For Those Unimpressed By The RHO, It May Be The Next Best Thing
Ram is reversing course, bringing back both former CEO Tim Kuniskis and the Hemi V8 engines he advocated for. But those moves came too late to save the Ram 1500 TRX and its 702-horsepower Hellcat engine. It’s too soon to tell if a TRX revival is in the future, but for now Atlanta-based Road Show International is offering a substitute.
The dealership and tuner recently listed a modified “RS Edition” TRX for sale. It’s got what the company calls its RS Performance Package, which adds a claimed 848 hp for a total of 1,550 hp. Those gains are achieved with a rebuilt engine from BES/HHP, a new supercharger with a dedicated cold-air intake system, and upgraded fuel injectors and fuel pumps to feed it.
Road Show International
Road Show International lists a zero to 60 mph time of 2.7 seconds and a top speed of 145 mph. That not only beats the stock TRX’s 4.5-second zero to 60 mph time and 118 mph top speed, but also the 3.2-second zero to 60 mph of the Hennessey Mammoth 1000, another tuner TRX with 1,012 hp. The best part is that RS Edition still looks mostly stock (gloss black trim and smoked lighting are the main giveaways) so it’s more or less a sleeper, by TRX standards.
Ram Upheaval
Road Show International
Road Show International
Road Show International
Road Show International
The TRX, along with all other V8 Ram 1500 models, was discontinued as part of an effort by parent brand Stellantis to emphasize more efficient inline-six and electrified powertrains. That saw the TRX replaced by the Ram 1500 RHO, powered by a 540-hp high-output version of Stellantis’ Hurricane 3.0-liter turbo-six. That’s still plenty of power for a truck designed for off-roading.
However Kuniskis, who returned to running Ram earlier this year after just seven months in retirement, moved swiftly to reverse the “no-V8” policy, announcing last month that the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 would be available in the Ram 1500 for the 2026 model year. It’s one of 25 announcements Kuniskis plans to make over the next year, including several focused on new products like a passenger van. And that’s already generated rumors about a TRX revival.
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About the author
Stephen Edelstein
Contributing Writer, Autoblog