Backflip: V8 Power to Return to Ram 1500 Pick-Up

Mere months after the Ram 1500 ditched its V8 power, it appears the iconic ‘Hemi’ engine could be returning to the big US pick-up.

A leaked email obtained by website Sportsnaut appears confirm Ram will reintroduce the 5.7-litre V8 back to the 1500 range – to be sold alongside the 3.0-litre twin-turbo ‘Hurricane’ six-cylinder engine announced last week.

Perhaps more exciting for V8 lovers is, according to the email, the introduction of the 6.4-litre version of the ‘Hemi’ V8 to the 1500 line-up, borrowed from a North American-market version of the Ram 2500.

The 6.4-litre V8 is essentially the same engine fitted to the Chrysler 300 SRT, with the engine known to produce as much as 362kW and 644Nm in certain tunes – but still falling short of the new turbocharged six-cylinder engine fitted to the 2025 Ram 1500 Limited, with 403kW and 707Nm.

One year after the Final Edition was announced for the Australian market, the leak also promises the return of the high-performance Ram 1500 TRX, except with even more power than before.

The TRX produced 523kW and 882Nm from its 6.2-litre supercharged V8, delivering a 0-100km/h sprint time of just 4.5 seconds – despite weighing more than three tonnes.

As well as being the world’s most powerful V8 pick-up, the TRX was the most expensive ute in Australia, with the Final Edition priced from $249,950 before on-road costs.

It appears the backpedal could be the result of a management change at Stellantis – the parent company of Ram, Chrysler, Dodge, and others – following the resignation of CEO Carlos Tavares in December 2024.

Within weeks, sister brand Dodge had announced it was extending production of the ‘Hemi’ V8. By February 2025, rumours were beginning to circulate of the V8’s return to more Detroit brands under the Stellantis umbrella – including Ram.

“One of the things that’s encouraging is that with the change in leadership, you know, V8s are no longer a bad word around the company,” Dodge CEO Matt McAlear told US outlet The Drive at the time.