A number of years ago, Carlos Tavares, who was then the CEO of Stellantis and has since passed away, led Ram to announce the end of the V8 era. Even worse, GM said at the same time that it would put more money into keeping its own V8 relevant, and the last report showed that it was still on track to do so. But the Hemi was going to be swapped out for a new 3.0-liter inline-six twin-turbo engine that would make the same amount of power in a smaller compact, so the story went. Not everyone was very sad about Hemi’s death. Mopar drivers aren’t the only ones who feel this way about these engines. Trust someone who used to be a 392 guy. But, for me, it was never about the V8. I was looking for a new Hemi, not the absence of one. It doesn’t matter how you feel about it; Ram is now the only domestic (that’s another word for “relevant”) half-ton maker without a V8. This happened at the same time as the 1500 pickup’s long-delayed redesign from top to bottom. As a result? Empty showrooms. So it’s one thing to be a Chevy shop without any Silverados. There are lots of other Chevrolets on the lot. Ram? Not at all. Welcome to 2025, where everything is clear and the details don’t matter. The return of the Hemi is now officially confirmed. A nearby shop now sells the V8-powered Ram 1500, and you can do huge, ugly burnouts like the one above. Yes, the truck was specifically set aside for that reason, and the tires were thrown away in the right way. Today’s theme was “sound and fury.” The Hemi wasn’t needed in the first place. Ram made this 1500 pickup truck so that it can work on its own. When it was taken off the Ram 1500 range in 2023, the “eTorque” Hemi V8 had 410 horsepower and 395 pound-feet of torque, making it the most powerful gas engine on the market. The regular Hurricane engine in the new truck is better than both of those (420 horsepower and 469 lb-ft of torque), but the high-output version (510 horsepower and 540 lb-ft) completely beats them both. With many six-cylinder cars already available, the purpose of this Hemi is simply to deliver a true V8 experience—nothing more, nothing less. Driving the new Hemi Ram isn’t particularly exciting, which shouldn’t come as a surprise or let you down. If the music is the only thing that has kept you from buying a new Ram pickup, check that box. It makes all the right noises at all the right times. You know, it feels good. I’m not saying that a full-size truck “should” have a V8 because that’s just empty rhetoric. However, the Stellantis name is associated with aggressive behavior. When Tim Kuniskis became CEO of Ram again, he quickly fixed the mistake made by the company’s previous leaders, who had unintentionally introduced a new truck with a lack of the brand’s usual bravado. Based on how quickly the company changed its mind, two things are true: first, the engineers definitely acted as if the choice could be changed at any time. Second, the Hemi was probably taken off the market very late in the development cycle for the new truck. What you need to know about the process of making an automobile is that nothing happens quickly. From idea to production, it can take five to seven years for a car. A good chunk of that can be used just for building power trains. Ram, however, managed to refine the Hemi in only ten months. It started with an all-hands meeting in December during the company’s holiday break. The new CEO of Stellantis had permitted Kuniskis to start working on the Hemi again. So, when I mentioned earlier that driving the Hemi Ram felt “right,” I wasn’t only suggesting that things had returned to normal—I was also highlighting how practical the V8 Ram feels, given that it has only recently gone into service. After going off of Ram’s suggested test route, I drove the truck on a number of well-known roads. The engine and driveline were acting strangely because it was raining, but there was no rain. The mild hybrid had quick torque delivery, but hard starts on wet roads weren’t as exciting. Everything works perfectly, from the sound to the power source that stays the same. With how quickly this came together, that is really great. Engineers at Ram had to make some electrical parts “speak Hemi,” even though the engine bay could easily fit an eight-cylinder engine. If you care about how fast it is, remember that the 2026 Ram 1500 will have more features than just the Hemi. It also comes with coverage for 10 years or up to 100,000 miles. Even though the Hemi is back, things are different now. The idea of the Hemi as a low-cost starting point has gone away, as has the Ram Classic. Even if it’s not the best engine, Ram will demand a lot of money for it. The Hemi upgrade is priced at just $1,200, but it’s only available if you first opt for the $1,695 standard-output (SO) Hurricane I6. To get the real cost of $2,895, add the two numbers together. The most important thing is that the Hemi can use the Ram’s cheaper trim lines. The mild-hybrid V8 engine could be added to even the base truck. This could be a nod to the late Classic, which helped the Hemi keep its reputation as a volume engine. There, all you have to do is pay for the Hemi upgrade. If you’ve already tried the best types (like Tungsten), you might get some for free. The SO Hurricane comes stock with both the Laramie and the Rebel. Remember that the Hemi Rebel is still under development, and it won’t be available or cost much until later in the production cycle. Ram won’t say what its plans are for the future of its V8 program, but we will. It’s likely that the TRX will come back in 18 months, but not by much. Also, the 392 might show up in the light-duty Ram. Dodge stopped making the 6.4-liter engine in their cars and SUVs, but they still used it in their heavy-duty trucks. The 1500 never got the 6.4-liter engine. Ram is just using it as an incentive to get people to buy the more expensive HD models, but with the EPA gutted, anything is possible.
