The Dude Truck Is One HEMI Away From Taking My Money
What if I told you this Ram Dude street truck is a 6.4 or 6.2 away from stealing my wallet? The look is right, the stance is right, and Mopar didn’t phone it in — this isn’t just stickers and a color swap. It’s a legit street-machine theme that reaches back to the original 1970–71 Dude package and drags it into 2026 with modern parts. (Stellantis press release)
Here’s what Mopar says they actually built into it: tungsten front fascia, a unique hood that borrows attitude from the RHO/TRX lineage, 22×10 wheels, a tasteful drop, side-exit exhaust integrated into the rocker, “Dude” graphics, and a blacked-out tailgate panel that makes the RAM letters pop.
I’m not going to nitpick the concept wearing a 5.7 Hemi — it’s way better than it having a hurricane inline 6 like the Dodge Charger Sixpack concept does. But I say for this Dude concept truck: build it. Give us trims that scale from a budget 5.7 to a 392 and a top dog 6.2L supercharged HEMI with proper brakes, color-caliper options, and the TRX-style hood to give the truck aggressive looks and have the supercharger sing thru the opening. You do that and it’s game over for every “street” half-ton that’s pretending with wheels and a decal.
Why I think this is production-friendly: Mopar raided the corporate parts bin (smart), not a SEMA catalog. That makes this easier to certify and build at volume — exactly how you make a street truck that can be added across trims (Express through Tungsten) instead of one halo SKU that dealers hold hostage.
Oh, and if you’re wondering why I keep comparing it to Ford’s new F-150 Lobo: that’s the rival template — a factory street truck, V8-only positioning, and production-ready bits. If Ram shows up with real V8 choices and Mopar parts behind the look, it’s a fair fight. (Overview of F-150 Lobo)
My Bottom Line (and what I’m telling Tim & Matt)
The Dude is the cleanest, most production-ready street truck vision Ram has shown in years. Put the look on a spread of trims, offer 5.7 / 392 / 6.2 SC, and rotate classic Mopar colors quarterly (Sublime, Plum Crazy, Go Mango, B5). Make them affordable and only offer a HEMI, that would melt the internet and the order bank.
