The 2025 Ram 1500 RHO brings TRX off-road capability in a lighter, cheaper package, albeit with significantly less power. And that will be appealing for a lot of people, but its arrival in the wake of the Hellcat-powered TRX surely has fans (and us, admittedly) asking, “Does this mean you guys are done with the really crazy stuff?” Well, Ram’s Global Operations Officer Bob Broderdorf told the press at the launch of the RHO that the new truck is not a replacement for the TRX.
Broderdorf then went on, talking about how he and the Ram folks know it’s not as powerful, and that’s partly why the brand isn’t aiming this as a full TRX successor. And he talked about how Ram has the experience and the expertise in-house to build extreme vehicles like the TRX.
He did not, however, confirm one way or another that something even more radical than the RHO was coming to properly replace the TRX.
That being said, if it hasn’t been confirmed, it sure seems like there must be gears turning behind the scenes to get it going. And why wouldn’t Ram? There’s obviously a market for super halo trucks — look at the F-150 Raptor R, and of course the TRX that we won’t stop talking about.
We’re willing to bet that it won’t be hard to get more out of the Hurricane straight-six, either. We talked to Doug Killian, Chief Vehicle Synthesis Manager, and he confirmed that mechanically, the engine in the RHO is basically identical to every other Ram 1500 with the same high-output engine. Surely it wouldn’t be hard to start turning up the boost, adding better intercooling, maybe even upgrading some internals to crank up the power. And sure, that would probably mean some pricey certification of the new powertrain, but the TRX was six figures and sold, so the company can offset some of that cost at retail. Plus, that engine could be shared to other upcoming models. Say, an even higher-output Charger Sixpack, or a new Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk?
Normally, we’d say, “Don’t get your hopes up.” But this time, we think the odds are good this is in the works.
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