Spotted: Ram Rebel TRX
Automotive spy photographers are still hard at work and they recently caught a Ram Rebel TRX while out on a test run. Spotted testing in Michigan’s Silver Lake Sand Dunes, the purported Rebel TRX is slated to take on the Ford Raptor directly. The last prototype was spotted out both on the streets of Detroit and even in arizona. A video captured by Jordan Denhoed from a camera mounted on his truck caught this prototype roaming through the hills. The type of terrain chosen as a proving ground proves that no matter what the Rebel TRX is up for, it mostly wants to compete on the Raptor’s home field.
Denhoed even managed to get close enough to the prototype to listen to the supercharged 6.2-liter Hellcat V8 that’s likely powering this Rebel TRX. Unlike the previous prototype that was suspected to offer 525 horsepower, enthusiasts now expect that the production version of the prototype will feature the Hellcat’s guaranteed 707 horsepower while paired with a 10-speed automatic. Engine details are of course unconfirmed and fuzzy at best, but experts feel comfortable making these assumptions due to the staggered wheel lug pattern of the most recent prototypes – six lugs in the front, eight lugs in the back. The Rebel TRX prototype photographed last year in Arizona only featured six lugs all around.
An inside source that spoke to Motor 1 on the condition of anonymity stated that Ram currently has 40 test mules running, 10 of which are white and 30 of which are black. There’s supposedly another tester that features an 840-horsepower Dodge Demon engine under the hood. On the other hand, Mopar Insiders is also reporting that the less powerful, less expensive Rebel TR variant is no longer in the work. It was slated to feature a 7.0-liter V8 with about 520 horsepower, but it’s cancellation came to be because Ram Trucks is opting to spend more resources on the Rebel TRX instead.
In the spy video, the crew-cabbed prototypes sport an all-blacked-out theme with Laramie Black front ends, twin pipes, and fender flares over beadlock-looking wheels. It’s difficult to determine if there’s a substantial lift due to the remote-reservoir Bilstein shocks as the wheel arches have been cut to make more room, but the prototype did feature up to 13 inches of travel. It’s also been rumored that the Rebel TRX will have ARB locking differentials on each axle. The Ram Rebel TRX was last promised to enter showrooms by 2022, so the prototype is likely something very far from the Rebel TRX’s final form. The F-150 Raptor that’s rumored to feature a Mustang Shelby GT500 Predator V8 engine is slated to arrive around the same time. Check out the spy video below:
While we wait on official news from Ram Trucks, feel free to explore the 2019 Ram Rebel at University Dodge. If you’re looking for something a little more luxurious, the revamped 2019 Ram 1500 is the pickup for you. Follow University Dodge on social media to stay up to date on the latest Ram news.