Table of contents
Introduction
When one thinks of automotive performance, a truck does not typically come to mind. Typically, people think of two door coupes and roadsters ripping down at high speeds. Alternatively, when people think of trucks, they think of lifted “brodozers” with loud exhausts or beat up work trucks hauling supplies to a work site. Combine the utility of a truck with the performance of a sports car, and you get some incredibly fast trucks. If you love performance in an unorthodox platform, follow along as we cover the fastest trucks in automotive history.
What Does It Take To Be One Of The Fastest Trucks?
To be amongst the ranks of the fastest trucks ever made, the emphasis needs to be on one thing: speed. These brutes dominate the highway with pumped up horsepower and menacing street presence. Over the years, manufacturers have tried to provide buyers with the ultimate sport truck experience. To be a fast truck, it needs to have high straight line performance. Let’s face it, a truck will not be a time attack dominator, but it can absolutely rip up a drag strip. What you will see in this list are a couple of commonalities: high horsepower and enough traction to get the power down to the pavement. Furthermore, you need to have street presence or else it is just going to look like a work truck. Altogether, the fastest trucks will have these components in their recipe to provide a driving experience like no other.
The Fastest Trucks Of All Time
#1 Ford Raptor R
We’re all familiar with the twin turbo V6 Ford Raptor from the last several years, right? Well, after the success of the Dodge Ram TRX, Ford decided they needed to give the people what they want. By ditching the Ecoboost motor, Ford was able to transplant a 5.2 Liter supercharged V8 that produces 720 horsepower. Not only does it produce more power than the TRX, but the 0-60 time is ridiculous. With Ford’s “Auto Hold” feature, the 2024 Raptor R sends you up to 60 miles per hour in 3.6 seconds! These numbers are absolutely bonkers and make even supercars fear it on the street.
#2 Dodge Ram TRX
When it comes to sport trucks, a behemoth of V8 with a supercharger is a perfect starting point to becoming one of the fastest trucks on the market. Dodge brought us the Ram TRX to do battle with the Ford Raptor. Sporting a 702 horsepower 6.2 Liter V8, this truck goes 0-60 miles per hour in 4.5 seconds. Altogether, this sends the TRX down the quarter mile in 12.3 seconds. While the TRX is no longer being made, it’s over the top styling and iconic supercharger whine will live in us forever.
#3 GMC Syclone
If there’s one thing we know about GM, is it has a weird history with its sports cars. When GM released the Buick GNX, the turbocharged 6 cylinder powered coupe quickly overshadowed the Corvette. Later, GM decided the turbocharged 6 cylinder needed a second chance. The GMC Syclone is the most unorthodox sport truck ever, but it works flawlessly. 4.3 Liters of boosted power paired with an all-wheel drive system sent this truck to 60 miles per hour in 4.3 seconds. With 280 horsepower and 350 pound feet of torque, the GMC Syclone became not just one of the fastest trucks you can buy, but the fastest production car during its era. While it had a limited production run, the GMC Syclone is an American performance car icon and established a cult-like following.
#4 Ford SVT Lightning
From 1999-2004, Ford’s SVT division decided the Cobra needed a little extra utility. The F-150 SVT Lightning pickup is undeniably one of the fastest trucks ever made. The Eaton M112 supercharger sits pretty on top of the 5.4 Liter Triton V8. This combination produces 380 horsepower and 450 torque. In its era, the SVT Lightning was one of the fastest cars on the market. It’s 0-60 mile per hour time is 5.2 seconds and will go down the 1320 in just under 13 seconds. Overall, this package is an icon and will be in future car collections, I guarantee it.
#5 Dodge Ram SRT-10
When displacement is everything, no one does it like SRT. The Ram SRT-10, aka the “Viper Truck”, has an 8.3 liter V10 engine that puts out 500 horsepower. With the assistance of a 4 speed automatic or 6 speed Tremec manual transmission, the SRT-10 pickup gets to 60 miles per hour in 4.9 seconds. This truck will run mid-13’s all day down the 1320, no issue. The SRT-10 not only was an absolute beast when it was new, but it’s over the top styling was absolutely loved. Even by today’s standards, the SRT-10 truck is one of the fastest trucks on the street.
#6 Dodge Lil’ Red Express
Back in the 1970’s, the beginning of emission regulations and a gas embargo led to cars changing drastically. Nowadays, you have to work with (or around) the law to be emissions legal. However, when the Lil’ Red Express was released in 1978, Dodge chose to work around the law. Due to the emissions laws at the time, this truck was able to fit a 360 cubic inch V8 putting out 225 horsepower in it with no issue. Why is this truck on the “fastest trucks ever made” list with only 225 horsepower? Because when it was new, this truck was not only the fastest truck on the market, but the fastest domestic car to 100 miles an hour. While the 15 second quarter mile time is nothing compared to today’s cars, it is an awesome example of a sport truck.
#7 Chevrolet Silverado SS
Chevrolet brings awesome examples of automotive performance to the table. Some of the fastest muscle cars ever made were Chevrolets. Also, Chevrolet has reliable trucks that are on the road everywhere. So what do you get when you combine the two? You get the Silverado SS! In 2003, Chevrolet installed the LQ9 6.0 Liter V8 to get this truck rolling down the street. With a 0-60 time of 6.3 seconds and a mid to high 14 second quarter mile time, it’s no slouch. What makes this Silverado SS so awesome is the amount of parts availability to take the performance even further. Overall, the Silverado SS is an awesome sport truck that doesn’t compromise on utility.
Fastest Trucks Honorable Mentions
#1 Dodge Ram RHO
Ram discontinuing the TRX is a blow to the performance truck market. However, Ram hopes to rectify that one of the fastest trucks on the new car market, the Ram RHO. The Ram RHO features a twin turbocharged six cylinder motor, known as The Hurricane. This implementation of the Hurricane Inline 6 is a 3.0 Liter engine pushing 540 horsepower and 521 lb-ft of torque. Currently, the Ram RHO beats the turbocharged Ford Raptor by 90 horsepower. While the 4.6 second 0-60 MPH time is awesome, fans of the TRX may be disappointed with the reduced horsepower, but this truck does come in at a lower price point.
#2 Chevrolet El Camino SS
Now, I know what you are thinking. The El Camino is not a truck. I know, that is why it is on the honorable mention list. The El Camino “coupe utility” is an absolute riot of a car. With a big hulking V8 engine up front and a bed capable of hauling the party supplies to your next barbecue, the El Camino is absolutely one of the fastest trucks ever made. If you read my “about me“, you know my Dad introduced me to cars. The Chevy El Camino is my first introduction to the automotive world. What makes this car one of the fastest trucks ever made is the ability to cram a 454 cubic inch V8 in the front and have a bed filled with coolers in a two door coupe. Dubbed the “Mullet of Cars” the El Camino will always be synonymous with fast trucks.
Conclusion
The fastest trucks, both new and used, give us something a car can never truly give us: large amounts of comfort and utility. We see it in today’s car market with fast SUVs taking the market by storm, such as the Cadillac Escalade V. To become known as one of the fastest trucks on the market, the performance has to be there. Big horsepower numbers, good traction to keep the 0-60 times low, and ideally an epic exhaust note to wrap it all up. Regardless of your idea of automotive performance, you cannot deny the fun that is to be had with any single one of the trucks on this list!
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