Which is Faster: A 1,200-HP Ram TRX or a Ford GT? You Won't Believe the Results
If you’re a hardcore automotive enthusiast, dragging a monstrous 1,200-horsepower truck against a supercar is what dreams are made of, or perhaps what crazy bets are built on. Enter the Hennessey Mammoth 1200 and the Ford GT. When you pit one of the most powerful trucks against a pedigree supercar, it gets extremely interesting.
The Competitors: Goliath vs. David
Hennessey's Mammoth 1200 isn't just any Ram TRX. It's a Herculean pickup truck boasting a jaw-dropping 1,200 horsepower thanks to its Hellcat engine. But can all that brute force actually contend with the agility and sophistication of a genuine racing machine? That’s the question. The other contender, a Ford GT, is no lightweight either. This supercar, with its twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 engine, outputs significantly less horsepower but weighs considerably less as well.
The Face-Off: Drag Racing Dramas
Marketing Vice President of Hennessey Performance Engineering and automotive vlogger Shmee150 didn’t hold back in finding out. They set up three supercharged-showdown-ford-f150-jeep-trackhawk-corvette-zr1-audi-s6">quarter-mile drag races. The GT won one standing-start race by a whisker, exploiting its lighter body and optimized aerodynamics. However, the rolling start race was a different story. With that much weight to haul, the Ram TRX didn't stand a chance against the lightning-quick Ford GT.
The Numbers: Weight Matters
What the Mammoth 1200 boasts in horsepower, it lacks in weight efficiency. At a hefty 6,443 pounds, this Ram TRX more than doubles the Ford GT’s 3,054 pounds. The sheer mass is a significant disadvantage, especially in rolling starts where momentum becomes crucial.
Contrasting Technologies: Supercharger vs. Turbocharger
Under the hood, these vehicles differ substantially. The Ram’s V8 is supercharged, delivering power with brute force. In contrast, the Ford GT's 3.5-liter V6 benefits from twin turbochargers, providing more balanced power and efficiency. The GT employs a quick-shifting dual-clutch transmission (DCT) from Getrag, unlike the Ram's more conventional torque-converter automatic.
Luxury vs. Raw Power
The Ford GT’s carbon-fiber monocoque construction is one of the reasons for its high price tag, starting at a staggering $453,750 for the 2017 model before any extras. Its final examples rolled out in March 2023, explaining its higher resale value. In contrast, the Ram TRX, even with the Mammoth 1200 package, can't touch those numbers. It’s the difference between raw, unbridled power and meticulously engineered luxury.
The Future Terrain
While the production of the second-gen Ford GT is now capped at 1,350 units, the Ram TRX's future is less clear. Ford’s new entrant, the Mustang GTD, poses fresh competition with approximately 1,000 units available at $325,000 each. That is making headlines as the priciest Mustang ever. Meanwhile, newer model year updates for the F-150 Raptor R have narrowed the gap in power, but the TRX still wins in the torque department.
The Endgame for Powerful Pickups
The specialized versions of these trucks are few in number. The farewell edition of the TRX is limited to 4,000 units. Ford continues to strengthen its market position, much to the dismay of would-be Ram 1500 buyers. No official word has yet announced any new V8 configurations for the Ram trucks going forward, making the market ripe for Ford and GM to grab a larger slice of the pie.
Final Thoughts
The face-off between the 1,200-HP Ram TRX and the Ford GT is more than just a spectacle. It’s a study in contrasts. Raw horsepower versus refined engineering, mass versus agility, and perhaps most poignantly, irrepressible American brute force against sleek, perfected design.