The Ram 1500 TRX Dragged The Ford Raptor Back To The Dinosaur Age
Ford’s Special Vehicle Team (SVT) introduced its F-150 Raptor 4×4 trucks back in 2010. Then Ram went full Jurassic with its Hellcat-powered 1500 TRX. While Ford’s SVT had already transitioned the Raptor to a turbocharged V6, the company decided to bring back a V8 Raptor to compete with the TRX. The result was the supercharged Raptor R.
| Ram 1500 TRX | Ford F-150 Raptor R | |
| Engine | 6.2-liter supercharged “Hellcat” V8 | 5.2-liter supercharged “Predator” V8 |
| Horsepower | 702 @ 6,100 rpm | 700 @ @ 6,650 rpm |
| Torque | 650 lb.-ft. @ 4,800 rpm | 640 lb-ft @ 4,250 rpm |
| Weight | 6,439 lbs | 6,050 lbs |
| Power/Weight Ratio | 9.2 lbs/horsepower | 8.5 lbs/horsepower |
| Transmission | ZF 8-speed automatic | Ford 10-speed automatic |
| MSRP | $78,790 | $109,145 |
The F-150 Raptor already had its V8 phase
The first generation of Ford’s F-150 Raptor featured a 6.2-liter “Boss” V8. Ford actually engineered this naturally-aspirated V8 just for the Raptor, later introducing it to its Super Duty truck lineup. In the Raptor, the Boss 6.2 made 500 horsepower.
But many off-roaders prefer lightweight powerplants to absolute top horsepower. For this reason, SVT transitioned to the 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged “EcoBoost” V6 for the F-150 Raptor’s second generation.
Many V8 fans were shocked by Ford’s choice to put a V6 in its flag-ship pickup truck. But this engine choice and other engineering decisions dropped the second-generation Raptor’s weight by 500 pounds. Not only did the V6 make 510 lb-ft of torque, but its ten-speed transmission ensured it could put this power to the tires efficiently.
As the V6 Raptor gained popularity, many came to accept it as a step into the future. Little did Ford know that the market had other plans.
Read more about the Raptor R V8.
The Ram 1500 TRX touched down like an asteroid
When the Ram 1500 TRX hit the supertruck market, it came in with a bang. Like the Raptor, the TRX had wideset tires and a long-travel suspension inspired by desert racing trophy trucks. But it one-upped the Raptor in an important way.
The Ram 1500 TRX leveraged Dodge’s supercharged “Hellcat” V8 to bring muscle car power to the off-road trail. This 6.2-liter engine makes 707 horsepower in Dodge’s Hellcat muscle cars. But the TRX’s off-road air intake throttles it back to 702 horsepower.
The Ram 1500 TRX was one of the world’s only factory-supercharged pickup trucks. It easily swept the world’s fastest truck awards and took the off-road world by storm.
The F-150 Raptor R leaves big footprints
To one-up the Ram 1500 TRX, Ford engineered a supercharged V8 Raptor R. But its pursuit of the TRX’s market share did not end with the Raptor R’s powerplant.
The Raptor R is lighter than the Ram 1500 TRX: at just 6,050 pounds, the Raptor R has a power/weight ratio of 8.5 pounds per horsepower. That is a dramatic improvement over the TRX’s 9.2 pounds per horsepower.
When Ford launched the third generation of its Raptor, it offered a Raptor 37 package. This package includes the first factory-mounted 37-inch tires on any half-ton pickup truck. It also includes 24-inch long-travel rear coil springs and magnetic damping.
Every single F-150 Raptor R enjoys the Raptor 37 tires and suspension kit. this helps put it above the standard Ram 1500 TRX.
Next, read more about the Raptor R’s suspension or watch a comparison of the two trucks in the video below:
