Hellcat-Powered 707-HP Ram Rebel TRX Will Soon Be Hunting the Ford F-150 Raptor, Report Claims

Dangerous game will be afoot in 2021, according to a new report.

byKyle Cheromcha|
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The redesigned 2019 Ram 1500 is the freshest full-size pickup on sale today, and it's well-poised to rake in sales as America continues its torrid love affair with trucks. But it appears Ram will keep the hits coming in the next few years: According to a report from 5thGenRams.com, the automaker has a Ford F-150 Raptor-fighting wunder-pickup called the Ram Rebel TRX in the works with both a supercharged Hellcat engine and a 7.0-liter naturally-aspirated V8 on tap.

The 6.2-liter Hellcat V8 hardly needs an introduction. Its 707 horsepower rating has become something of a flagship number for Fiat-Chrysler and a high water mark for modern American performance. Its use would make the Ram Rebel TRX the most power production pickup on the market, which seems to work as a business case at FCA. Plus, the engine's 650 pound-feet of torque would be mighty useful in muscling the big truck over off-road obstacles. The TRX concept from 2016 featured a detuned version of the Hellcat powerplant, but company insiders told 5thGenRams that engineers are working to unleash its full potential in the production model.

The news of a possible 7.0-liter V8 is a surprise, though, especially in the age of turbocharged this and hybrid that. The all-new engine, internally named "Banshee" after the old McDonnell F2H Banshee jet fighters, will reportedly put out around 520 horsepower and 525 pound-feet of torque. Trucks running with this massive new V8 will allegedly be called the Ram Rebel TR, to differentiate them from their supercharged brethren.

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Obligatory grain of salt: The report also notes that the Ram Rebel TRX and TR won't be out until 2021, and a lot can change in three years. Still, it's been speculated for a while that a Hellcat-powered Ram pickup is in the works. Fiat-Chrysler revels in dropping that engine in places where it doesn't belong—see the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk—and the TRX concept generated an insane amount of buzz. Then there's the Easter egg in the press photo spread for the 2019 Ram Rebel, where the clock on the truck's infotainment screen is set to 7:07. 

In addition, of course, the Ford F-150 Raptor continues to go unchallenged in the giganto, rough-and-tumble pickup market. The new Rebel is a bit more capable than the previous generation, but it's not built to run Baja like the Ford. A beefed-up model with a Hellcat engine would certainly be a statement; hell, maybe that's why Ford is rumored to be bringing V8 power back to the Raptor?

The one place you won't find any evidence: Fiat-Chrysler itself. A spokesman for Ram Trucks politely declined to comment on future plans when we reached out for more information. Looks like it's back to the tea leaves for now.

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