2024 Ram横冲直撞TRX Would Look Just Like This

Luckily, the TRX's design elements translate nicely to the smaller Rampage because it builds on features already standard on the small truck.

The hood already has power bulges, and the grille is quite aggressive. So superimposing the TRX's hood-mounted air intake and more robust grille over the standard car doesn't make a huge difference. You can certainly tell it's not a standard car, but it's also not as obnoxious as a brightly-colored TRX, or a Ford F-150 Raptor R, for that matter. If nothing else, we hope some of these design elements are offered as optional extras on the Rampage.

But designing a car in Photoshop is one thing; putting it into production is a monumental task, and we don't think a Rampage TRX is possible.

There are two issues, and we'll start with the engine first. Yes, Ram has a newHurricane twin-turbocharged inline-sixto work with, but the SCCS (Small Common Components and Systems) platform the Rampage is built on dates back to 2005. FCA developed it for small cars like the Alfa Romeo MiTo, Opel Corsa, and Fiat Grande Punto. FCA modified the platform a few years later, producing the SCCS Wide LWB in standard and 4x4 guises. Don't let the LWB in the name fool you. We're talking European spec, so the largest car currently riding on this platform is the Jeep Compass.

The main reason we don't think it will happen is the unibody design. All go-faster jumpy trucks and SUVs are built on aladder-frame chassis. A ladder frame is extremely rigid, and a unibody car would require serious structural enhancements to survive a knock an old-school truck would simply brush off.

Updates like these would only add to the cost of the vehicle, which is expected to sell for roughly the same as the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz. Making all the changes mentioned earlier will likely increase the cost by an additional $10,000, in which case the average customer might as well buy a 1500. Possibly even a Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 or a Ranger Raptor if the budget can be slightly higher.

Ram will likely produce a faster model but not a full-blown TRX. We're guessing it will be equipped with thesame plug-in hybrid systemas the Dodge Hornet R/T (also built on SCCS Wide), increasing the current power output from 268 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque to 288 hp and 383 lb-ft of torque.