Skip to main content

With the new Ford Raptor R stealing all of the high-performance truck headlines, it makes sense that Ram had to do something new to get some headlines for the Ram TRX. Well, it worked. Rally racer and Hoonigan founder Ken Block was given a go in the new 2022 Ram TRX Sandblast Edition. Block is known for making explosive videos that show him drifting across cityscapes, often to within inches of disaster. So what happens when you give Block a 702-horsepower Ram TRX truck?

Block shows he’s good on the pavement and the dirt in the TRX

The new truck is called the Ram TRX Sandblast Edition and it comes in the new Mojave Sand color. The Sandblast edition also comes with 35-inch bead lock wheels. Ram didn’t forget about the inside, and the seat are color matched. But you don’t watch the video to see the stitching. Block, who finished second in the World Rally Championship in 2006 and 2013, shows that he can launch the truck of jumps and make epic dirt clouds in the desert. He even does a bit of rock crawling.

The new TRX Sandblast Edition doesn’t get more power – yet

The 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R pickup truck will be available for order
The Ford F-150 Raptor pickup truck | Ford

Of course, many expected the announcement to mean the TRX would get more power. The 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R will get Ford’s 5.2-liter Predator V8 engine from the Mustang Shelby GT500. That truck should make up to 750 horsepower. The Raptor R is a return to V8 power for the Raptor, which dropped B8 engines in favor of the 450-horsepower EcoBoost twin-turbo V6. Though it’s a powerful engine, it simply doesn’t sound like a V8. The order books for the Raptor R will open in the fourth quarter of 2022.

Can we expect more Easter eggs?

The new 2022 Ram TRX Sandblast Edition.
2022 Ram 1500 TRX Sandblast Edition | Ram

Dodge took it to the Ford Raptor with the TRX and added a ton of Easter eggs trolling the Raptor. The most notable was a picture of a t-rex dinosaur munching on a raptor dino under the airbox. There’s also a size comparison picture in the center console showing the size of a human, the truck, a giant t-rex, and a tiny velociraptor. The RAM TRX Sandblast Edition simply shows its prowess with those dirt-ready wheels and tires.

The TRX set a new standard for performance trucks

A Black 2021 Ram 1500 TRX on the trails
2021 Ram 1500 TRX | Stellantis

The TRX is not cheap, starting at about $77,000, but it brings the goods. For a truck like this, it’s all about the numbers: 60 mph in 3.7 seconds; 702 horsepower; 6.2-liter V8; 6,855-pounds curb weight, 10 mpg in the city; 11.8 inches of ground clearance. The TRX also has a pumped-up suspension system from Bilstein that has more than 13 inches of travel.  Ram designed TRX Sandblast Edition as a premier off-road truck.

At the same time, it’s also a nice place to spend some time. The interior of the 2022 TRX can be ordered with leather and microsuede, as well as soft-touch interior materials and a giant 12-inch center-mounted infotainment system. TRXes also get a console shifter, instead of a knob, and flat-bottomed steering wheel that gives it a trophy truck feel.

Related

The New 2023 Ram 3500 Spied, but it looks the same

Best in Trucks & SUVs
Writer - Sedans & Coupes

Dan Mayfield

Dan joined MotorBiscuit in 2022 with over 20 years of experience in journalism and a lifelong passion for anything related to the automotive industry. He grew up wrenching a 1949 Ford pickup truck and an MGB with his dad, learning how not to wire a fuel pump (he inadvertently set the MGB on fire).

After earning a bachelor’s degree in photojournalism from the University of New Mexico, Dan has contributed his expertise to a range of local outlets, including the City of Albuquerque, US Eagle, and the Alliance for Local Economic Prosperity.

On weekends, Dan spends Saturdays enjoying “cars and coffee” chats and, on Sundays, he’s watching the Route 66 Cruise roll through town. He also races motorcycles, and it’s not unusual to find him elbows-deep in his latest cafe racer build.

Taking advantage of the local desert terrain, Dan also enjoys exploring and driving off-road in his trusty Ram Rebel pickup truck, which provides personal insights into his contributions to our Trucks, SUVs, & Crossovers coverage. Dan strives to give our readers unique information about the dynamic automotive market, reading anything that has to do with cars, trucks, bikes, 4X4s, and, in his words, “everything with a motor.”

Dan has earned a number of accolades from the Public Relations Society of America, and is a University of Southern California, Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism Fellow.