For years, Fiat-Chrysler (now called Stellantis after its merger with PSA) has played a game we can only assume enrages other domestic automakers. Outside of the popular Pacifica minivan, which rides on a new platform, its general approach to new models has been to stuff a bigger engine into a car it already sells. For example, anyone who had been paying attention knew a Hellcat-powered Durango was inevitable long before it was officially confirmed.

So when Ram introduced the Rebel TRX concept back in 2017, we assumed it was headed to production in some form. After all, how could Ram let Ford have the Raptor market all to itself? That’s just money left on the table. Eventually, of course, Ram revealed the production version of the TRX (T-Rex?), we were stoked. Now that the first reviews are out, just how fast is the 702-hp truck?

Ram’s official figures

Considering it’s an off-road-prepped full-size pickup truck, the Ram 1500 TRX is heavy. Very heavy. In fact, it weighs more than 6,000 lbs. For comparison, that’s a full 600 lbs heavier than a regular V8 Ram 1500. A Mazda Miata, on the other hand, is almost 4,000 lbs lighter.

With that much weight, it would make sense that the TRX wouldn’t be all that quick. Even with a massive 702-hp supercharged V8 under the hood. But unless you have ridiculously high standards, we have a feeling the TRX won’t disappoint.

According to Ram’s official press release, the TRX has a 0-60 time of 4.5 seconds. It will also hit 100 mph from a stop in 10.5 seconds. The quarter-mile? The TRX will run it in 12.9 seconds on its way to a top speed of 118 mph. That’s not a particularly high top speed compared to other cars with a 4.5-second 0-60 mph time, but at a certain point, physics has to take over. With the aerodynamic profile of a barn, a full-size truck would need way more power to even cross 150 mph.

MotorTrend’s real-world test figures

Since automakers tend to be conservative in their official acceleration figures, and there’s no international standard that all automakers use, the quoted times don’t always match real-world results. It’s also difficult to compare one car to another since you don’t know how each automaker arrived at their official acceleration figures.

That’s why the independent testing that outlets such as MotorTrend do is so important. Even if you can’t necessarily replicate those exact numbers, you can at least compare one test figure to another. So how did the Ram TRX do in MotorTrend’s independent testing?

First, it’s important to point out that when MT weighed the TRX, it clocked in at 7,000 lbs. So if you order one with a lot of options and fill it with gas, the weight absolutely adds up. But somehow, that total behemoth of a truck ended up being even quicker than the official numbers that Ram released.

Yeah, that’s right. MT got the TRX to hit 60 mph in 4.1 seconds. It also ran the quarter-mile in 12.7 seconds. Unfortunately, there’s no 0-100 mph test time just yet, but that’s not the end of the world. No matter how you frame it, that’s one ridiculously fast truck.

How does it compare to other trucks?

The most obvious comparison (and really the only somewhat fair one) is the Ford Raptor, which uses a twin-turbocharged V6 instead of the TRX’s supercharged V8. It makes 450 hp, which would look a lot more impressive if Ram hadn’t given the TRX more than 700 hp. Then again, the base price of the Raptor is also about $20,000 less than the Ram’s.

In MotorTrend‘s testing, the current-generation Raptor returned a 0-60 time of 6.0 seconds and ran the quarter-mile in 14.7 seconds. That’s a lot slower than the TRX, but again, for $20,000 less, it’s not entirely fair to compare the two head-to-head. Still, we love that the high-powered off-road truck category just got much, much hotter.