube for information on these two trucks may come across these two videos. When they do, the Ram TRX video provides all of the key information that you could want, but many of those details still aren’t available for the 2021 Raptor. What we do know is that the Ram 1500 TRX is still the power leader, with the Raptor sticking with the V6 for another year.

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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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