Did you ever play with Hot Wheels as a child? Tinkering around with a toy truck is the best way to describe how it feels when you step out of the Ram TRX and into any other full-size truck in the segment. It’s hard, almost painful, to do, and it’s why so many drivers keep their eyes peeled for the powerhouse on wheels at their local Ram TRX dealer. They’re ready to taste the heart-stopping power and experience the epic adventures that Ram’s latest marvel has to offer. And who could blame them? The Ram TRX really does have it all.
Exclusivity? Check.
There’s a lot to be said for driving the best and most powerful truck in the world. The Ram 1500 TRX made its debut in 2021 to widespread acclaim as precisely that–the fastest and most powerful mass-produced truck in the world. The 2022 TRX continues that legacy and adds another level of exclusivity with the limited-production Ignition Edition.
With only 875 models produced, the Ignition Edition is a lot like the golden ticket to Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. Its exclusivity guarantees its opulence. Beyond its blazing orange exterior paint, Ram equips the Ignition Edition with every feature and luxury imaginable from its flat-bottom steering wheel wrapped in leather and suede to its ventilated second-row seats. Unlike Willy Wonka’s golden ticket, however, the Ignition Edition isn’t free and pushes the truck’s base price nearly $20,000 higher, making it ideal for drivers with deep pockets and a penchant for orange.
Hell-Raising Power? Check.
Don’t blink, or you’ll miss it. The team at Bright Side reports that a person blinks once every five seconds, which is longer than it takes the TRX to launch from 0 to 60 mph. This 4.5-second launch is courtesy of the TRX’s hell-raising 6.2-liter supercharged HEMI V8 engine that delivers 702 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of near-instant torque that jolts the truck immediately off the line for jaw-dropping acceleration. It’s no surprise, then, that the TRX is the most powerful production street-legal half-ton truck.
The TRX achieves this feat thanks to an innovative dual-path air induction system that ensures the supercharged HEMI is constantly supplied with cool, clean air regardless of the environment or conditions. How does it work? The scoop in the hood and the upper edge of the grille serve as pathways that draw air from the outside into a 29-liter air box that filters out dirt, debris, and water. The design, however, is more intricate than that.
The hood scoop channels air to the bottom rear of the box while the grille channels air toward the bottom front. Dirt and water weigh more than air, which means this debris settles to the bottom of the box as the air rises and reaches the filter. The one-way drain in the bottom of the box constantly evacuates the water as the heavy-duty air filters, which offer 198.4 square inches of surface area, further purify the air of debris before its routed to the engine. With the system constantly working behind the scenes, the TRX’s supercharged HEMI is always running optimally regardless of the exterior elements.
Epic Performer? Check.
A modern marvel like the TRX can deliver all the power in the world, but that isn’t worth anything if it can’t perform or handle its own on any terrain. Ram knows as much and outfits the TRX with an exclusive Bilstein Black Hawk e2 shock system. The system allows the truck to adapt to all your needs—whether you’re navigating the Rubicon Trail, testing its top speed on the track, or running high-speed passes in the desert. If you can dream it, the TRX can do it.
The Bilstein name is synonymous with performance, and that’s even truer with the TRX’s exclusive e2 shock system that’s designed specifically for extreme performance. Relying on a precision-machined, single-piece construction, the shocks are made from rigid aluminum inlaid with machined cooling fins that reduce and dissipate heat. Independent remote reservoirs with pressurized nitrogen gas fuel each shock and are responsible for the suspension’s extreme articulation. This is what takes the TRX to the extremes on the trail, giving you the confidence you need to climb the rock, navigate the water crossing, and descend the steep grade.
Knowing that the TRX will be pushed to its limit both on and off the pavement, the Bilstein e2 system also features ZoneControl Jounce Cut Off. For example, let’s say that you’re navigating a technical area of the Rubicon Trail where a hard landing off a large boulder is inevitable. Jounce Cut Off uses a patented hydraulic cushion to soften the landing. As the shock absorbers near full compression after the initial landing, the system engages a secondary piston that provides additional cushioning and prevents the suspension from bottoming out.
Innovative? Check.
Not only is the Ram TRX the most powerful truck in the world, but it’s also the most technologically advanced truck ever built. The centerpiece of that technology is the award-winning Uconnect infotainment system. Centralized on a 12-inch configurable touchscreen display, Uconnect offers smartphone integration via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto and a host of features like SiriusXM with 360L and Pandora. But streaming your favorite music is only the beginning of the TRX’s high-tech capability.
The TRX’s technology extends to features like Trailer Reverse Steer Control that relies on the expansive 360-degree camera and innovative technology to help you navigate the trailer in reverse with the turn of a knob. When you’re not towing a heavy load, and you’re on the trail, the TRX’s forward-facing camera outfits the truck with a virtual spotter that shows you the route ahead. You can also keep an eye out behind the rig using the digital rearview camera, which replaces the traditional rearview mirror and offers an expansive, real-time view behind the truck at all times.
Ram gives you plenty of insight into how the TRX performs with exclusive technology like Performance Pages and Off-Road Pages, both of which are accessible via the center touchscreen display or the digital driver display. Off-Road Pages gives you vital performance data on the TRX’s ride height, pitch, roll, accessory gauges, and the position of the transfer case. Performance Pages is designed for on-road uses and gives you real-time performance data like g-force, engine performance, gauges, and timers, all of which you can download to a USB drive for further analysis.
Excessive in All the Right Ways
Exclusive. Innovative. Epic. The 2022 Ram 1500 TRX is everything you imagined your Hot Wheels truck to be when you were a kid racing it around the living room. Only this time, it could be sitting in your garage; “Vroom Vroom” sound effects are no longer necessary.
It’s hard to believe that 702 horses of hell-raising power could be within your reach, but that’s exactly what you’ll find when you start shopping at your local Ram TRX dealer. This power, along with the TRX’s menacing aesthetic, innovative technology, and over-the-top opulence, leaves many to wonder if it’s excessive. Is it too much for the road and out of place on the trail? That’s something only you can decide, but it’s a safe bet that once you discover what 702 horsepower feels like, there won’t be any turning back.
