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Ram 1500 TRX too tame for you? Hennessey cranks its Hemi V8 to 1,012 horsepower

Ram captured the top spot on the horsepower podium when it released the Hellcat-powered 1500 TRX in 2020. The truck's 702-horsepower output places it comfortably ahead of the Ford F-150 Raptor, at least for now, but American tuner Hennessey saw plenty of room for improvement. It added over 300 horses to the TRX's cavalry. Hennessey is a master in V8-ology, so it was only a matter of time before it injected more power into the TRX. It announced two models named Mammoth 900 and Mammoth 1000, respectively, and each number vaguely corresponds to the V8's new output. The 900's 6.2-liter produces 912 horsepower and 873 pound-feet of torque, increases of 210 and 223, respectively, compared to the standard TRX. Hennessey achieved these figures by upgrading the supercharger pulleys and making relatively basic changes to the intake and exhaust systems. Stepping up to the 1000 unlocks 1,012 horsepower and 969 pound-feet of torque, numbers that give the 6,300-plus-pound truck the uncanny ability to reach 60 mph from a stop in 3.2 seconds. It flies through the quarter mile in 11.4 seconds at 120 mph. Building a pickup with supercar-like acceleration required installing a bigger, 2.65-liter supercharger, adding high-flow fuel injectors, and recalibrating the ECU. Intake and exhaust modifications are on the menu, too. Surprisingly, it doesn't sound like Hennessey made significant internal changes to the engine or to the transmission, which suggests the standard components can handle a massive amount of power. Context is useful here. Released in 2013, the fifth and final generation of the Dodge-turned-SRT-turned-Dodge again Viper took 3.3 seconds to sprint from zero to 60 mph, and it logged an 11.5-second quarter-mile time. Previewed in a computer-generated sketch, the Mammoth 1000 (shown above) also receives 20-inch wheels wrapped by 35-inch off-road tires, a 2.5-inch suspension lift, custom bumpers on both ends, extra LEDs up front, electronic fold-out steps, plus an array of model-specific emblems. Inside, Hennessey added a numbered plaque. 200 units of the Mammoth 1000 will be available for the 2021 model year, and pricing starts at $135,350 including the cost of the donor truck (which carries a base price of $71,790) and a warranty valid for two years or 24,000 miles. Put another way, you get 30.6% more power than stock for about 40% more money.

2017 Ram Model Year Preview and Updates

Launched as its own division in 2009, FCA's Ram Truck line has ridden the wave of post-recession growth with significant sales upticks throughout its brief, independent history (it was spun off from Dodge) within the Fiat Chrysler ranks. Although the 'new' news for 2017 is limited, Ram continues to focus on efficiency, with the Ram 1500 offering both a 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6 and 3.6-liter Pentastar V6, achieving an estimated 29 and 25 miles per gallon highway, respectively. RAM 1500: All 1500s receive a list of revisions laden with value-added standard features. The most visible example is the recently launched Rebel, which receives more than its share of standard updates, including Uconnect 8.4 and media hub; automatic dual-zone temperature control; security alarm; remote start; rear backup camera and rear park assist. Newly announced at the Chicago Auto Show in February was the Copper Sport edition, built in limited volume and offering a host of 'custom' upgrades. The 1500 is sold in eleven different models. 2500/3500: Ram's Heavy Duty offerings include a new-for-2017 Power Wagon and an also-new 4X4 Off-road package, with the Power Wagon taking its design cues from the '79-'80 Macho Power Wagon. Announced at the Chicago Auto Show is a new Night package for the heavy duty lineup. Also for 2017, product planners have made the 6.4-liter HEMI standard on Laramie, Laramie Longhorn and Limited trims. PROMASTER CITY: Essentially unchanged, the compact commercial and passenger van has been updated for 2017 with brighter shifter illumination, rear door reflectors for better visibility when opened, and what is now best-in-class fuel economy.

Deep discounts — $12K, $13K, $16K — are fueling a pickup price war

Heavy discounts of up to $16,000 per vehicle are fueling a "truck war" among full-size pickups sold in the United States by the Detroit Three, a Reuters analysis shows. Strong U.S. sales this year of the highly profitable big trucks have helped offset lagging passenger car sales. But it is not clear how much of the truck demand is linked directly to ample factory incentives and dealer discounts, or how far sales might decline without those subsidies. A Reuters survey of Ford, General Motors Co's Chevrolet and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles's Ram truck dealers across the United States indicates stores are offering deep discounts the country's bestselling full-size pickup trucks. "The walls are not crashing down on full-size trucks," said Sam Fiorani, vice president of global vehicle forecasting at AutoForecast Solutions in Chester Springs, Pennsylvania. Detroit-based automakers want to keep cranking out their high-margin trucks, he added, and "giving up a little of the profit is the cheapest way to do it." Stores are offering discounts of up to $12,000 on the 2018 Ford F-150, which remains the best-selling vehicle in the country, recording more than 80,000 sales in May. Discounts run up to $13,000 on the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado and as high as $16,000 on the Ram 1500. Average transaction prices for full-size pick-ups range from around $42,000 to $45,000, industry analysts and automakers say. All three companies are spending furiously - GM and Fiat Chrysler to help sell off carryover 2018 trucks to prepare for redesigned 2019 models, and Ford to sustain its long-held sales crown. A supplier fire that temporarily shut down production of the F-150 last month "changed the game," said Jeff Schuster, senior vice president of forecasting at LMC Automotive in Troy, Michigan said. The supply halt nudged Ford's crosstown rivals "to ratchet up incentives on the current models to go after weakness at Ford," he said. Deals advertised on the companies' official websites range from rebates and low-interest loans to ultra-cheap lease rates, but they are not telling the whole story. Ford, for instance, advertises a $2,000 rebate and a $500 financing credit on sales of certain F-150 models. But James Collins Ford in Louisville, Kentucky, is offering discounts of up to $12,215 on the 2018 F-150 XLT SuperCrew 4x4. The price cuts are even steeper at a number of GM and Fiat Chrysler dealers. Quirk Chevrolet is selling the 2018 Silverado 1500 Double Cab at $13,000 off sticker.