Ram Leans Hard Into Texas With New Trucks and Old Favorites

Ram at the State Fair

Ram kicked off the Stellantis morning at the State Fair of Texas media day on Thursday, Sept. 24, at Fair Park. Breakfast was at the Ram outdoor display at 8:45, and the Ram press conference started at 9:15. Ram had three things on the agenda. The 2027 Ram 1500 Rumble Bee, the TRX and the 15th anniversary of the Longhorn.

Ram knows where its trucks go

Ram started with Texas numbers. They said 1 in every 6 trucks sold in the U.S. is sold in Texas, and that somewhere around 15 to 20 percent of all Ram trucks sold are sold here. The point was simple. They love Texans and the Texas market.

Lone Star and Longhorn, Ram’s Texas trims

That’s also why Ram spent a lot of time on the history and sales of the Lone Star and the Longhorn, the two trucks Ram talks about as built for Texas.

The Lone Star came first. Ram launched it in 2002 as a Texas-only edition, and Ram calls it the first truck designed by Texans and built specifically for Texans. It’s sold only in Texas and gets its own “Lone Star” badges on the tailgate and inside. In the Ram 1500 lineup it’s listed as Big Horn/Lone Star.

The Longhorn started at this fair. Ram unveiled the Laramie Longhorn at the State Fair of Texas on Sept. 23, 2010, and it went on sale in early 2011. That’s the 15th anniversary Ram was marking this year. For 2021 the Limited Longhorn replaced the Laramie Longhorn, and Ram now lists it as Limited/Longhorn.

The Longhorn is all about the interior. At the 2010 launch, Ram designer Ryan Nagode said the design cues came from “traditionally handcrafted, time-tested wares, such as the antique pocket watch, a fine pair of hand-tooled leather cowboy boots, a collector’s-grade shotgun or a horseman’s saddle.” The first one had laser-etched filigree on the leather and seatback pockets made to look like saddlebags, closed with a steer-logo metal buckle. Later versions added real barn-wood accents, a wood-burned “Longhorn” brand on the glove box and hammered metal accents. When the current Ram 1500 launched for 2025, the Longhorn got a real wood veneer Ram calls Barn Wood 45, with a sawcut look, and it comes only with a Bison Brown interior and massaging front seats.

Rumble Bee makes its Texas debut

Stellantis listed the 2027 Ram 1500 Rumble Bee as one of the vehicles making its first Texas appearance at the Fair. It’s a set of HEMI V8 street trucks built for performance, and Ram is tying it to its NASCAR Truck Series program. A Rumble Bee SRT paced a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Naval Base Coronado in June. Ram says that was the first time in two decades a Ram paced a NASCAR race.

Every Rumble Bee is a Quad Cab with a short bed and a widebody. Ram says the wheelbase is 13 inches shorter than a standard 1500 Quad Cab and the frame flexes 10% less. Here’s the lineup and the pricing Ram announced this summer. Prices don’t include the $2,795 destination charge.

• Rumble Bee, 5.7-liter HEMI V8, 395 hp and 410 lb-ft, $59,995
• Rumble Bee 392, 6.4-liter HEMI V8, 470 hp, $69,995
• Rumble Bee 392 Track Pack, adds aero, handling and braking upgrades, $79,995
• Rumble Bee SRT, 6.2-liter supercharged HEMI V8, 777 hp, $94,995

Ram says the SRT runs 0-60 mph in 3.4 seconds and the quarter-mile in 11.6 seconds, with a targeted top speed of 170 mph. It still works as a truck. The 5.7 version tows up to 8,890 pounds when properly equipped.

The 5.7 is the only one you can order right now. Orders opened Aug. 13, and it reaches dealers in the fourth quarter of 2026. The 392, 392 Track Pack and SRT follow in the first half of 2027. If 395 horsepower isn’t enough, Direct Connection plans a $10,995 supercharger kit for the 5.7 that targets more than 600 horsepower. Installation is extra.

The HEMI is back

Bringing the HEMI back was a big part of the talk. The 5.7-liter HEMI V8 returned to the Ram 1500 for 2026, and Ram says that happened because customers asked for it. The TRX brings back the supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI, and every Rumble Bee has a HEMI V8 under the hood.

The TRX returns for 2027

Ram also talked about the return of the TRX. Here’s what Ram lists for the 2027 Ram 1500 TRX SRT:

• 6.2-liter supercharged HEMI V8, 777 hp and 680 lb-ft
• 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds and a 118 mph top speed
• 35-inch tires, Bilstein Black Hawk e2 adaptive shocks, 11.8 inches of ground clearance and up to 14 inches of rear axle travel
• $99,995 plus $2,795 destination

It’s the first Ram to wear an SRT badge since the 2006 Ram SRT10. It’s built at Sterling Heights Assembly in Michigan, and trucks started shipping to customers July 1.

Ram and the Longhorns

Ram talked about its partnership with Texas Longhorns football. Ram is now a sponsor of Texas Athletics, and five Longhorns players signed on for its “Nothing Stops Football” campaign. They are Cam Coleman, Colin Simmons, Ryan Wingo, Jelani McDonald and Trevor Goosby. Ram is also the Official Tailgate Truck Sponsor of ESPN College Football this season.

The Ram Thrill Ride at the Fair

Ram set up a little outdoor course where you can ride in a TRX. Stellantis calls it the Ram Thrill Ride and describes the course as Baja-like. It’s open to fairgoers during the fair, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, according to the fair’s official schedule. Jeep had its own indoor off-road course, Camp Jeep, if you want to make a Stellantis loop of it. I didn’t take time to ride along this year but I have from years in the past when they’ve done this and it’s a ton of fun!

I drove the TRX the next day

The day after media day, I got into a TRX at the Texas Truck Rodeo event at Eagles Canyon Raceway in Decatur. It was super hard to get into because it was super popular there. I took it on the rally course and it was sketchy but amazing. It was fun, and I shot video of it, so look for that soon.

This was just one stop at media day. I’ve got more State Fair coverage to come, on things like the 2027 Chevy Silverado, Tesla’s booth, Toyota’s bright blue trucks and Jeep’s indoor off-road course. If you’re heading to the Fair, start with my overview and game plan.

The 2026 State Fair of Texas Auto Show opened Friday. Here’s your game plan.