- Ram’s decision to bring the Hemi back in the 1500 has been a huge success.
- The company received more than 10,000 orders in a day.
- The 5.7-liter V8 engine produces 395 hp and 410 lb-ft of torque.
Last month, Ram introduced the 2026 1500 and confirmed the legendary 5.7-liter Hemi V8 was making a comeback. While it was only gone for one model year, Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis admitted the company “screwed up when we dropped the Hemi.”
Its return was celebrated by fans, who spoke with their wallets. The numbers are truly impressive as Stellantis North America’s head of U.S. sales, Jeff Kommor, revealed the truck brand received “over 10,000 orders in the first 24 hours of the June announcement.” To put that into perspective, Ram sold 51,848 light-duty pickups in the second quarter.
More: Ram Screwed Up Dumping The Hemi V8 So They Brought It Back
As a refresher, the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 is a $1,200 option on most versions of the truck and it produces 395 hp (295 kW / 400 PS) and 410 lb-ft (555 Nm) of torque. That’s a sizable improvement over the entry-level 3.6-liter V6, but it trails the twin-turbo 3.0-liter Hurricane inline-six that produces 420 hp (313 kW / 426 PS) and 460 lb-ft (623 Nm).
Michael Gauthier
While the numbers aren’t on the Hemi’s side, Kuniskis told us some of their customers are “cylinder counters” and love V8 engines. They felt like Ram abandoned something important when they dropped the Hemi and the company was afraid of losing them to Ford and General Motors. As the executive noted, once they’re gone, “good luck getting them back.”
Judging by the numbers, Ram’s F15 program to bring the Hemi back was a roaring success. However, Kuniskis has warned the launch will likely be a bit rough until supply catches up to demand.
