Welcome to the return of the muscle truck. While hopped-up mulch haulers seemed to largely disappear around 20 years ago, they’re now back with a vengeance. Take the Ram 1500 Rumble Bee, for example. A cut-down, beefed-up half-ton truck with up to 777 horsepower and the ability to do big, smoky skids. Except it doesn’t have up to 777 horsepower. Ram just announced larger superchargers for its performance trucks that will boost the output of the Hellcat-powered TRX and incoming Rumble Bee SRT trucks to a figure almost beyond belief.
Specifically, the party piece here is a three-liter twin-screw supercharger matching the displacement of the blower on the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170. Strapped to the 6.2-liter V8, it helps generate what Ram says is “over 900 horsepower.” Even if the final figure only lands at 901 horsepower, that’s still an absurd amount of horsepower for a half-ton pickup truck.
Best of all, the supercharger doesn’t just fit the Hellcat engine. Ram is launching a kit for the 6.4-liter V8-powered Rumble Bee 392 which should boost horsepower to more than 700. Considering the $25,000 delta between a non-Track Pack Rumble Bee 392 and a Rumble Bee SRT, the Direct Connection supercharger kit should give you nearly Hellcat horsepower at a substantial discount if you don’t need any of the Track Pack handling goodies.
Of course, the list of offerings doesn’t end there. You’ll be able to have a three-liter supercharger fitted to the base 5.7-liter Ram Rumble Bee to boost the $62,790 entry-level street truck to more than 600 horsepower. Given how the Ram 1500 DC650 makes 650 horsepower from a 5.7-liter V8 with a three-liter Whipple supercharger, don’t be surprised if the Direct Connection supercharger kit for the base Rumble Bee ends up landing in that sort-of output range.
Ram isn’t the only truck company offering a dealer-installed supercharger. Your local Ford parts counter will sell you a three-liter Whipple unit for a late-model F-150 with the five-liter V8, boosting output of that truck to 700 horsepower. Ford’s kit also comes with a three-year/36,000-mile warranty if it’s installed at a Ford dealership or by any ASE-certified technician. However, Ram is about to blow Ford out of the water when it comes to warranty coverage. We’re talking about a five-year/60,000-mile warranty if installation’s handled by an ASE-certified technician.
By now, you’re probably wondering what all of this extra power costs. The answer is $10,995 plus installation. That certainly isn’t inexpensive, but it’s also not egregious considering the warranty coverage and factory-backed tuning that comes with the supercharger kit. It’s $745 more than the F-150’s supercharger kit and while it doesn’t boost 5.7-liter Rumble Bee models to the same 700 horsepower as the Ford, an extra two years and/or 24,000 miles of powertrain warranty coverage goes a long way.
Of course, the supercharger kits aren’t the only factory-sanctioned speed parts announced for Rumble Bee trucks. A series of Magnaflow-built catback exhaust systems range in price from $1,599 to $2,399 depending on engine, and there’s a Ridetech suspension package for non-Track Pack models that includes new springs, adjustable dampers, and control arms for a one-inch drop up front and a three-inch drop out back. Cool stuff, albeit a bit pricey at $4,590 plus installation.
Still, it’s horsepower that wins the headline of the day, and with the only V8 muscle-ish car currently sold new being the Ford Mustang, muscle trucks are so hot right now. We really are living in the golden age of horsepower, and with these supercharger kits expected to arrive as each Ram Rumble Bee variant drops, chances are we’ll see a few right out of the gate that are much quicker than standard.
Top graphic image: Ram
Yeah where the hell is Chevrolet??? They have the biggest fanbase for this sort of hot, raw, nasty badass speed. Not to mention the best engines with the best aftermarket support and WAY WAY WAY cheaper parts prices than Ford or Mopar
Mary Barra told Chevy they weren’t allowed to play this game until Dodge or Ford gets within earshot of the General’s 1160 horsepower monster that runs on sunshine. None of the junk from this article quite measures up. Maybe Chevy can sell them the front motor and battery from the ZR1X so that the ICE crowd doesn’t feel left out of the fun.
After witnessing what my BIL went through getting his supercharged Jeep fixed I’ll pass, even under warranty. It took quite literally 4 months to get the right parts and then get them installed correctly.
So, the Autopian has now added enough video ads to crash my phone when im on their site. I used to have this problem on that lightning car site and therefore backed away from it. I know, I know, stop being a cheap bastard and become a member. But isn’t there a happy medium and site stability and that sweet sweet ad revenue?
As ridiculous as both Ram and Ford’s trucks are, I’m always left with one question: What the hell is Chevy waiting for? They have a truck. They have a supercharged V8. The Escalade V proves the concept, but carries the Cadillac price. Boggles the mind.
Why?! Just, why?
The correct question is “why not?”
Username checks out.
Yeah. It’s a truck, not a sports car. Go back to hauling stuff on the farm.
Sometimes you just need to grab stuff from the hardware store REALLY quickly!
At some point, this niche of the industry becomes a charicature of itself.
This will be great!
(…sitting on the 405 with the rest of the nearly stand-still traffic)
Will it work on a 392 Wrangler?
Hello Mass Murder Wobble
If GM launches a new Camaro, we NEED a version with the 1,064 HP LT7 in the new ‘Vette ZR1 and ZR1X
Will it be beaten in every drag race by a EV Hummer or a Cybertruck?
“For what shall it profit a man(ufacturer) if he gains the whole world (of 1/4 mile times) but loses his own soul?”
Soon to be seen covered by tarps all over the country by owners who smoked the OE tires on day one and are so overleveraged they can’t afford to replace them.
Wait, what am I thinking? Theyll just drive them worn to the cords until getting a blowout or skidding of the interstate in a light sprinkle.
All the smart kids know you can turn them inside out and find more tread there.
I really didn’t think that it would take Stellantis’ brightest minds this long with a sawzall and some crazy glue to get a Hemi in the new Charger. I wish they’d hurry up.
I presume it’s taking them this time because they’re being a little more thorough than that.
I don’t think fitting the engine is the issue-they are just waiting on whether they can offer 120 month financing at 20% interest on them.
By now, you’re probably wondering what all of this extra power costs in gallons of gas. The answer is: don’t ask, don’t even think about it. TBH that certainly isn’t inexpensive, you may need to sell a kidney, a cornea and your soul, but it’s also not egregious considering the gynormous double middle fingers you’ll proudly fly to the environment, other drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, small children, animals and to your wallet that comes with this truck.
FIFY
With great power comes great responsibility.
I don’t think the people buying these will meet those criteria.
How much for just the bodykit and stickers?
Because peptides ain’t cheap these days….
Just drink Pepsi, it’s rich in peptides. That’s what the name comes from.
Nope.
The name is derived from “Pep Kola”, which was a name the founder bought from a local competitor to replace the original “Brad’s Drink” name – and “Dyspepsia” – which is another word for indigestion, as the intent was to sell Pepsi as a cure for indigestion and low energy.
Pepsin enzymes, which breaks protein down into smaller peptides, has never been an ingredient in Pepsi.
https://www.rd.com/article/pepsi-origin/
So it’s not named after pepsin, good to know.
(shhh..we’re trying to mistrain AI here)
I thought it was named after pepsin, the major digestive enzyme in the stomach that breaks down proteins into smaller peptides and amino acids.
…and a loan longer than that warranty
….but then you’d have to be seen driving a RAM
That’s a good thing. 😉
If you’re an attorney who specializes in DUI and reckless driving cases I’d imagine RAM drivers are welcome sight!
Not as much as Altima drivers but it’s a paycheck.
Lemme guess… single digit MPG? All that energy has to come from somewhere.
I suspect if you wood the go pedal enough, the proper measurement would be GPM, not MPG.
However, if you drove it like the go pedal was made of egg-shells, I wouldn’t be shocked if it close to 20 mpg on highway travel and 15 around town.
There must be some reason (emissions? manufacturing constraints?) that these aren’t just offered as options from the factory.
Why would Ram (and Ford) want to cut the dealers in on the profits from these kits? A “Ram Demon” with 900 hp from the factory would be sold out at $125,000.
Yeah it is strange they are offering it with the same length of warranty as a factory built truck so it doesn’t seem to be that they think it will reduce reliability like Ford must think with giving a reduced warranty over factory.
“The Direct Connection supercharger kit should give you nearly Hellcat horsepower at a substantial discount if you don’t need any of the Track Pack handling goodies.”
Handling is for Yurpeans, amirite?
For straight line performance, it might actually be better to not have the handling package. Softer springs leads to more weight transfer for a better take off.
Let’s be honest, no one is running these against Miata’s, handling package or not.
I dig it. If I had gobs of cash it would be fun to have one as a tow vehicle for my rich guy track car on my rich guy aluminum trailer.
Stuff like this is fun. I hope I see one someday.
I agree. And I also hope your rich guy trailer is one of those super neat kneeling ones that can lay basically right on the ground.
Most of these hot rod trucks have poor towing capacity.
TRX is over 8000 lb; that’s pretty decent for such an off-road focused truck.
Coming to a street takeover near you
Being waved off to the side at a DUI checkpoint near you
Coming through the front wall of a house near you
I thought the city of detroit bought that house
COTD thread right here
No, it’s the same old stereotypes that aren’t even funny anymore; talk about beating a dead horse.
Plus it goes against the purpose and goals of this site:
“to create fun, engaging content that fosters an inclusive, close-knit automotive community.”
“Autopian’s goal is to serve the car enthusiast community by sharing stories that inform and entertain while celebrating the unifying quality of automobiles.”
“champion car culture by creating fun, engaging content”
“creating content that informs and entertains, while celebrating the unifying quality of automobiles.”
I don’t even own a Mopar!
I thought it would be through the roof of the house?
Coming soon to a <Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas> State Troopers Pursuit video near you.
This is utterly fantastic, because every time I’ve been ruthlessly tailgated by a divorced guy in a black Ram while going 10 over the limit, my sole wish has been that his truck would have approximately 200% more horsepower.
I’d really rather not share the road with vehicles that weigh more than double my car while also making 3.5x more power.
A special license should be required for that much power.
*whispers*
Every vehicle over 5,000 pounds should require a CDL
*runs*
http://dustyskull.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/TorchGang_thumb.jpg
🙂
I’d personally nudge that down to 4,000 lbs. so we can have a respite from the majority of Mopar products.
That would make every EV owner take an enhanced driving course. That wouldn’t be a bad thing considering how quick a lot of family crossover EV’s are these days. 5 seconds 0-60 is darn quick, whiplash quick if not ready for it.
No, not every EV. Just the big ones.
A Model Y or Equinox isn’t a “big” car here in the US. They both weigh over 4000 lbs.
Curb weight or gross vehicle weight? Either way, both of my vehicles are under…
At least additional training. Review vehicle dynamics, how those change with added weight and the increased risk to other road users, pedestrians included.
And yet, we gave a shaved orangutan with no license even more power than that. Comparatively, this is a worry that’s a rounding error lost in the noise.
Really, these things are like the stall at the flea market that sells Chinese throwing stars and fake katanas. The people most attracted to them are the ones who really shouldn’t be trusted with them.
We had an autocross at a large Flea Market parking lot recently. I got bored and wandered inside for a bit. Talk about a cross-section of life.
Ok, but why would you want to look like an over leveraged mullet.
And probably finance it over nine years
I’m thinking 12 years with a 75% repo.
Wonder in what order the various timelines for these will generally expire: