Ram is really thumping its chest with the return of the V8 to ensure anyone with hurt feelings is seeing the Hemi love fest.
The 2026 Ram 1500 Ram 1500 brought back the Hemi V8 as an option, and the automaker called the comeback a “symbol of protest.” But it’s not just a saying, there’s an actual fender badge with the same name. While driving a 2026 Ram 1500 Big Horn with the V8 this week I discovered that Symbol of Protest Badge is an actual line item on the window sticker.
You can’t make this stuff up.
It’s a bit weird, and after spending too much time thinking about it I was unable to come up with another vehicle that specifically calls out a random exterior badge on the window sticker. I’m sure there’s one I’m missing, but nothing is coming to mind in the memory archives.
The Hellcats didn’t even have their exterior badging called out on the window stickers. I checked.
And the father of the Hellcats, Tim Kuniskis, who was the CEO of Dodge back in that era, is now the man in charge of Ram trucks and responsible for the return of the V8.
In June, when the return of the Hemi V8 to the Ram 1500 was announced Kuniskis said, “Data be damned—we raise our flag and let the Hemi ring free again!”
The data Kuniskis is talking about says the V8 isn’t America’s truck engine anymore.
Ram isn’t alone with its (renewed) commitment to the V8 engine in trucks. GM’s sticking with V8s while everyone else switches to six cylinders.
The revived Hemi V8 will set you back $2,895 when ordering a 2026 Ram 1500. That’s a $1,695 premium for an engine with less power than the turbo-six, worse fuel economy, but lots of freedom noises.
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