America’s Most Powerful Gas Truck Just Lost To An Old Enemy
The Ford F-150 Raptor R enjoyed a glorious little vacation after Ram discontinued the TRX. With its supercharged V8 rival temporarily out of the picture, Ford’s 720-horsepower desert monster became the undisputed king of the half-ton food chain. That peace and quiet is officially over. The 2027 Ram 1500 TRX SRT has returned with a Hellcat V8, more power, and the resurrected SRT badge proudly plastered across its giant body. On paper, the reborn T-Rex looks ready to chew up Ford’s smaller dinosaur and spit out the pieces. However, Top Gear did not settle this heavyweight grudge match using a spec sheet. It took both trucks to California’s brutal Johnson Valley for drag racing, rock crawling, high-speed whoops, and some properly ridiculous jumps.
Ram Brought A 777-HP Hellcat V8 To The Fight
The new TRX SRT carries a supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI V8 producing 777 hp and 680 lb-ft of torque. That makes it the most powerful street-legal, gas-powered half-ton production truck currently available, which is one hell of a title. Ford counters with a supercharged 5.2-liter “Carnivore” V8 derived from the Predator engine found in the Shelby GT500. It produces 720 hp and 640 lb-ft, leaving the Raptor R down 57 horses and 40 lb-ft against the Ram.
Unfortunately for the TRX, it has also been hitting the buffet harder. The Ram weighs approximately 6,300 lbs, while the Ford comes in at around 5,950 lbs. Both claim a 0-60 mph time of approximately 3.5 seconds, which is absurd for two pickup trucks roughly the size of small apartment buildings.
Their suspension setups are equally serious. Both trucks offer 13 inches of front travel and 14 inches at the rear. The Raptor uses Fox Racing Dual Live Valve dampers and giant 37-inch BFGoodrich tires, while the TRX gets adaptive Bilstein Black Hawk e2 dampers and smaller 35-inch Goodyears.
Top Gear found that the Ram felt slightly sharper and more connected on twisty pavement. However, neither truck enjoyed being hustled down a mountain road for long. Their brakes were reportedly on fire by the bottom, a gentle reminder that nearly three tons of supercharged insanity does not suddenly become a sports car because someone selected Sport mode.
The Less Powerful Raptor R Destroyed The TRX In The Drag Race
Both trucks were lined up on a roughly quarter-mile salt-pan course with Baja mode engaged and traction control switched off. With fewer horses under its hood, the Ford appeared to be walking into the T-Rex enclosure carrying a steak around its neck.
Instead, the Raptor R rocketed away and immediately left the more powerful Ram choking on dust. The TRX began catching up, but the Ford maintained its advantage and crossed the line ahead at approximately 110 mph. The drivers then swapped trucks to eliminate human error. The result did not change. The race ws repeated several times, and the Raptor kept grabbing the stronger launch before holding its lead.
The Ford’s 350-pound weight advantage clearly helped, while its 10-speed automatic transmission appeared to work more effectively than the Ram’s eight-speed unit. The TRX had launch control and 777 angry horses summoned from the depths of hell, but it simply could not deploy them quickly enough.
The Raptor also felt more playful through Top Gear’s dusty slalom. Its rear-biased behavior made it easier to slide, although the test descended into glorious chaos when the driver became lost inside his own dust cloud and lightly broke the truck after hitting something.
Ford Wins The Desert Battle By The Smallest Margin
Both trucks comfortably completed a mild rock-crawling course, but the Raptor’s larger tires, stiffer low-speed throttle calibration, and Trail Control system made it easier to manage. Its off-road cruise control could even guide the truck downhill while the driver concentrated on picking a safe line.
The difference became clearer across the high-speed whoops. The Ram smoothed out impressively at 50 mph, but the Raptor attacked the same rough terrain at 65 mph and felt lighter, more natural, and easier to control. Bits were apparently flying off the Ford, yet it just kept charging like the bumps had personally insulted its family.
Both monsters also went airborne. The Raptor landed almost perfectly, while the TRX used clever electronics to open its differential and cut the throttle in midair, protecting its drivetrain when it returned to Earth. The Ford felt natural, while the Ram seemed to use its computers to manage the madness for its driver.
Top Gear ultimately chose the Raptor R by the narrowest possible margin. The TRX had the better on-road manners, newer technology, bigger power figure, and one badass engine. However, the lighter Ford felt more playful and exciting where these trucks matter most.
Ram may have resurrected the T-Rex with 777 hp, but in this particular dinosaur fight, the Raptor still refused to become lunch.
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