Expect a Higher-Powered Ram 1500 Later than Sooner

Although the Ram 1500 RHO was only recently introduced, there are rampant rumors that a higher-powered half-ton truck might be waiting in the wings. The rumors currently focus on a new Ram ad video, which shows a pair of dirt bikes with number placards on the front. One has 540, which stands for the horsepower of the RHO, and the other is blank. According to Motor Authority, Ram advertising boss Jeff Summers stated that the blank spot was a placeholder for the future “High HP vehicle with three letters.”

TRX certainly makes the most sense, but where some people believe that this is a hint at the return of the supercharged Hemi, I suspect it is more likely that we will see a higher-powered Hurricane model. I also expect that the spicier Ram 1500 will come no sooner than a year into the future, after the Ramcharger and Ram REV have come to market – giving the 540 horsepower RHO plenty of time to serve as the top-of-the-line performance truck from the Ram brand.

While our expectations of more Hurricane horsepower in the future aren’t what some people want to hear, we know that this engine family is capable of far more than 540 horsepower. We already know that the Dodge Charger Six Pack will feature a version of the twin turbocharged 3.0-liter I6 with 550 horsepower, but our contacts within the company who obviously wish to remain nameless have said that they have successfully pushed the production engine up around a thousand horsepower in internal testing. That doesn’t come as a huge surprise, seeing as how Dodge has already talked about a Direct Connection I6 crate engine that will deliver upwards of a thousand horsepower. Our inside contacts have also told us that the bottom end of the Hurricane engine is remarkably strong and well constructed to handle big boost, so it seems like a Hurricane 3.0L with 700-800 horsepower could be possible in the future.

A Ram 1500 TRX with 725 horsepower from the Hurricane engine would likely weight a bit less than the TRX with the supercharged Hemi, so it would be even quicker and more capable in off-road situations. However, I suspect that even if a future TRX beats the current TRX in every way, the Hurricane will face criticism strictly due to the fact that it isn’t a Hemi.

Now, it should be considered that we are in an election year, so the political climate in the United States could change in the next 8 months or so. With billions in losses being reported from automakers who are focusing on EVs, perhaps a Presidential change will come with some big changes to the regulations that have effectively fined the Hemi out of production. Of course, should we see a sudden change in federal fuel economy regulations, plans by every automaker could change, but for now, I believe that it will be at least a year before we have a hotter Ram 1500 and when it does arrive, I expect it to be powered by a six-cylinder engine. I am hoping to see a return to the supercharged Hemi, but I fully expect to see the Hurricane engine platform showcased as a higher performance engine in the future – both in the Ram 1500 and in the Dodge Charger.