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The supercharged Ram 1500 SRT TRX desert-racing pick-up has spawned a lower, shorter sibling not designed to venture far beyond the road.
Ram has revealed a high-performance supercharged V8 pick-up for the tarmac – not off-road tracks or sand dunes – that is under consideration for an expansion of the 1500 line-up in Australia.
The Rumble Bee is a new performance variant of the Ram 1500 designed for road use, with wide wheel arches, a shorter body, and suspension and brakes tuned for tarmac.
It is sold with a choice of three V8 engines, topped by the 579kW/922Nm 6.2-litre supercharged unit in a flagship Rumble Bee SRT – shared with the reborn, off-road-focused SRT TRX – claimed to be the quickest production V8 pick-up ever.
An Australian launch is under consideration for the Rumble Bee, which revives the concept of a road-focused Ram sports pick-up since the V10-powered SRT-10 of the mid-2000s.
"We are super excited about the new Ram 1500 Rumble Bee unveiled in the US overnight. Ram Trucks has an amazing catalogue of vehicles and, as always, we seriously consider all model variants," Jeff Barber, Ram Trucks Australia general manager, said in a media statement.
If the Rumble Bee comes to Australia, it would likely follow the SRT TRX, given the off-road version was revealed earlier – at the start of this year – and is expected in US showrooms sooner.
The Rumble Bee cuts 330mm from the pick-up's frame, pairing the five-foot seven-inch (1.7-metre) tub with the shorter-length Quad Cab passenger shell for the first time, with rigidity improved by a 10 per cent reduction in frame flex.
It is more than 170mm wider than a standard Ram 1500, thanks to pronounced wheel arches with body-coloured flares.
The flagship of the Rumble Bee trio is the SRT, powered by a 579kW/922Nm 6.2-litre supercharged 'Hellcat' V8 paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and an updated four-wheel-drive system, which gains a front-axle disconnect switch for the new variant.
Claimed to be the most powerful engine ever fitted to a production pick-up, it claims a zero to 60mph (97km/h) acceleration time of 3.4 seconds, 0.1sec quicker than the SRT TRX with the same V8.
The drag-racing quarter-mile (402m) run is claimed to take 11.6 seconds, at a speed of 187km/h, with the overall top speed listed at 274km/h.
The less potent Rumble Bee 392 uses a 6.4-litre naturally-aspirated V8 with 350kW and 617Nm, claimed to enable a 5.2-second 0-60mph (97km/h) time and 13.2-second quarter mile.
An entry-level, simply-named Rumble Bee is available with a 5.7-litre naturally-aspirated V8 producing 295kW and 556Nm, for 0-60mph in 6.1 seconds, and a 14.6-second quarter mile.
Rumble Bee and Rumble Bee 392 variants ride on coil-spring steel suspension, with wider tracks – by 173mm up front and 178mm at the rear – matched with Bilstein monotube shock absorbers and "robust" anti-roll bars to sharpen handling.
These grades use 378mm two-piston front and 375mm single-piston rear brakes, and offer Auto, Sport, Snow, Tow and Custom drive modes.
Opting for the Rumble Bee SRT – or an extra-cost Track Pack for the 392 – adds adjustable-height air springs with dual-valve adaptive Bilstein dampers, plus 410mm front brake discs with six-piston Brembo calipers.
Also added is an "electronic spool" rear differential to lock the power split between the rear wheels "for drag race starts and burning rubber".
Software changes include a Track drive mode that "relaxes stability control", a Valet setting that limits power, and a launch-control button.
All Rumble Bee variants sit wider than standard Ram 1500s, with a prominent air intake on the bonnet, a lower ride height, body-coloured accents, and in a Ram first, smaller mirrors.
The comparably-conservative bumpers on base and 392 grades are swapped for a bolder front fascia on the SRT and 392 Track Pack, with larger air intakes and a deep splitter, plus a lip spoiler on the tailgate.
Ram claims the unique front end produces 87kg of downforce at top speed, while the rear spoiler – measuring 80mm long, fitted beside a three-piece hard tonneau cover – is "designed to withstand ... expected impacts".
The flagship pair ride on 22-inch by 10-inch wheels, wrapped in 325mm-wide rear tyres – the second-widest ever fitted to an SRT performance model, surpassed only by the defunct Dodge SRT Viper sports car.
Ram claims the SRT delivers in excess of 20 per cent more lateral grip than the regular Rumble Bee, thanks to its wider tyres and unique suspension setup.
The standard wheels on the Rumble Bee and Rumble Bee 392 are also 22-inch by 10-inch, though with narrower 285mm-wide tyres. A 20x10-inch option with 305mm-wide rubber will be optional.
The line-up offers a braked tow rating of up to 4032kg, though maximum payload is just 526kg.
Inside, the flagship SRT fits 12-way power-adjustable front sports seats with leather and suede upholstery, and yellow contrast stitching and accents that extend to the door panels and gear shifter.
Desert Orange stitching is used on the steering wheel, while there are carbon-fibre-look accents on the dashboard, with Rumble Bee badging, as well as metal pedals.
Less powerful variants have cloth upholstery with manual or 10-way power seat adjustment, 8.4-inch or 12-inch touchscreen in place of the flagship 14.5-inch unit, and a 10-speaker Alpine stereo rather than a 19-speaker Harman Kardon.
The 2027 Ram 1500 Rumble Bee is due in US showrooms in late 2026 in standard form, ahead of the 392 and SRT's arrival in the first half of 2027.
Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family. Highly Commended - Young Writer of the Year 2024 (Under 30) Rising Star Journalist, 2024 Winner Scoop of The Year - 2024 Winner
