automobile
RAM does something that only a few car manufacturers ever do. There is a mistake. After pulling the legendary Hemi V-8 from the RAM 1500 series for 2025 and replacing it with a series of six-cylinder engines, the counter reaction was quick and loud. The buyers weren’t happy and Ram listened. Now the Hemi is officially back for the 2026 model year and religious books are open.
The 5.7-liter hemi V-8 is not standard in the entire line-up, but is available as an option from most drugs. Depending on the model, it costs up to $ 1,200 to regain this unmistakable V-8 rumble. Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis was open about the reversal. “Ram screwed it up when we dropped the hemi – we own it and we repaired him,” he said. This level of honesty is rare and it is clearly a reaction to how passionately ram buyers think about their engines.
The returning V-8 produces the same performance of 395 hp and 410 LB-FT torque as before and retains the mild hybrid system Etorque to support efficiency and smooth start-stop operation. According to Kuniskis, the goal was to bring the engine back without triggering a long development cycle. That meant to keep the Hemi exactly as it was, and enabled RAM to avoid time -consuming new calibration and emission certifications.
Buyers can indicate the hemi in a variety of trims, including craftsmen, big horn, express, hexamia, laramy, rebel (a little later), limited and longhorn. Interestingly, the limited and Longhorn cladding are already equipped with RAM’s 3.0-liter inline SIX, so that the V-8 is an inexpensive option. Expectly expect up to $ 1,200 for the upgrade for other equipment with the standard output six-cylinder.
In order to distinguish the Hemi-equipped trucks, RAM introduces a unique “symbol of the protest badge” that has a RAM head on the front of a Hemi block. You will find it on the front fenders and signal that this truck means for shops. The Hemi configuration offers £ 1,750 and can carry up to £ 11,470, which means that the call as a work horse is maintained.
Bringing the V-8 back was not easy. When Kuniskis fell back to Ram in December, he tried to achieve this, but the engineering team was initially informed that it would take 18 months for the engine to be introduced with the new electrical architecture for the 2025 model. This architecture was designed with future electrified models such as the RAM 1500 REV and Ramcharger, not a decades of V-8.
Give Daryl Smith, the former SRT chief engineer who led a special group with the f15 code name in Skunkworks style. This team found out how to integrate the Hemi in just six months. Kuniskis indicated that Smith’s SRT background was not just a coincidence, which indicates that this team could be commissioned more than just an engine.
RAM is not finished yet. In April Kuniskis announced that the brand would reveal 25 products over the next 18 months. Among them is a long -awaited medium -sized truck, and fans still hope for the return of the TRX. While the RHO was introduced with a high starting turnover last year, RAM realized that it was not a direct replacement for the TRX. If this animal can return, the company remains calm for the time being.
For those who are looking for great strength, there is still an option on the horizon. The charged 6.2-liter V-8 Hellcat engine continues to live in 2026 Durango Hellcat. If Smith and his team can bring the Hemi back in six months, you can do the same for the Hellcat-Ram 1500.
At the moment, V-8 lovers can take relief. The hemi is not dead. Not yet.
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