World’s most powerful production pick-up approved for Aussie roads, but 524kW super-truck will be pricey and limited
We’re still buzzing from driving it overseas and now the 2022 RAM 1500 TRX has received Australian Design Rule compliance, making the world’s quickest and most powerful pick-up one step closer to local roads.
At least one independent Australian importer has already secured, converted and delivered a small number of RAM TRXs – as long ago as September 2021 – and now RAM Trucks Australia, the nation’s officially appointed RAM distributor, appears to be on the verge of doing the same.
But in this case the wildest ever official RAM will come with a factory-backed warranty following its conversion to right-hand drive by the former parent company of Holden Special Vehicles, Walkinshaw Automotive Group, which has also been conducting local development testing on two examples since early 2021.
The bad news is COVID-related delays and high demand for lesser variants of both the old DS and new DT generation RAMs have pushed the TRX program back about six months and there’s still no official release timing or pricing.
However, carsales understands RAM Trucks Australia, which has already received about 250 orders despite a price tag that our sources say will be the high side of $200,000 before options, will finally launch the TRX in the second half of 2022.
RAM Trucks Australia released the new DT-series RAM dual-cab 4×4 pick-up in mid-2021, priced from $123,900, and had hoped to launch the steroidal TRX range-topper here by the end of last year.
It’s unknown whether the TRX Launch Edition, all 702 examples of which were sold within three hours of the vehicle being made available for pre-order in the US, will become officially available Down Under.
However, it’s understood RAM will build as many units of the regular TRX as customers demand – both in the US and Australia.
Billed as the “fastest and most powerful mass-produced half-ton pickup truck in the world”, the 2022 RAM 1500 TRX packs a Hellcat-spec 524kW/881Nm supercharged 6.2-litre V8, 0-100km/h acceleration in about 4.5 seconds, 35-inch all-terrain tyres and bespoke Bilstein Black Hawk shocks.
Keyword: RAM 1500 TRX to cost $200K-plus