The Three Fastest Trucks Motortrend Has Ever Tested: a Toyota Tundra, a Supercharged 4×4, and a Surprising EV
MotorTrend has been reviewing vehicles since 1949. This publication conducts a controlled 0-60 MPH acceleration test on every vehicle. Over the years, it has compiled a massive list of the 0-60 times of various pickups. The three fastest trucks MotorTrend has ever tested could not be more different. One is a dealer-upgraded Toyota Tundra, another is the off-road racing RAM 1500 TRX, and the third is the first electric pickup to market, the Rivian R1T.
3: Toyota Tundra With TRD Supercharger
The first vehicle on this list is barely a “production” pickup. From 2008 through 2015, Toyota offered a TRD supercharger for the Tundra. The upgrade option was actually an Eaton’s TVS Roots-type supercharger. It was very similar to the superchargers on its contemporary Chevrolet Corvette and Cadillac CTS-V.
When naturally-aspirated, the Tundra’s 5.7-Liter V8 gives up both horsepower and fuel mileage to the 5.7-Liter HEMI V8. But the TRD Supercharger bumped the Tundra’s 5.7-Liter engine to 504 horsepower and 550 lb-ft of torque. In addition, dealer techs installed it, and Toyota’s factory warranty still covered the engine. For this reason, MotorTrend tested a Tundra with the TRD Supercharger. The truck completed a 4.4 second 0-60 MPH run. Then, it continued on to run the quarter-mile in 13.0 seconds at 106.3 MPH.
This Tundra blew the doors off every other truck on the road at the time. Its acceleration is still impressive by modern standards, only outdone by one other internal combustion truck. The vast majority of Tundras came with naturally-aspirated engines. But the new, twin-turbocharged Tundra TRD Pro is shaping up to be a cost-effective Ford Raptor.
2: Ram 1500 TRX: the fastest internal combustion truck
A few years after the Tundra TRD Supercharger, Dodge launched its first factory-supercharged engine: the Hellcat. After SRT engineers shoehorned the 700+ horsepower V8 into a Challenger, Charger, and Jeep, they set their sights on the Ram 1500. The result was the legendary Ram 1500 TRX.
In addition to 702 horsepower, the TRX offered desert-racing-inspired suspension. It raced past the Ford Raptor to become the world’s fastest 4×4. When MotorTrend tested the 0-60 time of the Ram 1500 TRX, they found it the first pickup to beat the ten-year-old supercharged Tundra. The TRX was the fastest production truck of 2021. It accelerated to 60 MPH in just 4.1 seconds. Then it went on to complete the quarter-mile in 12.7 seconds at 106.3 MPH.
1: 2022 Rivian R1T electric pickup: the fastest truck
Many know the Rivian as the first electric truck to market. But the new R1T is quick in more ways than one. The R1T truck, along with the Rivian R1S SUV, features quad-motor drive. This means it has a 200+ horsepower engine driving each wheel. All told, the truck is rated at 835 horsepower and 908 lb-ft of torque. Unlike an internal combustion engine, these electric motors deliver 100% of their torque from zero RPM. This technology is an industry first. The result is a vehicle that excels at acceleration.
When MotorTrend tested the Rivian R1T electric truck, they found its speed in a brand new class. While previous pickups have fought to shave a tenth of a second off the record acceleration time, the R1T beat it by a full second. The Rivian truck accelerated to 60 MPH in just 3.1 seconds. Then it continued through the quarter-mile in just 11.6 seconds at 110.8 MPH.
Want to know more about the world’s fastest truck? Check out some of our other Rivian R1T articles:
- Learn about Rivian’s quad-motor technology.
- Read the first Rivian review.
- Watch the Rivian off-road in Moab.
- See the Rivian R1T’s interior.
- Or get the scoop on the Rivian company’s IPO.