2021 RAM TRX has arrived in a big way. Ford, your turn.

Back in the early 90’s, Ford created the SVT Lightening, a high-performance variant of their popular F-150 full size pickup truck. It was powered by a 240HP 5.8 liter V8 engine and sold for 3 model years with production totaling about 11,000 units. To many, this was the pioneer of the modern day, high-performance pickup truck. It was essentially an enthusiast drivers car on a muscular pickup truck platform.

Almost a decade later, in 2003, Dodge stuck an 8.3 liter V-10 Viper engine in their popular full-size pickup truck chassis. They called it the Dodge Ram SRT-10 and it was fantastic. Available with a manual transmission, it had 500HP and was capable of 0-60 in under 5 seconds. Dodge only sold this monster for the 2004, 2005, and 2006 model years with total production of about 10,000 units.

Although both the Ford SVT Lightening and the Dodge Ram SRT-10 were loved by enthusiasts and revered by the larger automotive community, they did not sell in particularly high numbers and the market was deemed a bit too narrow for increased development funding and production. Hence the small production run for both vehicles.

However, about the time Dodge ended production on the SRT-10, Ford began speculating on a potentially underestimated market for this type of vehicle. They ramped up funding and development, and in 2010 they introduce an all-new SVT Raptor built on the F-150 chassis. It's most popular engine was a 6.2 liter V8 producing 411HP.

In 2017, Ford introduces the second generation Raptor dropping the SVT name from the brand. It was now known as the Ford F-150 Raptor. It used the 3.5 liter twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 with 450HP. Proving to be a successful variant, the Ford Raptor claimed the title as the “baddest” half-ton pickup on the planet. Ford was without competition for over 10 years.

That is until now. Ram Trucks has unveiled the 2021 Ram TRX and had the Raptor directly in the crosshairs the entire way. Ram had every intention of going after Ford's largest weak spot which is the TT V-6 under the hood. There was almost no doubt that Ram was going to leverage the existing Hellcat motor - a 6.2 liter supercharged V8 - which they use in other high-performance vehicles such as the Charger and Grand Cherokee. It touts an impressive 702HP and claims 0-60 in 4.5 seconds. - which is especially impressive given its curb weight of over 6,300 pounds! Although a bit more expensive than the current generation Raptor, I suspect this model will be highly successful and force Ford to think long and hard about their anticipated third generation Raptor - rumored to debut for the 2022 model year.

Which brings up a very interesting topic around what powertrain Ford should use for the third generation Raptor. There are really only two options: the 5.2 liter “Predator” supercharged V8 currently used in the Mustang GT500 (760HP) or some kind of hybrid gas/electric combination. Hybrid technology is increasingly popular, but not only in the “normal” family segment, but also in the high-performance sports cars world. Porsche, Ferrari and McLaren have all leveraged this hybrid technology in pursuit of superior performance. Enthusiasts will always make noise about the need for a V8 in the high-performance truck world - and to some degree, can you blame them?

The easy route for Ford is to simply use the GT500 motor. It’s an amazing engine, it will please the crowd and should be an easy sell. Keeping price and weight down will be a challenge for sure - but perhaps less of a challenge than convincing the truck community that an electric variant is the better option.

My take: if Ford continues to double down on the EcoBoost/Hybrid direction and insists on that avenue for the third generation Raptor, it better be objectively and overwhelmingly superior to the Hellcat motor. Sure, you’ll never silence the haters that insist the most important factor of a truck is the sound of the V8. However, Ford will have to win in every other available category aside from sound. If they use a hybrid powertrain, my feeling is that it has to be a mic-dropping reveal. I’m talking HP numbers approaching 1000 and a 0-60 in 3.9 seconds maximum. Put a “4” anywhere in that 0-60 time and I have concerns. If Ford can achieve this, and only if Ford can achieve this, I would support the decision to leverage next generation hybrid technology and not only beat the TRX, but bring the segment into an entirely different world of performance and technology. If not, Ford needs to take their medicine and focus attention to the GT500 motor. It’ll be the path of least resistance. It’ll be the easy move. It’ll be a guaranteed crowd-please. It’ll be the least risky.

But as the notorious Henry Ford (might) have said, “If I had asked people what THEY wanted, they would have said faster horses.”

Let the games begin.