One look at the specs says it all. The new Ram 1500 TRX is a lot more powerful than the Ford F-150 Raptor. We're talking 702 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque versus 450 hp and 510 lb-ft. Nothing can touch the Hellcat V8. But there's something else to consider: is the TRX simply too powerful in its current form? Could Ram possibly swap out the Hellcat in favor of a less powerful but still highly capable V8?

Automobile Magazine posed that very question to Ram officials and they had a brief but very telling answer: "Not at introduction." That isn't an outright denial. If Ram did introduce a less powerful TRX powered by, say, the naturally aspirated 6.4-liter V8 with 410 hp and 429 lb-ft of twist, it would surely be less expensive and thus more attainable for customers.

This would work in Ram's favor because it'd be an opportunity to help recoup the TRX's high development costs. Remember, Ram didn't just toss the Hellcat under the hood and call it day, but rather heavily reworked the full-size truck's suspension and modified its frame.

Combined with an even more premium interior and many exterior enhancements, it's no wonder the TRX will cost at least $70,000. Expensive projects require high sticker prices. Plus, the TRX is a halo model and it's not expected to sell in significant numbers. A less powerful and cheaper version, however, probably would.

Its power and performance specs would be much more in line with that of the Raptor and would likely offer similar pricing. The 2020 Raptor carries a base price of $53,455 and Ford sells a lot of them. It's possible a so-called "TRX Sport" could arrive on the scene in the relatively near future, but don't expect it until sometime after the next-generation Raptor debuts. Ram would then have to benchmark it before proceeding further.

Although the Ram 1500 TRX will always be the star of the Ram lineup, it may not be the ideal money-maker. Halo models rarely are, and that's why a TRX Sport (or whatever it's called) is needed.