We’ve sort-of seen the Ram Rebel TRX.
Since Ram announced the Hellcat-powered F-150 Raptor fighter was coming, there
have been occasional test mule sightings. This new set of spy shots, however,
feature the truck in its production skin.
Yes, it’s camouflaged to the hilt with
fake panels underneath to exaggerate body lines. But we still get a sense of
the truck’s flared fenders, and we can see what appears to be a snarling grille
trying to protrude through the covers up front. That could also be a brush
guard, but the takeaway here is the Rebel TRX won’t be a Ram 1500 with
blacked-out trim and some badges. Aggressive bodywork should take the handsome
Ram styling and inject serious attitude befitting of its supercharged 700-plus
horsepower V8 under the hood.
That aggressiveness should extend to the
driveline as well. Last year the prototypes were running dual Bilsteins at all four corners, with ARB Air
Lockers for both axles. Of course, that’s in addition to a higher ride-height
and meaty off-road tires so yeah, it should be a capable off-roader and not
just at slow speeds. We’ve seen Rebel TRX test mules playing on sand dunes with
an F-150 Raptor in tow, suggesting Ram is serious about going after Ford’s jump-happy
truck.
Spotting camouflaged prototypes on the
road suggests that testing could be entering the final phase. We’ve heard for
some time that the truck should arrive for the 2021 model year, which means we
will likely see the covers lifted later this year. The North American
International Auto Show’s new summertime venue could be a prime candidate for
the long-awaited Rebel TRX reveal.
