Automotive
Ram is doing something few automakers ever do. It’s admitting it made a mistake. After pulling the legendary Hemi V-8 from the Ram 1500 lineup for 2025 and replacing it with a lineup of six-cylinder engines, the backlash was swift and loud. Buyers weren’t happy, and Ram listened. Now, the Hemi is officially back for the 2026 model year, and order books are open.
The 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 won’t be standard across the lineup, but it is available as an option on most trims. Depending on the model, it’ll cost up to $1,200 to get back that unmistakable V-8 rumble. Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis was candid about the reversal. “Ram screwed up when we dropped the Hemi—we own it and we fixed it,” he said. That level of honesty is rare, and it’s clearly a response to how passionately Ram buyers feel about their engines.
The returning V-8 will produce the same 395 horsepower and 410 lb-ft of torque as before, and it retains the eTorque mild-hybrid system to aid efficiency and smooth start-stop operation. The goal, according to Kuniskis, was to bring the engine back without triggering a long development cycle. That meant keeping the Hemi exactly as it was, allowing Ram to bypass time-consuming recalibrations and emissions certifications.
Buyers can spec the Hemi in a wide range of trims including Tradesman, Big Horn, Express, Warlock, Laramie, Rebel (a little later), Limited, and Longhorn. Interestingly, the Limited and Longhorn trims already come with Ram’s high-output 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six, so the V-8 is a no-cost option there. On other trims with the standard-output six-cylinder, expect to pay up to $1,200 for the upgrade.
To distinguish the Hemi-equipped trucks, Ram is introducing a unique “Symbol of Protest” badge that features a ram’s head positioned on the front of a Hemi block. You’ll find it on the front fenders, signaling this truck means business. The Hemi configuration provides 1,750 pounds of payload capacity and can tow up to 11,470 pounds, maintaining its reputation as a workhorse.
Bringing the V-8 back wasn’t easy. When Kuniskis rejoined Ram in December, he pushed hard to make it happen, but the engineering team was initially told it would take 18 months to make the engine work with the new electrical architecture introduced for the 2025 model. That architecture was designed with future electrified models like the Ram 1500 Rev and Ramcharger in mind, not a decades-old V-8.
Enter Daryl Smith, the former SRT chief engineer, who was tapped to lead a special skunkworks-style group codenamed F15. That team figured out how to integrate the Hemi in just six months. Kuniskis hinted that Smith’s SRT background wasn’t just a coincidence, suggesting this team could be tasked with more than just one engine comeback.
Ram isn’t done yet. In April, Kuniskis announced the brand would unveil 25 products over the next 18 months. Among them is a long-anticipated mid-size truck, and fans are still holding out hope for the return of the TRX. While the high-output RHO was introduced last year, Ram was clear it wasn’t a direct replacement for the TRX. As for when that beast may return, the company is staying quiet for now.
For those craving big power, there’s still one option on the horizon. The supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 Hellcat engine lives on in the 2026 Durango Hellcat. If Smith and his team can bring back the Hemi in six months, maybe they can do the same for the Hellcat-powered Ram 1500.
For now, V-8 lovers can breathe a sigh of relief. The Hemi isn’t dead. Not yet.
FOLLOW US TODAY: