2012 Ram 2500 4x4 1 Yr Old on 2040-cars

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2023 Ram TRX priced at $81,150

The relentless rise of the MSRP on the Ram TRX has slowed. In January of this year, the super truck's base price had climbed to $74,085 after the $1,695 destination charge. Six weeks later, it jumped up $2,295 and the destination charge rose $100, taking matters to $76,880. Since then February, Ram pushed the mark up another $1,910 to $80,585 after destination. Mopar Insiders sourced the pricing sheet for the 2023 Ram TRX and reports next year's truck is only going to be $565 more dear, costing $81,150. MI didn't note any substantive changes to the pickup, which wouldn't be surprising in just its third year on the market. There are other price bumps among the options, however. Diamond Black Crystal will hold over as the only monotone available and cost the same $100 as now. But the 2022 TRX offers six two-tone hues that, according to this early list, will drop to five. Granite Crystal Metallic will go up from $200 to $450; Billet Silver Metallic increases from $200 to $250, and Hydro Blue Pearl climbs from $100 to $350. The other two, Flame Red Clear and Bright White Clear, will cost $250, same as now. On the 2022 rig, however, choosing those latter two-tone paint jobs automatically adds a little more than $10,000 in options with the TRX Level 2 Equipment Group. The Ignition Orange two-tone exterior isn't included on the list MI received, the end of the $9,200 Ignition Edition Package that also required the Level 2 group and so added nearly $20,000 to the price. The $100,080 Sandblast Edition is the special trim for next year. Big-ticket prices like the Equipment Groups and a la carte options such as the dual-pane sunroof, 19-speaker Harmon Kardon audio system, and surround-view camera system don't appear to have budged. We think that's called "small favors." The reptile's heart hasn't changed either, that continuing to be the supercharged 6.2-liter Hellcat V8 with 702 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque. We think that's called, "If it ain't broke." The 2023 TRX isn't on the Ram configurator as of writing, but dealers are ready to take orders. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Auto Mergers and Acquisitions: Suicide or salvation?

We love the Moses figure. A savior riding in from stage right with the ideas, the smarts, and the scrappiness to put things right. Alan Mullaly. Carroll Shelby. Lee Iacocca. Andrew Carnegie. Steve Jobs. Elon Musk. Bart Simpson. Sergio Marchionne does not likely view himself with Moses-like optics, but the CEO of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles recently gave a remarkable, perhaps prophetic interview with Automotive News about his interest and the inevitability of merging with a potential automotive partner like General Motors. Marchionne has been overtly public about his notion that GM must merge with FCA. For a bit of context, GM sold 9.9 million vehicles in 2014, posting $2.8 billion in net income, while FCA sold 4.75 million units and earned $2.4 billion in net income, painting a very rosy FCA earnings-to-sales picture. But that's not the entire picture. Most people in the auto industry still remember the trainwreck that was the DaimlerChrysler "merger" written in what turned out to be sand in 1998. It proved to be a master class in how not to fuse two companies, two cultures, two continents, and two management teams. Oh, it worked for the two individuals at both helms pre-merger. They got silly rich. And the industry itself was in a misty romance at the time with mergers and acquisitions. BMW bought Rolls-Royce. Volkswagen Group bought Bentley, Bugatti, and Lamborghini, putting all three brands into their rightful place in both products and positioning. No marriages there, so no false pretense. Finally, Nissan and Renault got married in 1999. A successful marriage requires several rare elements in this atmosphere of gas fumes and power lust. But a successful marriage requires several rare elements in this atmosphere of gas fumes and power lust, the principle part being honesty. Daimler and Chrysler lied to each other. The heads of each unit, the product planners, and finance all presented their then-current and long-range forecasts to each other with less-than-forthright accuracy. Daimler was the far greater equal and no one from the Chrysler side enjoyed that. The cultures were entirely different, too, and little was done to bridge that gap. Which brings me back to the present overtures by Marchionne to GM. "There are varying degrees of hugs," Marchionne stated in the Automotive News piece. "I can hug you nicely, I can hug you tightly, I can hug you like a bear, I can really hug you." Seriously?

Ram 1500 TRX Hellcat-powered prototype spied testing in Arizona

For the past few years, FCA has been on a Hellcat craze. Ever since the first Dodge Charger and Dodge Challenger Hellcat debuted, we've seen that supercharged 6.2-liter V8 stuffed under the hood of the bonkers Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk and turned up to 11 in the Demon and new Hellcat Redeye. There was also the Hellcat-powered Ram 1500 TRX concept vehicle, which FCA announced back in May would finally go into production as the Ram TRX. Today, we have our first look at an early prototype. Unlike the Ram 2500 Power Wagon — a personal favorite of mine — the TRX is aimed squarely at the Ford F-150 Raptor. While we don't have any under-hood shots, the photographer said there was no mistaking the whine emanating from the truck for anything but a supercharger. While we don't know how much power the truck will make, expect a minimum of 707 horsepower. For reference, that's 257 more horsepower than the F-150 Raptor. Power is likely to be sent to all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission. Aside from that, there's not much to say about this prototype. While it mostly looks like a Ram 1500 Big Horn, it is fitted with with a set of one-piece Fuel D579 wheels and BF Goodrich All-Terrain T/A tires. It also looks like it has a slightly wider front and rear track than the standard Ram 1500. The longer exhaust tips look temporary and are certainly going to look far more polished on the production model. We don't know when we might see the finished product as FCA's plans were a little more nebulous at this past five year plan. Our fingers are crossed for something this next auto show season. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.