Enough with the 0-60 MPH times and manufacturer speed estimates. It’s time to find out how these off-road worthy trucks stack up against the newcomer – the 2021 Ram TRX – in a drag race. To do this, we put together these trucks: a new Ram Rebel with a 5.7L V8, a new Chevy Silverado Trail Boss with a 5.3L V8, a Ford Raptor with a 3.5L twin-turbo V6, and a 2021 Ram TRX with a 6.2L supercharged V8.
We did not have access to a Toyota Tundra TRD Pro or a Nissan Titan PRO-4X, otherwise – these trucks would be in this comparison as well.
These trucks factory suspension lifts, special shocks, and very aggressive off-road tires. None of that matters in this match-up. Right now, it’s all about horsepower, torque, power-to-weight ratios, transmissions, and gearing.
Thanks to IMI Motorsports for making this drag race possible.
Ram 1500 Rebel
This Rebel is equipped with a 5.7L HEMI V8 with an eTorque mild-hybrid system. The total power rating is 395 hp and 410 lb-ft of torque. The truck you see here weighs just about 5,600 lbs, as such, it has a 14.18 lbs/hp power to weight ratio. The engine is mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission (4.71:1 first gear) and a 3.92:1 rear differential ratio.
Chevy Silverado Trail Boss
The Rebel is facing off against this Trail Boss LT with a 5.3L V8 that is rated at 355 hp and 383 lb-ft of torque. This fairly optioned truck weighs just about 5,400 lbs. It results in a 15.21 lbs/hp power to weight ratio. The engine is mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission (4.70:1 first gear) and a 3.23:1 rear differential ratio.
On paper, the Rebel has the upper hand, and the drag race confirms it. The Rebel steadily pulls ahead of the the Trail Boss. Indeed, if we had the 6.2-liter V8-powered Trail Boss, the results may have been very different.
Ford Raptor
Thanks to our friend, Theo S., we have access to this second-generation Ford Raptor. It’s all stock in the powertrain department. The Raptor has been the most powerful half-ton pickup truck until the Ram TRX showed up. The high-output 3.5L EcoBoost V6 produces 450 hp and 510 lb-ft of torque. The optioned truck you see here weighs about 6,000 lbs. The power to weight ratio ends up at 13.33 lbs/hp. The 10-speed automatic transmission had a 4.69:1 first gear ratio which sends the power to the 4.10:1 rear differential.
The higher power ration and lower gearing propels the Raptor ahead of the Rebel in the second drag race.
Ram TRX
The TRX stomps on all other factory pickup trucks with its 6.2L Hellcat supercharged V8 and its 702 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque. The power is immense, but the truck is also very massive. This TRX TR2 trim package with several Mopar accessories weigh about 6,800 lbs. Still, the truck has a superior power to weight ratio of 9.69 lbs/hp. The TRX is equipped with an 8-speed automatic with a 4.71:1 first gear. The rear differential is 3.55:1.
The supreme power advantage of the TRX sends it way ahead of the Raptor in the final drag race of this series. Check out the video below for all the fun.
