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Rebel Ram TRX prototypes spied on video playing in Michigan dunes

A group of Ram Rebel TRX prototypes has been caught on video testing in Michigan's Silver Lake Sand Dunes. This marks a change of scenery from our last prototype views, which took place on city streets in Detroit and in Arizona. Jordan Denhoed caught the video from a camera mounted on his truck, following the prototypes through the hills. The type of terrain and the presence of a Ford F-150 Raptor reinforce the idea that no matter what else the production Rebel TRX can do, it wants to compete with the Raptor on the Raptor's home field. Denhoed was able to get close enough once to hear the sound of the supercharger working in the 6.2-liter Hellcat V8. Unlike the Rebel TRX concept that was billed with 525 horsepower, the expectation now is that the production version will work up the Hellcat's typical 707 horsepower and shift through a 10-speed automatic. The power figure might have something to do with the staggered wheel lug pattern on the most recent prototypes — six lugs in front, eight lugs in back. The Rebel TRX proto caught in Arizona in August last year used the six-lug pattern all around. Other engine details are fuzzy. Motor1 credits an "insider source" with info that Ram has 40 test mules running, 10 of them in white, 30 of them in black, and one of those testers supposedly has an 840-hp Dodge Demon engine under the hood. The same source said the production version won't use the dial shifter, but a traditional shifter on the center tunnel. At the opposite pole concerning engines, Mopar Insiders reports that the less powerful, less expensive Rebel TR version, using a 7.0-liter V8 with roughly 520 hp, has either been canceled or delayed so Ram can devote resources to the Rebel TRX. The crew-cabbed prototypes in the video all wear the blacked-out treatment and Laramie Black front ends, fender flares over beadlock-looking wheels, and twin pipes. It's hard to tell how much lift comes with the remote-reservoir Bilstein shocks since the wheel arches have been cut out to make more room, but the concept had 13 inches of travel. It's rumored that ARB locking diffs will come on each axle. Having been promised for showrooms by 2022, it's likely we have a couple of years to wait we see the Rebel TRX's final form. We should get our first look at the F-150 Raptor fitted with the Mustang Shelby GT500's Predator V8 around the same time.

Ram Power Wagon Mojave Sand limited edition has true grit

Just last week Ram informed us of the red and blue Harvest Edition chassis cab trucks that match Case IH and New Holland hardware, and now there's a new color theme edition available. We last saw Ram's Mojave Sand hue on the 2017 Ram Rebel truck, shown to the public at the 2016 Los Angeles Auto Show, but now the color debuts on a Ram Heavy Duty truck for the first time. Ram is introducing a limited, 1,500-unit Mojave Sand edition of the 2018 Power Wagon. The limited edition has contrasting black details and graphics, giving it a nice desert-style look; you won't mistake it with a similarly colored Ram Rebel as the truck proudly proclaims POWER WAGON on the cabin end of the bed — not to mention it rides quite a bit higher. The all-black wheels are also new, shod with 33-inch Goodyears, and the interior is fully black, with features from the Heavy Duty Luxury Group like LED bed lighting and an overhead console. But the Power Wagon is much more than just add-ons: Underneath, it's a 2500 HD 4x4 Crew Cab with the 6.4-liter Hemi V8 providing 410 horsepower. There's a suspension kit offering more than two inches of lift, giving the truck a total of 14.3 inches of ground clearance. As well as an electrically disconnecting front sway bar, there are locking diffs front and rear and a 12,000-pound winch — it's like you're factory-instructed to go deep into Mojave Desert sand and then power your way out of it. The Mojave Sand package is a $795 bump to the standard Power Wagon, meaning the list price starts at over $55,000 including destination fees. The limited edition will be available during the fourth quarter of 2018. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Featured Gallery 2018 Ram Power Wagon Mojave Sand Edition Image Credit: Ram Trucks RAM Truck Off-Road Vehicles ram power wagon

Is Ram working on an HD Hellcat pickup truck?

Ram already offers an off-road-oriented Power Wagon pickup truck based on its heavy-duty 2500 chassis, and that's no slouch with a 410-horsepower, 6.4-liter Hemi V8. But add a 707-hp Hellcat to the mix and our interest goes through the roof. But is that what we're actually looking at in the spy photos above? Even a cursory glance at the shots proves these aren't ordinary Ram 2500 trucks. The most obvious visual hint is the big ram-air hood, but we also see a definite lift kit and heavy-duty suspension components underneath. The removal of the front and rear bumpers indicates that these trucks have good approach and departure angles, but it could also mean that whatever is underhood needs major airflow. Notice, too, that the two trucks seen here aren't traditional Crew Cab models, which is how the Power Wagon comes standard. Instead, there's a single cab and a massive Mega Cab sitting side by side. Is Ram going to unleash two new Power Wagon variants? Seems possible. It's really not possible to talk about a potential Ram HD Hellcat pickup truck without mentioning the Ford Raptor. The Blue Oval's SVT division has created one heck of a factory off-road monster, and it's set to get even better for the 2017 model year with an EcoBoost engine and four full-size doors. How could Ram, one of Ford's biggest truck competitors, answer Ford's latest assault? How about a Hellcat! Based on FCA's desire to put a Hellcat engine into anything that can hold it, it wouldn't be shocking to see an overpowered Ram model. And if that does happen, the Power Wagon platform is a great place to start. We don't know if that's what we're looking at, or if these trucks are test beds for future parts for the Mopar catalog, but either way we like what we see. Related Video: Featured Gallery Ram Hellcat: Spy Shots Design/Style Spy Photos RAM Truck Off-Road Vehicles ram power wagon