Ram is rebooting the Rumble Bee … times three.
Ram has revealed its much-anticipated lineup of “muscle trucks” that borrows its name from the Hemi V8-powered 1500 Rumble Bee of 2004-2005 and includes a trio of trims in a quad cab, short bed configuration with the widebody fenders from the 2027 Ram 150 TRX.
Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis said they went with the quad cab instead of a two-door to expand its appeal, since two-doors only account for 3% of the pickup market and the weight penalty was just 300 pounds.
The entry-level Rumble Bee is equipped with a 395 hp 5.7-liter V8, the 470 hp Rumble Bee 392 is the first 1500 powered by a 6.4-liter V8 and the top-of-the-line Rumble Bee SRT gets the 777 hp supercharged 6.2-liter Hellcat V8 from the TRX.
All feature a one-inch drop up front compared to standard Ram 1500s and a suspension that’s stretched 6.8 inches in front and 7 inches in the rear. The Rumble Bee and Rumble Bee 392 come with steel springs and Bilstein performance shocks, while the Rumble Bee SRT and a Rumble Bee 392 Track Pack swap in adjustable air springs and computer-controlled adaptive Bilstein dampers.
Power is sent to the wheels through an eight-sped automatic transmission and a single-speed 4×4 system with full-time and part-time settings along with a rear-wheel-drive mode. The Rumble Bee 392 Track Pack and Rumble Bee SRT can be ordered with either an electronic spool differential that can be fully locked for drag racing, burnouts and drifting, or a limited slip differential.
The trucks have console-mounted shifters, digital instrument clusters and infotainment system touchscreens that are 8.4 inches, 12 inches and 14.5 inches and paired with six, 10 and 19 speakers, respectively, as you step up through the trims. The Rumble Bee has cloth upholstery, the Rumble Bee 392 suede and leather and the Rumble Bee SRT even nicer suede and leather.
Ram says the Rumble Bee can do 0-60 in 6.1 secs and a quarter-mile in 14.6 secs, while the Rumble Bee 392’s figures are 5.2 secs and 13.2 secs and the Rumble Bee SRT leaves them in the dust with times of 3.4 secs and 11.6 secs.
The Rumble Bee SRT also gets a more extreme aerodynamic package to go along with its prodigious power that includes a 4.5-inch deep front splitter, a hard tri-fold tonneau cover and a funftional wing on the tailgate. Ram says it all generates real downforce at high speeds to improve stability and that the truck can hit 170 mph, which is a new record for pickups. The previous one was held by the legendary 2004-2006 Ram SRT10, which had a 500 hp 8.3-liter V10 and needed 4.9 secs to reach 60 mph on the way to its 154 mph top speed.
Stopping power is provided by six-piston Brembo calipers with 16.1-inch front discs that are also included with the Rumble Bee 392 Track Pack, while the Rumble Bee and Rumble Bee 392 have four-piston calipers with 14.9-inch front discs.
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As far as the more traditional truck hauling is concerned, the Rumble Bee is rated to tow up to 8,890 pounds, the Rumble Bee 392 up to 7,460 pounds — which drops to 7,300 pounds with the track pack — and the Rumble Bee SRT up to 8,580 pounds. Fuel economy isn’t finalized yet, but will likely fall into the “if you have to ask” category.
Pricing has not been announced, but the Rumble Bee goes on sale first late this year and will be followed early next year by the Rumble Bee 392 and Rumble Bee SRT. For some perspective, the upcoming Ram 1500 TRX lists for $102,590 and the current 550 hp Hurricane straight-six powered Ram 1500 RHO that shares the widebody design starts at $77,090.
