Ram TRX Stage Kits Are Finally Here — And Yes, They’ll Clear the Raptor R
I’ve been beating this drum for years, and now the pieces I laid out in the video are locking into place. Direct Connection TRX stage kits are green-lit. The announcement window lines up with the other Mopar news I teased, and dealers were briefed on the same call that covered changes to Power Brokers, Direct Connection logistics, and the new Hellephant-family crate engine.
Here’s what matters if you own a TRX or you’re about to jump on the 2026 truck. Because of the certification loophole I talked about at Roadkill Nights, the “base” 2026 TRX returns with the carryover 6.2L supercharged Hemi at 702 horsepower — the same tune that kept 2024 compliant. That would leave Ford’s 720-hp Raptor R with the paper win, and everyone at Ram knows it. So the workaround is the move I’ve been pushing for: factory-backed stage kits that you can buy and install through a broad network of Power Brokers without gambling your warranty. On paper, a Stage 1 TRX kit (if you base it off the similar Challenger/Charger Hellcat Stage 1 Kit) lands around the low-to-mid-740s.
The best part: this isn’t just for the comeback year. The coverage I’m hearing spans from 2021 through 2026 because the core engine family is shared. If you have a first-gen TRX and your warranty situation still matters, this is the path that lets you get more power without voiding your warranty. And if you’re ordering the new one, you can plan your budget with the kit in mind..
Let’s talk truck, not just tune. Expect the 2026 TRX to wear the RHO body — the bigger 14-inch screen inside, TRX badging and graphics doing the heavy lifting visually. I’m pushing for a factory 37-inch tire option because, frankly, that’s the simplest way to make the truck look as serious as it sounds without a day-one trip to the tire shop.
Now, why stage kits and not a baked-in higher tune? Because the certification clock is real. Re-certifying a hotter factory calibration is slow and expensive. Selling a street-legal, warranty-backed upgrade kit through Direct Connection and Power Brokers is fast, scalable, and — thanks to the changes I heard about on that dealer call — you no longer have to deal with dealers that play games with prices and markup services. That’s been the pain point you’ve all seen in owner groups: limited installers, parts bottlenecks, and installs costing way more than it should.
Will there be a Redeye TRX out of the gate? No — I said it in the video, and I’m repeating it here so expectations are right. The early 2026 trucks are the certified 702-hp tune, and the kits do the lifting. Could we see spicier factory trims later? It’s Mopar — never say never.
