Let’s face facts: Truck owners are suspicious of any engine that isn’t an eight-cylinder. If you are going to depart from the de facto standard, it had better be for a darn good reason. Adding any other engine is risky. If the owner of a RAM TRX and a long list of other extreme Dodge and RAM products is to be trusted, RAM has pulled it off with its new 1500 Hurricane inline six.
Our guest writer for this story is Jr. Damato of the New England Motor Press Association. Jr. has been there and done that in the automotive industry. He built a successful repair business in two major cities, hosted a successful automotive talk show, and is an expert contributor with me at Car Talk. But none of that is why Jr. is uniquely qualified to comment on the 2026 Ram 1500 Warlock Crew Cab 4x4. We reached out to Jr. because he owns virtually every high-performance product that Jeep, Dodge, and Ram have produced in the modern era, and a few from the golden era of muscle cars as well.
“My current truck collection includes a 2022 TRX with 702 hp, a ‘96 Viper Pickup Six-Speed, and my daily driver is a 2022 RAM 1500 eTorque,” Jr. explained to us in person at his garage. Who better to pass judgment on the newest powerplant RAM is offering than a lifelong collector of RAM, Jeep, and Dodge performance products whose daily driver is a RAM 1500?
JR.’s virdict on the RAM 1500 with the Hurricane inline six was:
If you’re stuck on Hemi V/8, you at least need to drive the Hurricane power 6 cylinder. It’s that good.
Jr. went on to say, “The engine does not sound or feel like a 'standard output' 3.0 liter V/6.” I would agree with Jr. here. Based on my time behind the wheel, the Hurricane engine feels like it has more low-end torque than most V8s. More importantly, it feels like the torque is coming on strong in places where the V8 would need a bit of RPMs. It could be gearing. Jr. pointed out that our loaner did have the HO option with a 3:55 performance axle ratio. Power goes through a silky-smooth 8-speed automatic.
It’s no secret how the Hurricane inline six works so well. As Jr. explains, “It’s the twin turbos making the magic. Power is amazing, each turbo feeds 3 cylinders.” There are many reasons why a manufacturer will use two turbos instead of one in an engine like this. Exhaust pulse optimization, quicker response time (to eliminate lag), and two turbos each do half the work, leading to better reliability and durability.
Jr. and I both had the RAM 1500 Warlock during one of the harshest New England Winters in the past half-decade. Due to ice, I parked it for much of my stint with it, but Jr. had more opportunities to drive it. His final words on this 2026 RAM 1500 Warlock is:
The Hurricane engine in the RAM 1500 is a gamble that paid off. I drove it in wicked winter weather, and it did everything a good truck is supposed to do. The ride was smooth, and even the aggressive tires were fairly quiet. Remote start, push to start, and keyless entry, rear backup camera all make the drive easier when you’re negotiating falling snow and tall snowbanks.
Having seen Jr.’s collection of RAM, Dodge, and Jeep high-performance vehicles, most of which have horsepower numbers starting with seven, and two modified ones of which are over 1,000 hp, we’ll take Jr.’s word for it that the hurricane inline twin-turbo six-cylinder engine is a success for the brand. Tell us what you think in the comments section below.
2026 RAM 1500 Warlock images by Jr. Damato. Price as tested $57,395
John Goreham is a 14-year veteran of Torque News. An accomplished writer and a long-time expert in vehicle testing, Goreham also serves as the Vice President of the New England Motor Press Association and has a growing social media presence. He’s also a 10-year staff writer and community moderator for Car Talk. Goreham holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and an undergraduate Certificate in Marketing. In addition to vehicle and tire content, he offers deep dives into market trends and opinion pieces. You can follow John Goreham on X and TikTok, and connect with him on LinkedIn.
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