The Ram 1500 TRX is a performance beast like no other pickup truck on the market. It takes the already impressively capable Ram 1500 and turns the crazy up to 11 – cramming in a 702 horsepower supercharged V8, beef suspension, and off-road ready body and chassis. But one of the most jaw-dropping performance metrics of this insane truck is its lightning-quick 0-60 mph acceleration time.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore exactly how quick the Ram TRX is from 0-60 mph. We’ll dive into the acceleration numbers, compare them to other performance vehicles, and examine what allows this full-size pickup to achieve such blistering straight-line speed. We’ll also discuss whether there are any real-world benefits to having this level of acceleration in a truck.
So buckle up (or strap in, as it were) as we take a deep look into the Ram 1500 TRX’s incredible 0-60 mph performance!
What is the 0-60 MPH Time of the Ram 1500 TRX?
According to independent testing by Car and Driver, Ram 1500 TRX sprints from 0-60 mph in just 3.7 blistering seconds. To put that in perspective, that’s quicker than high-performance sports cars like the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and Porsche 911 Carrera.
The 3.7 second 0-60 mph time blows away Ram’s original estimate of 4.5 seconds for the TRX. So this truck is even quicker than the manufacturer expected.
It’s a shockingly quick acceleration time for a full-size pickup truck. In fact, the Ram 1500 TRX is the quickest production pickup truck ever tested from 0-60 mph.
How Does the TRX Achieve Such Blistering Acceleration?
So what allows this behemoth pickup to acceRate so rapidly? The combination of the TRX’s potent powertrain and performance-oriented all-wheel drive system is the key.
702 HP 6.2L Supercharged V8 Engine
Under the TRX’s scooped hood lies the crown jewel – a 6.2L supercharged HEMI V8 engine shared with other high performance vehicles in the Stellantis lineup. In the Ram, this “Hellcat” V8 churns out an immense 702 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque.
That’s a staggering amount of power, especially for a truck. To put those numbers in perspective, the 6.2L Hellcat V8 makes more horsepower than the V8 engines found in high-end supercars like the Ferrari 458 Italia and Audi R8 V10 Plus.
High Performance All-Wheel Drive System
Sending all that Hellcat horsepower to the ground is a high performance all-wheel drive system, incorporating an electronic locking rear differential and launch control technology from the Dodge performance lineup.
The AWD system maximizes traction off the line. And launch control mode helps the TRX consistently achieve neck-snapping acceleration runs without roasting the rear tires.
Lightweight-ish Construction
Despite being a full-size truck, the Ram 1500 TRX is somewhat light for its size – tipping the scales at around 6,440 lbs. That’s still immensely heavy, of course, but less portly than you might expect for a truck with such extreme off-road upgrades.
The TRX’s relatively low weight (for a truck), combined with its monstrous power output, results in an excellent power-to-weight ratio that allows the blistering 0-60 mph acceleration.
Putting the 0-60 Time in Perspective
A 3.7 second 0-60 time is crazy quick for a pickup truck. But just how quick is it compared to other high performance production vehicles?
The 0-60 mph acceleration of the Ram 1500 TRX far outpaces other high performance trucks and SUVs. It’s over a second quicker than the Ford F-150 Raptor (0-60 in 5.5–5.6 sec) and the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk (0-60 in 3.5 sec).
It even edges out most high-end sports cars and supercars from the 0-60 sprint:
- Porsche 911 Carrera: 4.0 seconds
- Chevrolet Corvette Stingray: 2.9 seconds
- Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat: 3.7 seconds
Only ultra high-end supercars and hyper-exotics like the Lamborghini Aventador SVJ and Bugatti Chiron are significantly quicker from 0-60 than the Ram TRX.
Is the TRX’s 0-60 Time Consistent?
While Ram’s original 4.5 second 0-60 estimate proved conservative, the 3.7 second time from Car & Driver’s testing seems to ring true for the TRX in optimal conditions.
Reports from TRX owners and other publications tend to show real-world 0-60 times clustering around that 3.7-3.8 second range when factoring in environmental variables like heat, humidity, surface conditions, etc.
Some TRX owners have managed to dip into the 3.5s range by performing meticulously prepared acceleration runs. But realistically, most drivers will see 0-60 times in the high 3 second range with the bone stock truck.
Mind-Blowing Quarter Mile Performance
The Ram TRX’s acceleration credentials go far beyond just the 0-60 mph benchmark. This truck absolutely demolishes the 1/4 mile, completing the distance in just 12.9 seconds at a trap speed of 108 mph!
To put those numbers into context, that’s quicker than even very capable high performance sports cars like the Mercedes-AMG C63 S (11.2 seconds @ 121 mph) and Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio (13.7 seconds @ 101.6 mph).
Most supercar owners would be grinning from ear-to-ear if their exotic rocket ship could rip off those kind of 1/4 mile times. Yet the Ram TRX does it effortlessly while weighing over 6,440 lbs!
Unlocking Max Acceleration with Launch Control
Part of what allows the TRX to achieve these incredible straight line stats is the incorporation of a high performance launch control system inherited from the Dodge Challenger and Charger Hellcats.
The TRX’s launch control mode allows the driver to dial in an exact launch RPM using steering wheel paddles. By building up revs against the brake, the truck can execute perfect high RPM clutch drops for maximum acceleration off the line.
Launch control expertly modulates engine torque and wheelspin to maintain optimum traction. It takes the guesswork out of nailing consistent hard launches.
With an experienced driver behind the wheel exploiting all the TRX’s performance tech, it’s entirely possible to see 0-60 times dipping into the 3.5s and 1/4 mile ETs in the 11s. Numbers that are scarcely believable for a pickup truck!
Is Extreme 0-60 Performance Practical?
While the TRX’s acceleration capabilities are immensely impressive from an enthusiast’s standpoint, one has to wonder whether such straight-line performance offers any real-world practical benefits in a truck.
After all, pickup trucks are intended as utility vehicles first and foremost. Does it make any meaningful difference if a truck can rip off supercar acceleration times in day-to-day driving?
Well, the truth is that for mundane tasks like hauling materials to a worksite, the TRX’s performance is largely academic. But there are some scenarios where the lightning-quick acceleration could prove useful:
Merging and Passing: The explosive power of the TRX’s V8 provides immense passing power on the highway. Short bursts of acceleration make easy work of quickly changing lanes to pass slow traffic.
This performance advantage could be meaningful if frequently merging onto high speed freeways and interstates with short on-ramps. The truck’s thrust allows it to instantly find gaps in fast-moving traffic.
Hauling Heavy Loads: While no one is cross-shopping the TRX with a heavy duty pickup, there are times when lighting-quick acceleration could be beneficial when hauling loads near the truck’s tow/payload capacities.
Having an abundance of horsepower and torque on tap ensures the TRX doesn’t feel slow or struggle when weighted down with a trailer or bed full of cargo. The abundant power keeps acceleration feeling brisk even under load.
Simply Having Fun: At the end of the day, having access to mind-bending straight-line acceleration can just be immensely enjoyable from an enthusiast’s standpoint. It puts an utterly silly smile on your face every time you mat the accelerator.
For some TRX buyers, that sense of exhilaration and unbridled power could be the entire reason for purchase. And there’s nothing wrong with that! The capability may be excessive, but having an overpowered boutique performance truck in your stable has its own appeal.
How the TRX Puts the Power Down
Of course, with such an astounding amount of horsepower and torque channeled through an AWD system, ensuring the truck can consistently put all that power down to the road becomes a prime engineering challenge.
The TRX employs several clever technologies to help maximize traction and termination:
- Huge 35-inch All-Terrain Tires: Providing immense footprints and exceptional grip on road and off.
- Selectable Terrain Modes: Allowing the driver to tailor the truck’s throttle response, transmission behavior, traction control, and stability control to surface conditions.
- Electronically Locking Rear Differential: Ensuring that if one wheel starts slipping, power doesn’t get cut to the opposite wheel. Maximizing available traction.
Ram engineers gave the TRX every tool in the arsenal to help put the engine’s outrageous output to the ground consistently. And it works incredibly well.
Other Blistering Performance Stats
While the 0-60 mph and quarter mile acceleration times are certainly the headlining performance figures of the Ram TRX, this ballistic truck has plenty of other eye-opening stats to impress:
0-100 MPH: The relentless thrust of the supercharged V8 allows the truck to achieve 0-100 mph in just 10.5 seconds. That’s in the same realm as legendary sports cars like the Nissan GT-R, Porsche 911 Turbo S, and McLaren 600LT Spider.
Top Speed: Despite weighing over three tons, the TRX can achieve an immense top speed of 118 mph. For a lifted, knobby-tired off-road monster of a truck, that’s outrageous velocity.
Stopping Distances: Thanks to massive 14.8-inch front and 14.9-inch rear brake rotors and aluminum calipers up front, the TRX sheds speed with ferocity.
Lateral Grip: Around the corners, the TRX’s meaty 35-inch tires offer up to 0.70g of lateral grip. That’s sufficient cornering performance to allow an emergency lane change maneuver at over 60 mph without overwhelming the chassis.
Does the TRX Live Up to the Hype?
After digesting all the acceleration figures and performance metrics, there’s no denying the Ram 1500 TRX is a certifiable performance monster unrivaled in the pickup truck world.
Looking at just the numbers, it competes favorably in most performance categories with high-dollar supercars and purpose-built track machines. Yet the TRX still offers all the capability, practicality, and utility that’s expected from a full-size truck.
While the hyperbolic performance may seem excessive for a vehicle intended to haul loads, the TRX always lets you tap into that explosive engine output and blistering acceleration from any scenario. Whether taking off from a stoplight or charging onto the freeway, the truck’s thrust is ever-present and always exhilarating.
So in that sense, the TRX absolutely lives up to its bonkers performance claims and theatrical hype. It puts more straight-line capability at your disposal than perhaps any other vehicle on the road. And it integrates that madness into a purposeful and livable everyday truck package.
The Thrill of Driving a Hellcat-Powered Truck
As entertaining as outrageous spec sheets can be, they don’t fully convey the visceral thrill of driving a Hellcat-powered pickup like the Ram TRX.
The experience starts before you even put the truck into motion. Fire up the raucous supercharged 6.2L V8 and it announces its unhinged intentions with a beastly growl through the quad-tip exhaust.
Mash the accelerator and the TRX instantly summons every last one of its 702 hellcat horses with a ferocity that defies its truck packaging. The thunderous V8 roars toward its 14,600 rpm redline as the transmission cracks off lightning-quick upshifts in a hyperactive frenzy unique to the Hellcat experience.
Through it all, the burly truck chassis stays remarkably composed. Despite the intense forces at work, the TRX tracks arrow-straight as peak torque twists the rear tires into smoking submission. It’s an exercise in controlled violence as this 14,600 lb beast achieves momentum with a level of abruptness usually reserved for dedicated drag machines.
And yet, the Ram deftly manages all that absurd power to provide a purposeful and utterly intoxicating driving experience unlike anything else on the road. Each stab of the throttle summons endless waves of thrust. And you’ll find yourself endlessly surfing them just for the sheer thrill.
If the quarter mile numbers didn’t already make it clear – with the Ram 1500 TRX, speed truly has been weaponized.
Conclusion: The Quickest Production Truck Ever Made
The Ram 1500 TRX cements itself as an utterly unrivaled performance machine in the pickup truck realm. Its ability to accelerate to 60 mph in just 3.7 seconds makes it the quickest production truck to ever hit the streets. Even the fastest performance SUVs and sports cars can’t catch this Hellcat-powered hauler in the sprint to 60.
Those mindbending acceleration stats are just numbers on a page until you actually experience the TRX’s savage power delivery from behind the wheel. That’s when you’ll fully appreciate the ridiculous level of potency Stellantis has imbued this truck with.
For performance driving enthusiasts who demand uncompromising capability from their daily driver, nothing else comes close to offering the thrills and straight-line ferocity of the Ram 1500 TRX. It’s more than just the quickest truck – it’s a purpose-built straight-line missile launcher with a bed.
