Meet the 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 R/T

Click above for high-res gallery of the 2009 Dodge Ram R/T

While our guys were out autocrossing the 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 and Viper ACR last week, Mike Levine (Yes, the same Mike Levine who tried to stuff himself into a RamBox) was doing his pickup thing over in another area of Chrysler's proving grounds in Chelsea, MI. On hand was the new 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 R/T, which we haven't had a chance to see until now. The '09 Ram R/T will pull up to the line with a 5.7L HEMI V8 tuned to 390 horsepower and 407 pound-feet of torque and a 5-speed AutoStick transmission, as well as a host of exterior upgrades including a new front bumper, blacked out grille, dual exhaust, chrome 5-spoke wheels and body-color everything. The amazing thing is that the engine will scoot this short-box, two-wheel drive truck to 60 mph in less than six seconds, according to Chrysler. If that sounds a little too good to be true for a pickup with less than 400 horsepower, credit should go to the "loose" torque converter that allows less slip compared to a normal automatic. The shifts are more aggressive than in a normal Ram and the unique torque converter does degrade fuel economy a bit, but that should be none of your concern by nature of the fact that you're interested in a sport truck to begin with. Check out source link for a more detailed explanation of the "loose" torque converter from Mike Levine at Pickuptrucks.com, and view all the visual upgrades worn by the 2009 Ram R/T in our gallery below.

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[Source: Pickuptrucks.com, photos courtesy of Ian Merritt, Cars.com]

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