It turns out that Ram had two different plans for buyers who were desperate for it to bring back the Hemi V8. One was to bring back the Hemi, which it managed to do. We’ll get behind the wheel and throttle pedal of that one soon. The second was to make the Hurricane twin-turbo six sound even better.
What we’re talking about today is the second plan. A pair of MagnaFlow exhaust options for the Ram 1500 RHO that are designed to, ahem, “bring out the personality” of the turbocharged six-cylinder engine. If you want to hear it, keep reading. We have an exclusive sound clip further down the page.
Big Pipes For Big Sound
The first of the two exhaust options is a MagnaFlow SPEQ series. The cat-back exhaust has three-inch mandrel-bent piping that leads to a pair of five-inch black chrome tips. It’s all stainless, has two mufflers, and there is an X pipe to help balance out combustion pulses and maybe make a little more power. The SPEQ-series exhaust includes a No Drone Technology resonator that MagnaFlow says will, well, make sure the louder system doesn’t drone.
MagnaFlow’s xMod series is a configurable exhaust system. You can pick from six exhaust sound combinations that Ram says range from “sporty” to “pissed-off.” Yes, that’s a direct quote.
The xMod system has the same three-inch piping, X-pipe, and no-drone mid-pipe. It also has three swappable modules that let you drop in the combo you want for the level of sound you want. V-band clamps make it easier to swap out the modules if you need to change the sound of the truck, at least until it lives through too many Michigan winters.
No More Power, Just More Noise
Ram doesn’t claim any extra horsepower for either exhaust. The high-output Hurricane already makes 540 horsepower in the RHO, so it was hardly in need of more ponies, and this change just makes it louder.
“Our customers told us they wanted more attitude from the Ram 1500 RHO, and we’re here to give it to them. Performance isn’t just about horsepower and torque, it’s about the full sensory experience. With our new MagnaFlow exhaust options, we’re handing drivers the volume knob and letting them crank it to eleven.”
– Tim Kuniskis, CEO, Ram brand
Ram is selling the exhaust to Ram 1500 RHO owners through its Direct Connection Affiliated Accessories Program. It’s an aftermarket part, and the two-year warranty is through MagnaFlow, but you can buy it at your Ram dealer. The SPEQ system has an MSRP of $2,089, and the xMod system is $3,099.
This one is aimed solely at RHO owners, but MagnaFlow offers a SPEQ system for the rest of the new Ram lineup as well. We’re not sure exactly what the difference is, because the parts diagrams for the new Ram aren’t available yet.
As for how it sounds, well, not everyone is going to love it. The clips below show the exhaust at startup and once the engine is warm, and while the Hurricane is definitely uncorked with the MagnaFlow system in place, no exhaust can make six cylinders sound like eight. The noise is definitely more aggressive, and it’s a heck of a lot more suited to the character of the RHO than the factory system. But the sound is more BMW or Toyota I6 than it is the whine and fury of the supercharged V8 TRX. Fortunately, the TRX is making a comeback, so if this doesn’t tickle your fancy, you’ll just have to hold out for the supertruck’s return.