RAM shows off two Mopar-fettled 1500 trucks at SEMA show

RAM is showing off two Mopar-fettled concepts at the 2022 SEMA show in Las Vegas: The TRX-based 1500 Gold Shot and touring focused 1500 Backcountry X.

Both concepts take the 1500 model as a base, but go in separate directions. The TRX is already very capable off road, so a set of wheels and some protection is all that's needed.

The Backcountry X blends innovative, everyday practical touches with enhanced touring ability and interior tweaks.

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The Gold Shot, meanwhile, is targeted at Motocross racers, with its integrated sports bar and moto rack on the back.

“Our Ram 1500 Backcountry X and TRX Gold Shot concepts showcase a truckload of innovative Mopar accessories for our award-winning full-size trucks”, said North American Mopar president Mark Bosanac.

The RAM 1500 concepts are joined on the stand by a host of other Mopar products including an electric Jeep C Surge concept, Wrangler Rubicon 392 and more.

RAM 1500 TRX Gold Shot

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Already one of the most serious trucks ever, the AU$200K RAM 1500 TRX has been made even wilder with the Gold Shot concept.

The 6.2-litre supercharged Hemi V8 petrol engine still develops 523kW, making it the fastest ute in the world, now with larger five-inch exhaust tips.

Mopar’s Gold Shot concept is designed for Motocross racers. In the tray there's a custom metal sports bar and spray in bedliner for protection and security.

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The Gold Shot gets a wheel upgrade to 18-inch by 9.5-inch wide Black Rhino Chamber wheels shod in 37-inch BF Goodrich rubber. A custom front bashplate with laser-etched Mopar logo and the bigger rubber improve approach angle to 32.5 degrees (from 30.2). Rock sliders further protect the TRX Gold Shot off-road.

Inside, instead of carpets the Gold Shot gets easy-clean rubber flooring from the 1500 tradesman. The seats, though, are premium. Appointed in ‘Capri’ leather with Alcantara bolsters and contrast Alaska gold stitching they feature power adjustment.

Finishing the package off is a set of 14-inch LED spotlights mounted in the tray able to give off 4300 lumens of light.

RAM 1500 Backcountry X

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If the TRX Gold Shot is for going fast, the Backcountry X is about showing off RAM’s next iteration of integrated storage with the pictured 'RamPack' kit.

Add to that the Backcountry X’s Matte Iced Silver Titanium paint and contrast anodised orange, were RAM to produce something like this it’d surely be a hit with the mountain biking crowd.

The innovative RamBox has proven a hit with buyers, but the vertical storage – that almost appears as a canopy in profile – levels the game up with 350 litres more storage than before. The RamPack doors are carbon fibre on this concept to keep weight down.

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Whether we’ll see the RamPack make production in this form is yet to be seen, but it is a clever way to improve storage without compromising the utility of the truck bed.

Aside from the storage, the Backcountry X also gets a two-inch Mopar suspension lift backed up by Fox dampers and 20 by 9-inch alloy wheels wrapped in 37-inch BF Goodrich tyres.

Other exterior changes include a pair of five-inch LED spotlights, black tubular side steps and integrated Mopar rear bed step.

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The wildness doesn’t stop inside with green leather upholstery on the power-adjust bucket seats that get Backcountry X and Mopar embroidery. The contrast orange theme continues inside with stitching, piping and anodised air vent controls.

Further clever touches inside include a deployable workbench with built-in measuring tools and a vacuum cleaner hidden under the rear seat for easy cleaning of the truck or worksite.