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RYAN ZUMMALLEN: If you were going
to drag race two trucks on a dry lake bed, which ones would
you want to see goes against each other?
Obviously, the 2022 Ram TRX, right?
702 horsepower from a supercharged V8.
Mwah.
That would be awesome.
What would you put against it, though?
Well, we decided today we're going to put the 2022 Rivian
R1T against it.
The all electric pickup truck.
Now that may not sound like a perfect match,
but that Rivian has 835 horsepower.
So how is it going to match up against the old school
RAM on the track?
This is an unpredictable surface, electric power
versus gas power.
All terrain tires on both, we don't
know what's going to happen.
But let's find out.
Today, we have two drivers from the Edmunds test team
to help us.
There's Reese and Jonathan.
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JONATHAN ELFALAN: I'm in the TRX,
so I am in some cases, the underdog.
We know how quickly that Rivian gets off the line
and it just pulls.
But I wasn't originally going to use launch control because
of the surface, but it seems like the surface
is, there's a lot more grip than what we originally thought.
So I'm going to use the launch control,
I'm going to dial it up just a hair,
and hope that that doesn't come to bite me in the ass.
And I just get massive wheel spin.
I don't think that's going to happen.
But yeah, we'll see if just taking it up a notch
on the launch control will help this to get an even
better launch off the start.
And hopefully, that Rivian hits its speed limiter
And the TRX will have enough room to catch up.
So that's the plan.
REESE COUNTS: I'm going to get a little sneaky
and put it in straight up sport.
Lower ride height.
Now, this is either going to hurt me or kill me
because the surface out here is a little uneven.
But I think it's still flat enough
that I'm going to get a better launch, not squat as much.
I don't know.
Smash the pedal and go.
RYAN ZUMMALLEN: Here's what you need
to know, these two trucks in our testing
did almost identical 0 to 60.
So on dirt, with the wind, in a quarter mile, anybody's game.
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Countdown in five, four, three, two, one.
Go.
Oh, Rivian with a great start.
The TRX is really going to have to catch up now.
JONATHAN ELFALAN: Oh, man that Rivian is so fast.
I don't know if I can do it.
Oh dude.
C'mon.
Not even a chance.
Oh.
RYAN ZUMMALLEN: I can't wait to see the times on that one.
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They were both cooking, man.
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REESE COUNTS: I see what you mean by a dust issue,
right now.
JONATHAN ELFALAN: Yeah.
There's a little bit of it.
But man, that Rivian is it kind of
sucks to be on this side of the track, man.
REESE COUNTS: I know.
JONATHAN ELFALAN: How did you feel on the launch?
Was it everything you hoped for?
REESE COUNTS: It's so odd, still in an EV,
to just like have all this thrust
and no like audible cues.
Yeah, man, it just laid you back in the seat.
JONATHAN ELFALAN: Yeah, I mean, I
thought I got a pretty good launch.
I am not going to say it was as good as yours.
I did mess with the RPM a little bit but it felt solid.
I didn't feel like there was a whole lot of wheel spin.
But you were just gone.
Like there was no chance of catching up.
Like none.
At least from a standing start.
REESE COUNTS: Yeah.
I think if you had a little more room,
I think that RAM might come up on us
but, yeah this thing gets such a jump at the line.
JONATHAN ELFALAN: Yeah, I was just shocked.
And like you said, I don't know, there's so much drama.
The launch control in this feels amazing.
Like it makes all the right sounds and stuff.
But then, I just see the Rivian just take off and leave me
in the dust.
So, yeah.
I mean that's something to be said about just electric power
and having four motors and all the torques.
REESE COUNTS: Yeah all the torque.
Hell, though, that RAM is really impressive.
JONATHAN ELFALAN: It is until you line it up next to Rivian,
then you just feel kind of big and dumb.
Like you're like that, yeah, I was
smoked by something that doesn't make any noise.
And here I am making all the noise.
REESE COUNTS: I know that Hellcat motor is excellent.
JONATHAN ELFALAN: I mean, I give this thing a 10
for noise and a 10 for power, for being honest.
But you just can't compete with that electric boost.
RYAN ZUMMALLEN: I, for one, welcome our EV overlords.
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OK we're going to do a rolling race, just
to see if there is any different behavior in the two trucks when
they start from 30 miles an hour,
rather than standing start.
JONATHAN ELFALAN: So any bets on who's going to win this one?
REESE COUNTS: I don't know.
Rolling races are always weird, and like,
the electric motors don't have as much of an advantage
once we get moving so, hey, the RAM might pull on it.
JONATHAN ELFALAN: I mean, I'm hoping
that, yeah, the 30 miles an hour gives me-- it kind of takes
your advantage away.
Like halfway to 60, and I mean, I
know I don't have as much horsepower.
But I know I have a higher top speed than you,
so hopefully we hit that top speed.
And yeah and the RAM can chalk up a win in this column.
RYAN ZUMMALLEN: All right, guys.
When you're ready, just start rolling,
and I'll yell go when you get to the cones.
JONATHAN ELFALAN: Roger that.
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RYAN ZUMMALLEN: Here we go.
They're off.
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Ready.
Set.
Go.
Ah, the noise.
REESE COUNTS: Woah.
So I had to downshift.
JONATHAN ELFALAN: Ah, come on.
Oh that thing is so quick.
RYAN ZUMMALLEN: I think that's all she wrote for the Rex.
REESE COUNTS: So much for an advantage.
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JONATHAN ELFALAN: I think I need one more road race on that.
RYAN ZUMMALLEN: Future baby.
It's here.
REESE COUNTS: That TRX looks really good in my rearview
mirror.
JONATHAN ELFALAN: Yeah, that's about all
it's good at doing at this point.
Man, I. Yeah.
That's disappointing.
But you know, I will say, that when I went to drop the hammer,
this thing still needed to downshift,
so I think there was a slight disadvantage in that.
I mean, it wasn't much.
I think you still would have got the win.
But yeah, there was a downshift that obviously the Rivian
doesn't have to do because there's no transmission.
REESE COUNTS: Yeah.
I wasn't sure how the torque was going
to hit right at 30 miles an hour, but immediate and fierce.
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RYAN ZUMMALLEN: That was a definitive result.
But how did it happen?
In our standing race, the TRX got a great launch.
But the R1T used instant electric torque to rocket
from 0 to 60 in just 3.8 seconds.
On dirt, and it kept pulling, hitting
106 miles per hour at the quarter, with the TRX
about a half second behind.
The rolling race was even more decisive.
The TRX roared to 103 miles per hour and a 12.3 second quarter.
But EV power just hits different.
The R1T beat it by a full second at 109 miles per hour.
Yowzer.
REESE COUNTS: Holy cow is this Rivian quick.
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RYAN ZUMMALLEN: Well, those are pretty decisive results.
And it was a lot of fun out here in the dirt, and the sun,
and the wind, and everything.
And with all of that, it was the silent truck that
came away the victor today.
Heck of a race.
A lot of fun.
Let us know what we should put up against it next and see
if anything can take down the Rivian, out here
on the dry lake bed, Drag Race.
Thanks for watching, guys.
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