The demise of the V8 engine appears to have been called off.
Despite emissions regulations around the world appearing to have forced car makers to ditch the V8 engines in favour of more efficient alternatives, it seems government regulators forgot about one thing – consumer demand. And the latest brand to reverse course and revive its V8 engine is Ram, with reports from the US indicating that the next 1500 TRX will drop its twin-turbocharged six-cylinder in favour of a bent eight.
READ MORE: 2023 Ram 1500 TRX review
The news comes from American specialist outlet, Mopar Insiders, which claims that Ram executives are quickly changing future plans to better meet customer demands now that controversial former Stellantis boss Carlos Tevares is gone. Tavares is being blamed for many of the decisions to prioritise electric vehicles and other niche products at the expense of more popular options, such as the Hemi V8 engine that has served Ram and Dodge for decades.
The report doesn’t specify which engine the 2026 TRX would get underneath its bonnet as there are two options – the Hellcat and Hellcat Redeye. The former is a 6.4-litre supercharged V8 that makes a very healthy 535kW of power, while the latter winds it up even further to a staggering 594kW.
The previous TRX had a 523kW version of the Hellcat, but it was about more than just the engine. The TRX, Ram’s Raptor rival, also featured an overhauled suspension package for high-speed off-road driving capability which included new Bilstein Black Hawk e2 adaptive performance shock absorbers, as well as forged aluminium control arms and a Dana solid rear axle. RAM also worked with Goodyear to develop unique Wrangler Territory All-Terrain tyres for the TRX.
With no confirmation of this plan, it’s too early to comment on the chance of the TRX returning to the Australian Ram line-up. But it’s probably safe to say there’s plenty of Australian buyers that are happy for the V8 engine to live on.
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