The V8 is back at Ram. But is a V8 burble really worth an upcharge for a less powerful engine?

We’ve entered the age of engine hypnosis. What is that you may ask? It’s a new condition I’ve recently discovered by way of Motor Trend. It’s a disease with just one symptom: delusion. Because that’s the only thing in the world that would make someone be willing to pay more for a less powerful engine with a better exhaust note. Buyers can’t be that V8 deprived, can they? Maybe.

Motor Trend recently got their hands on the new 2026 Ram 1500 equipped with the reborn 5.7-liter Hemi V8. Seemingly seeing the backlash its corporate sibling Dodge received over the death of its V8 muscle cars, Ram delayed the electric versions of the 1500 and announced the V8 was coming back to the lineup for the new model year. Ram had dropped the V8 option for 2024 leaving the 1500 with an all sixes lineup: a mild hybrid version of the (dubbed eTorque) 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 and standard and high output versions of the 3.0-liter twin-turbo Hurricane I6.

That’s all changed for 2026. Ram has brought back the Hemi V8 and has made it available on nearly every 1500 trim ( Tradesman, Big Horn, Express, Warlock, Laramie, Rebel, Limited and Longhorn). To celebrate, Ram has also introduced a new badge for the V8 models. Called “The Symbol of Protest” it’s basically an engine block with a Ram’s head. But there’s nothing to really protest or celebrate considering that V8 Ram 1500 fans will pay more for a less powerful truck.

See, you can’t just option this new V8 on the aforementioned trims and be done with it. No, if you want that V8 rumble, you’re going to have to dig a bit in your wallet for it. The V8 is now a $2,895 option on all trims except the higher trims of the Ram 1500; if the trim comes standard with the 540 horsepower version of the Hurricane I6, you can swap it for the V8 for it at no cost. That $2,895 gets you 395 horsepower and 410 lb-ft of torque. Ram also threw in a GT exhaust for a throatier sound and a 33-gallon fuel tank, something Motor Trend says is worth $2,145 worth of free extras so that’s something I guess? But you still have to consider whether or not all of this is worth it and it’s all in the details. And these details show why the want of the V8 this time around makes little sense. 

If you want the standard output version of the Hurricane I6, it’ll only set you back $1,695. That gets you 420 horsepower and 469 lb-ft of torque. Things make even less sense at the top of the range. Even though you don’t have to come out of your pocket to swap the 540 horse Hurricane engine for the Hemi, it makes no sense to go for a V8 engine that’s down 145 horsepower. So is a $1,200 price premium – vs the standard output Hurricane I6 – for a less powerful V8 engine worth it? I’d say no. Dodge is appealing to the V8 faithful but it’s all emotional. There’s no rational reason anyone should pay more for an engine that’s down 25 horsepower and gets worse fuel economy for…what? America? Burnouts? What’s wild is that many will do just that as a middle finger to whatever entity they think is keeping them from their god given right to have eight cylinders under the hood. We’re living in some strange times.