A few things:
- Ram is well aware of what made and continues to make the Raptor successful, and it wasn't limited to horsepower (it wasn't even the primary selling point).
- The Raptor, even today, cannot accommodate 37" tires and requires fender swaps for clearance (if my understanding is correct).
- Shareholders are also well aware of the ATP that the Raptor commands; they even alluded to it as the "Raptor effect" in an FCA presentation.
I suspect that Ram will put some of the concept design and engineering to use in the production TRX such that it will fit 37" tires, but come stock with 35" so as to not further incur the wrath of the CAFE related penalties along with some other reasons.
Ford and GM are both in a state of decline while Ram (and Jeep) are on the rise. This is the company that puts out 707, 717, 797, 808, and 840 horsepower street cars. They are not known for *****footing around the competition or the shareholders. They are being very aggressive. I suspect the only people who will be disappointed by the TRX are the owners of competing truck dealerships (and those who were hoping for a street focused truck).
I could be wrong.
We'll know in six to nine months I guess.