2021 Ram 1500 TRX Virtual Ride Along On and Off-Road (Videos)

Last week, I was fortunate enough to be one of the first person to drive the 2021 Ram 1500 TRX. The truck is an absolute masterpiece, combining the power of the supercharged Hemi, a unique chassis and a high performance suspension system to create a truck that offers the perfect blend of on-road comfort and off-road excellence. It is also packed with more interior technology than any truck on the market today, making it an even better daily driver.

There are quite a few long video reviews online where you can watch the reviewer talk about the 2021 Ram 1500 TRX around short clips of the truck in action. Since many people are more interested in footage of the 702-horsepower pickup than a YouTuber reciting details from the spec sheet, I put together this piece.

Below, you will find an array of Ram 1500 TRX videos which focus strictly on the truck. There is no commentary, although during my track testing video, you can hear the input being provided to me by the professional racer riding shotgun. More importantly, there is no music or anything else preventing us from getting an earful of the TRX in action. From the whine of the IHI supercharger to the roar of the 3-inch exhaust system, you can hear it well from inside and from trackside.

TRX on the Road
My day of test driving the 2021 Ram 1500 TRX began with a two-hour road drive that started at the airport in Truckee, California and ended up at the Wild West Motorsports Park in Sparks, Nevada. I expected that the TRX would be amazing on the off-road track, but what I didn’t expect was for it to be such a great road vehicle. Thanks to the high tech Bilstein dampers, the TRX handles and ride surprisingly well for a truck that weighs more than three tons.

The video below offers a look at a few minutes of on-road test time, where I am pushing the Ram 1500 TRX kind of hard along a twisty mountain road. Mind you, I am not trying to put anyone at risk, so I am not going all-out, but I’m into it hard enough to put the suspension to the test. Also, this footage provides a great example of the supercharger sound, the exhaust note and the lightning quick shifts from the 8-speed transmission.

TRX on the Race Track
When we arrived at Wild West Motorsports Park, we were presented with a series of different test stations. This included the high speed off-road track, a rock crawling area, a three-mile off-road trail and a dirt drag strip where we could test the launch control feature. I chose to do the track testing first and it was truly one of the more interesting track testing sessions I’ve ever done.

The big power of the TRX allows you to launch the 6,500+ pound truck up into the air, but unlike other trucks, the landing doesn’t deploy the airbags or break the frame. Instead, the TRX lands very smoothly in Baja drive mode, without any bouncing or even the slightest loss of control. It also gets great traction in the loose footing thanks to the Goodyear tires which were made specifically for this truck.

In this video, I am driving with a professional off-road racer who knows the track and the truck riding in the passenger seat. He provides information that keeps us and the truck safe, while allowing me to get the most out of my seat time.

Also, for those who wonder what this action looks like from trackside, here is a video showing the TRX working out on the off-road course from outside of the truck.

Climbing the Rocks
After my time on the high speed test track, I took to the rock crawling course with a black 2021 Ram 1500 TRX. As you can see in the video below, this portion included spotters who help us pick the best route for the supercharged truck.

Three-Mile Trail Run
My third test session at Wild West Motorsports Park was a lead-and-follow on an impromptu trail in the hills above the test track. This included a little bit of everything, from loose sand and rocks to steep hills and wide open plains, so just about every aspect of the TRX was put to the test. The truck performed flawlessly in every setting, with the dust from the truck in front of me creating the toughest obstacle.

This portion of testing was lengthy and had a break in the middle, so it is broken into two videos for your viewing pleasure.

Hellcat Ram Dirt Drag Testing
Finally, the last station that I utilized at the 2021 Ram 1500 TRX test event was the eighth mile dirt drag strip. The idea was for us to test the launch control feature in a safe environment. I had done some acceleration testing on paved surfaces and got a best time of 3.9 seconds and a 12.1-second quarter mile on what might have had a slight downhill grade. The off-road gauge measured no front-to-rear angle and other outlets got into the 3-second range in their own 0-to-60 testing, but I wanted to find what I felt was a perfectly flat surface. When I did, the TRX got to 60 in 4.3 seconds while running a 12.7 quarter mile.

In testing the launch control system in the dirt, I ran a best 0-to-60 time of 4.3 seconds and an eighth mile time of 8.1 seconds. While I made a quicker run on the pavement, it is nothing shy of incredible that the 6,500-pound Ram can rocket from a stop to 60 miles per hour in just 4.3 seconds on hard packed dirt. You can ride along for that crazy-quick sprint in the video below.

The Ford F-150 Raptor created the modern performance off-road truck segment, but the 2021 Ram 1500 TRX drives better on and off-road, it is substantially quicker and faster, and it offers far more interior comfort.