I would assume there are few places in the world better for driving the Ram 1500 TRX than the endless expanse that is Australia. The Ram 1500 TRX is finally coming to the Australian market, but some Aussies are too eager to wait. For those willing, right-hand drive conversions are making their way down under, and they are going for stupid-dumb-crazy money.
How much does a 2022 Ram 1500 TRX cost?
The Ram 1500 TRX ain’t cheap. Ram set the TRX apart with its signature supercharged 6.2-liter Hellcat V8 making 702 hp. This kind of power doesn’t come cheap; never mind all the other performance parts like brakes, suspension, and the finest interior in the game.
Given its performance-mindedness, the 2022 Ram 1500 TRX starts at $76,780, at least here in America. If you want the TRX before it makes its official debut in Australia, you’ll have to pay over double that.
Yep. According to The Drive, for Australians unwilling to wait, our friends Downunder can buy a right-hand drive conversion for 245,000 Australian dollars for the crew cab 4×4 model, equivalent to over $180,000 US dollars.
Can you do a right-hand-drive conversion on a car?
2022 Ram 1500 TRX | Ram
You certainly can, but again, it ain’t cheap. Australian aftermarket companies have been turning out Aussie conversions of American-market cars for years. The process is laborious and, therefore, very expensive.
The way to make this all work is by only converting high-margin, premium vehicles. These trucks are status symbols here in the states. If you more than double the price and add the hyper exclusivity of an import, the Ram and other vehicles like it are even bigger status symbols abroad.
One of the more common aftermarket converters is SCD Remanufactured Vehicles, a company specializing in right-hand-drive conversions of various USDM pickup trucks. Not only does SCD RV custom build these trucks for customers, but they also have stock for sale that you can purchase directly from them.
The sales listings all mention the steering conversion work as something the team is very proud of. SCD’s specific way of converting the steering uses two 90-degree angle gearboxes that allow the steering relocation without compromising the OEM steering geometry.
How many Ram 1500 trims are offered in Australia?
Ram TRX tail lights | Ram
Ram currently sells five trim levels in Australia, but the TRX won’t join the list until later 2022. The most powerful trim in Australia is the Ram 1500 Limited Crew Cab with the 5.7-liter V8 Hemi making 395 hp. But even this model will set folks back on the Australian market a cool 139,500 Australian dollars, or roughly $105,000 American dollars.
Once the Australian factory spec Ram TRX hits the market, it is expected to run between $180,000-$220,000 AUS, which comes to around $135,000-$165,000 USD. This will woefully undercut the aftermarket.
Ram 1500 TRX is a hit in Australia
Despite the undercut market for the Ram converters, The Drive says that Australian sources believe that Ram’s 200-250 TRXs are likely already spoken for. This would be good news to the folks at SCD.
The Ram 1500 TRX’s outrageous pricing has yet to deter enough buyers to hurt the supertruck sales. I guess 702 hp covers a great many sins.
Keyword: Why Does a Ram 1500 TRX Cost over $180,0000 in Australia Right Now?