Automotive
Remember in The Hangover when Bradley Cooper’s character Phil while on the phone looked at the wreckage of their Vegas trip and just said, “We f*cked up”? That’s probably how Dodge, Jeep, Chrysler, and Ram feel right about now. After spending the last few years walking away from V8 engines in the name of electrification and stricter regulations, it looks like someone at Stellantis finally took a long, hard look at the sales charts, listened to enthusiasts, read the room politically, and decided to say what many muscle truck fans have been dying to hear: The Ram TRX is coming back.
Yes, it’s official. Straight from Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa during the company’s Q2 financial call, the Ram 1500 TRX is making a triumphant return. The logic is simple and brutally honest—V8 trucks make money. Big money. “The V-8 engine on versions, such as the Ram 1500 TRX, will deliver to us additional volumes but also accredited margins per unit,” Filosa told shareholders. Translation? The TRX prints cash.
While official production timing hasn’t been nailed down publicly, well-placed sources at Mopar Insiders—who, by the way, were ahead of everyone else in predicting the truck’s comeback back in March—say we could see the new TRX in dealerships as soon as January 2026. That’s not far off, and it’s giving fans of horsepower and high-speed Baja-style trucks a serious reason to smile again.
As for what to expect, the specifics are still under wraps, but let’s be real—Ram knows exactly what it’s doing here. The last TRX packed a Hellcat-sourced 6.2-liter supercharged V8 pushing 702 horsepower. With the Ford Raptor R now cranking out 720 hp, it’s almost guaranteed that Ram will push past that number to reassert dominance. And with Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis also overseeing SRT now, the ingredients are all there for something ferocious. Think bigger power numbers, wild exhaust notes, brutal off-road capability, and that menacing, widebody look that made the original TRX an instant legend.
But this isn’t just about bringing back one truck. The TRX is just the front-runner in what seems to be a full-on V8 revival at Ram. The Hemi is officially coming back to the Ram 1500 lineup in 2026, and the brand has promised a massive wave of 25 new product announcements over the next 18 months. It’s clear they’ve realized that walking away from their V8 identity wasn’t just a mistake—it was a move that disconnected them from the core of what made their trucks special.
This pivot isn’t just about performance nostalgia, though. It’s about timing. With current fuel economy standards being softened under the current U.S. administration, the pressure to go all-in on electrification has eased up. For brands like Ram and Dodge, that means fewer regulatory handcuffs and more freedom to double down on what they do best—making loud, fast, unapologetic American machines.
So yes, the TRX is coming back. And if it’s anything like what we expect, it’ll be louder, meaner, and even more outrageous than before. For fans of high-horsepower trucks, it’s not just good news—it’s validation. Dodge, Jeep, Chrysler, and Ram might’ve had their Hangover moment, but now they’re ready to party again. This time with 700+ horses under the hood and dirt flying everywhere.
FOLLOW US TODAY:
Darryl Taylor Dowe is a seasoned automotive professional with a proven track record of leading successful ventures and providing strategic consultation across the automotive industry. With years of hands-on experience in both business operations and market development, Darryl has played a key role in helping automotive brands grow and adapt in a rapidly evolving landscape. His insight and leadership have earned him recognition as a trusted expert, and his contributions to Automotive Addicts reflect his deep knowledge and passion for the business side of the car world.
