Ram's parent company Stellantis has whipped the covers off a fire-breathing new twin-turbo six-cylinder petrol engine that is heavily tipped to make its way to the brand's pick-up truck portfolio.
And should it make its way into the brand's incoming mid-size (think Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger size) Ram 1200 - or Dakota - ute, then even the new Ranger Raptor will be left in its rear-view in the power wars.
The new 3.0-litre twin-turbo inline six petrol engine is part of a new Hurricane engine family, and will be offered in Standard Output and High Output forms.
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In standard guise, you can expect around 300kW and 610Nm. But in High Output? Hold onto your hats, because the new donk is expected to target 375kW and 645Nm.
And that's a lot. Remember that the new flagship Ford Ranger Raptor scores a potent 292kW/583Nm 3.0-litre twin-turbo petrol V6, which means the Hurricane donk would cause some headaches.
That also means its a true HEMI V8 replacement, and Stellantis is also promising "significant fuel economy (reductions) during heavy use, such as towing.”
“The Hurricane twin-turbo is a no-compromise engine that delivers better fuel economy and an important reduction in greenhouse gases without asking our customers to give up performance,” says Stellantis’ head of propulsion systems, Micky Bly.
Expect the Hurricane to begin appearing in models later this year. But could one of them be a fire-breathing version of the Ram 1200?
Brazilian site Auto Segredos has the scoop on the new model, with the site reporting Ram's secretive Project 291 has been confirmed by Stellantis, and will go into production at a Jeep factory in Brazil as soon as early next year.
The news has reportedly been officially confirmed by Antonio Filosa, President of Stellantis South America in a briefing to local journalists, though the brand is coy on detail for now.
At this point, media reports point to two engine options for the Ram 1200, a 2.0-litre Tiger Shark petrol good for around 150kW. It pairs with a nine-speed auto and sends power to all four wheels.
The Ram 1200 is also tipped to be offered with a 2.2 Multijet II turbo-diesel, tuned to deliver 150kW and around 450Nm. It too pairs with a nine-speed auto and is equipped with four-wheel drive.
But that's just the beginning, with the new 1200 also reported to be adopting hybrid and full-electric powertrain options to allow it to take on the American market - where it could be renamed the Dakota.
Will the 1200 make its way Down Under? Watch this space.
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