In today’s drag race that nobody asked for but is ultra-cool, we have two supercharged V8 vehicles, the 2022 Land Rover Defender V8 Supercharged and the Ram 1500 TRX. Obviously, one is an SUV and the other a big pickup, but that’s okay considering there’s also a displacement and horsepower gap.
We should consider ourselves lucky to even have a drag race like this, between two large V8s with superchargers. Activists have been asking for stuff like this to be killed off, and there’s not much time before their wish is granted. But there’s no electrification here, just a lot of V8 rumble.
The Defender V8 Supercharged isn’t unique because of its engine; it’s unique because Land Rover normally reserves this for big Range Rover luxury models or the SVR sports modes. The Defender is supposed to be a pure off-roader and yet everything about this version screams “hot rod,” from the modded suspension to the unique exhaust setup.
Likewise, the Ram 1500 TRX is not the only vehicle to have this 6.3-liter supercharged V8. But it is the only pickup truck to have such a powertrain. In fact, something like the Jeep Trackhawk or the Dodge Durango Hellcat would have made more sense in the context of this drag race.
But the race set up by Canadian YouTuber Sam CarLegion is actually the closest thing you can have to a close quarter-mile shootout. Looking at the specs, you don’t really know who’s going to win.
TRX vs British supercharged V8
A V8 Defender starts at around $110,000, but these things are quite difficult to order. Under the hood is a 5.0-liter engine that’s already familiar from other models, rated at 518 horsepower and capable of propelling you to 60 mph in 5.1 seconds. That’s about 50 hp less than an SVR, plus the V8 pops are muted, but this is still like having a GT500 engine in a Bronco: utterly instance.
Its rival is a pickup that towers above most other vehicles on the road, the Ram TRX. The model (theoretically) starts from $80,000 and is equipped with a 6.3-liter V8 making 702 horsepower. Again, that’s down from the full potential of the block, demonstrated by the Redeye and Demon.
Even so, the beast is at an obvious advantage, with a claimed 0 to 60 time of just 3.7 seconds. But let’s just watch the race and see if the numbers are replicated in the real world.
Both vehicles hook up nicely thanks to their 4×4 systems and instant power delivery. However, the RAM TRX demonstrates its superior power and pulls a huge lead. The Land Rover gets seriously gapped here. The pickup is also gone in the rolling race, pulling several lengths ahead.
So, yeah, the TRX is faster than any old Land Rover. Sam mentions that he wants to do more drag races with the supercharged Defender, and we’ve got a couple of ideas. The Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 would be an obvious one, since it’s got a great naturally-aspirated Hemi, and the normal Mercedes G-Class would be another one.
