Our sister site 5thGenRams.com broke the news last year that there were two versions of the upcoming high-performance Ram 1500 Rebel coming out. The first of which (the HELLCAT-powered Rebel TRX) has already been announced by Ram during its 5 Year Plan Presentation at the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) Capital Markets Day event last June. The second would be a more affordable option calling for a new performance 7.0-liter (426 cubic-inch) HEMI V8, codenamed Banshee for a Rebel TR trim.
Well, we are sad to report that according to our sources that the Rebel TR project has been shelved. Instead, Ram is going full out on the 6.2-liter Supercharged HEMI HELLCAT version. While the project has not been completely canceled, it looks like the Ram brand is evaluating its options for TR.
The 7.0-liter HEMI V8 was rumored to be a heavily modified version of the current 6.4-liter (392 cubic-inch) SRT HEMI V8 as known internally as the “Apache.” According to sources, the Banshee would have made around 525 horsepower and 535 lb.-ft of torque.
While it might be sad news for some Ram fans who wanted a performance truck with a more affordable price, it still doesn’t mean that such a truck could not happen. There have been many sources, including our own who have been stating that FCA is hard at work developing many variants of the upcoming GME-T6 engine. That engine will be an inline-six configuration with available turbo and twin-turbo applications.
It wouldn’t surprise us if Ram throws us a curveball and continues development of the TR but with some other powertrain. It is very clear in the 5thGenRams forums that there are a large amount of Ram fans that are more interested in a more affordable version of the Ram 1500 Rebel TRX, than those who are looking forward to the HELLCAT-powered vehicle. Ram fans have been craving a competitor truck of the Ford F-150 Raptor for almost a decade now. Now they are just waiting for Ram to deliver the goods.
The Ram Rebel TRX is scheduled to be released in 2021. Stay tuned to 5thGenRams.com for the latest Ram 1500 news and information.
Ram Rebel TR Prototype Image Gallery:
