Not sure where the horsepower wars end, but I’m enjoying the battle.
The latest salvo is the 2021 Ram 1500 TRX Crew Cab 4×4 pickup – simply the fastest and most powerful mass-produced truck in the world.
If your testosterone needs a boost, this bad boy delivers in a big way. Powered by a 6.2-liter Supercharged HEMI V8 engine that delivers 702 horsepower, the TRX is engineered to handle the most punishing conditions with extreme capability and durability.
Combined with a high-torque-capacity TorqueFlite eight-speed automatic transmission, the Ram TRX delivers a new level of performance: 0-60 miles per hour in 4.5 seconds, and the quarter mile in 12.9 seconds. It has a top speed of 118 miles per hour.
The 2021 Ram TRX benefits from up to 32 inches of water fording, up to 8,100 pounds towing and a maximum payload capacity of 1,310 pounds.
Bottom line: It outperforms every other truck on the road. The price to be paid is 11 miles per gallon fuel economy after a week’s worth of city and highway driving.
“The all-new 2021 Ram TRX sets the benchmark for extreme performance pickup trucks and solidifies Ram Truck’s position as the off-road truck leader,” said Mike Koval, Head of Ram Brand, FCA – North America. “Ram has a strong history of high-performance trucks and TRX adds to that while expanding the light-duty lineup with the segment’s best combination of performance, capability, luxury and technology.”
Ram TRX features an aggressive stance and an impossibly wide, muscular body wrapped over the top of it. Like a mixed martial arts fighter in a tailored tuxedo, the Ram TRX makes an impactful visual statement with an acute “hourglass” body design.
TRX is eight inches wider when compared to the rest of the Ram 1500 lineup, and the composite flares help to compensate for a six-inch increase in track width. Normally, Ram 1500 features a wheel that is eight inches wide, but the TRX design team had to accommodate a wheel that is nine inches wide.
LED clearance marker lights flank the front bumper, creating a menacing light signature that further sets TRX apart from anything on the road – day or night. A new, aluminum hood features bright LED clearance lights that are integrated in the hood scoop.
The new look is taken to even higher levels of visual impact with oversized tow hooks, found at the front and rear of the truck, and integrated 5-inch dual exhaust ports driving the functional performance objective home.
My tester was equipped with several optional equipment packages that added $17,000 to the cost of the TRX. The most expensive was a level two equipment group ($7,920) with 27 line items: Highlights included leather-trimmed, heated and ventilated bucket seats, heated second-row seats, power tailgate release, and trailer brake controller, pickup box with LED lighting.
Other packages included a technology group, trail-tow group, advances safety group, bed utility group, and a TRX carbon fiber package.
Other goodies included an easy on/off tonneau cover, Harman Karson premium audio package with 19 speakers, navigation system, rear backup camera, seven-inch color display cluster, and 33-gallon fuel tank.
Worthy of note – because they will be needed – are a full-speed forward collision plus warning system,
high-performance brakes, electronic full-time 4WD mode-only transfer case, adaptive cruise control, and pedestrian/cyclist emergency braking.
The Ram 1500 TRX was an adrenaline rush from start to finish. Not so sure about the practicality, but if you have the dough, may as well enjoy the show.
Base Price: $70,690
Price As Driven: $87,020
Destination charge is included in base price. Vehicles are provided by the manufacturer. List price may vary at local dealerships.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
