Ram's New 777-HP Hellcat V8 is essentially a Redeye in disguise.

      Ram

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      Just last December, Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis was called out of retirement to revive Mopar’s struggling pickup brand. Known as the “Father of Hemis,” he returned with a straightforward mission: Give customers what they want. And what do Ram customers want? V8s—even if they don’t actually purchase them. It’s an emotional connection to cars that can’t be overlooked, if you needed any proof.

      Fortunately for Ram, the company was still producing some Hemis for its heavy-duty truck lineup, so restarting production was more about ramping up than rebuilding from the ground up. Even so, the fact that Ram was able to resume Hemi production within a year is quite remarkable. It’s even more astounding that, at around the 18-month mark, we’re now discussing not just one engine, but four: the mild-hybrid 5.7-liter, the 6.4-liter 392, the 6.2-liter Hellcat, and now the de-hybridized 5.7 (returning for both the Rumble Bee and the standard 1500).

      Ram benefitted from having a lead in the deregulation movement. A few months ago, during a media event, Kuniskis was asked if presidential politics influenced the V8 resurgence. He credited the changes in leadership within Stellantis, rather than in the U.S., as the key factor. The election of Trump and the subsequent reduction of CAFE regulations certainly eased the situation, but when asked if that was the deciding factor, Kuniskis replied calmly:

      “I was gonna do it anyway.”

      That didn’t simplify the task ahead, but at least Ram was prepared. When the newly formed SRT was authorized to bring back the TRX, the team recognized that it needed to be more than just a continuation of the previous truck, especially since Ford claimed the most-powerful gas truck title with its updated Raptor R. The number needed to exceed 720. This meant SRT’s engineers had to generate at least 19 extra horsepower. After rummaging through the parts inventory, they managed to find 75.

      Given that the TRX is a traditional truck, it probably won’t shock you that they achieved that power boost the classic way: by pushing in more air and fuel and then spinning it faster. This is where the Redeye comes into play. The old TRX had a smooth power curve, and its peak was restricted only by its ability to intake air. By integrating the valvetrain from the Redeye, SRT allowed the Hellcat to rev slightly higher—just 300 RPM—and continue climbing that power curve.

      The 2.4-liter, twin-screw supercharger was refined and equipped with a slightly smaller pulley (3.17 inches; down from 3.43 on the previous TRX), supplemented by a new cold-air intake system. A new fueling setup increased pressure from 5 bar to 7 bar to keep the 6.2-liter engine well-supplied.

      The outcome is 777 horsepower. And yes, it’s pretty exhilarating.

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