2017 Raptor v. Ram Rebel TRX: What You Need to Know
Last week was the auto show media day for the Texas State Fair. If you aren’t aware, the Texas State Fair has become an auto show for the country’s truck manufacturers and many of them will bring prototypes, concepts, and news to the Lone Star State to share with Texans first. During this most recent show, Ford revealed the horsepower, torque, and fuel economy for the 2017 Raptor. Ram Trucks showed off a Hellcat-powered TRX Rebel. Here’s what you need to know.
Engines and Horsepower:
The 2017 Ford Raptor is powered by the company’s 2nd-generation 3.5L EcoBoost, tuned to make 450 horsepower and 510 lb-ft of torque. The Rebel TRX runs a 6.2L supercharged Hemi V8 — with many components from the Hellcat — making 575 horsepower.
The TRX is the most-powerful factory-engineered half-ton pickup truck ever. However both Ford and Ram claim their trucks will do 100 miles per hour just about anywhere.
Suspension:
Ford’s using a new version of Fox Racing shocks with internal bypass allowing 13 inches of suspension travel in the front and 13.9 inches in the rear. The Rebel TRX also uses internal bypass shocks with 13 inches of wheel travel at all four corners.
Both trucks feature upgraded everything for severe off-road duty. They have to back up their claims that each truck will do 100 miles per hour anywhere.
Technology:
One of the key components that makes the new Raptor more badass than before is a terrain response setting for the truck. It includes normal, sport, weather, mud/sand, rock/crawl, and a Baja mode. The Baja mode is what the Raptor race team uses for the Best in the Desert racing series.
The Rebel TRX using a “4×4 Performance Control System” that has a normal mode, wet/snow, off-road, and Baja.
What’s the Difference?
If you read through the main specs discussed here, there really isn’t a huge difference — on paper — between the 2017 Ford Raptor and the Ram Rebel TRX. If anything, the only major difference is the increased horsepower from the supercharger in the TRX over the turbocharger in the Raptor.
No matter what what you slice it, a supercharged V8 with the whine of the Hellcat sounds better than just about anything else on, or off, the road. Despite the technological marvel that Ford has under the hood, it just won’t sound the same.
That being said, there’s an even bigger difference than the engine between these trucks, and it is in Ford’s favor. While clearly the TRX Rebel is a “shots fired” truck aiming squarely at Ford, the TRX is a concept. While it looks very production-ready to me, it’s “an engineering, design and consumer-interest study for an extreme performance half-ton pickup.” You can order a new Raptor now, and they go on sale next month.
Competition is a good thing, and I want Ram to put this truck into production so there’s even more competition in the marketplace. Why? Because the consumer always wins when there’s more competition, even in factory trophy trucks.
What do you think? Being Ford fans, of course you want the Raptor, but do you see anything at all appealing in the latest offering from Ram, even if it’s just a concept? Let us know in the comments or over in the forums!
