We were contacted by an anonymous source who provided additional information about Ram’s Raptor fighter.
We published our latest spy photos of the Ram Rebel TX a week ago. According to what we know, FCA is building a Raptor killer. We just got the details to confirm this.
An anonymous source called us to inform us that they had been with a Rebel TRX test mulee. This was the beginning of our day. It’s an understatement to say that we were shocked.
According to the source, the test mules were made by a Detroit-based company that offers vehicle prototyping and testing services. This is a common practice, especially when it comes to low-volume high-performance projects such as the Ram Rebel TRX. It’s a fascinating cottage industry in Detroit that is so “inside baseball” that almost no one talks about it.
We won’t reveal the name of that company here, out of respect for employees and their livelihood. According to our source, he is not associated with either FCA nor this outside engineering company.
According to the source, there have been 40 Ram Rebel TRX prototypes built, with 30 being in black and 10 being in white. These were produced based on production. Ram 1500 Pickups were taken off the assembly line and shipped to the conversion company. One was fitted with a Demon engine.
39 of the remaining units were constructed with Hellcat engine and backed up by 10-speed automatics. The dial shifter is still present inside the cab. However, it’s not functional. According to reports, the production truck will use a traditional slapshifter. It is currently concealed under the sliding cover at the center console of test mules.
The engine under the hood is a stock Hellcat motor, fed by a ram-air induction system, which our source described as a “Viper style”.
We knew the chassis had been beefed up but we didn’t know the suspension. In spy photos, we wanted to find out what was behind those black plastic inner wheel well covers. According to our source, the Ram Rebel TRX will feature dual Bilstein shocks at every corner to counter the Fox Racing suspension of the Ford Raptor.
Sources also confirmed that ARB Air Lockers would be installed at the front and rear axles. ARB’s Air Locker system uses compressed air to lock the axles and provide superior traction. The source pointed out that the truck had 8 lugs in the rear and 6 up front.
According to our source, the truck was capable of turning sideways at speeds up to 25 mph when the driver pressed the throttle.
If we are able to get more information from our source, we will update this story with photos and additional information. Although we cannot be certain that our source is legitimate, our confidence level is high.