đź•‘4 min read
Over the past two years, I have spent a lot of time around the Ram 1500 RHO. I have driven it on the street and pushed it off-road at the Chelsea Proving Grounds. This week, I am behind the wheel of another 2026 Ram 1500 RHO, but this one has a little something extra underneath it.
In this articleâ–ľ
Giving The HURRICANE Some Grunt
SPEQ Versus xMOD
It Gets Attention
Which One Would I Buy?
It is equipped with the new Direct Connection MagnaFlow SPEQ Series Cat-Back Performance Exhaust System. After spending several days with it, I can honestly say it gives the RHO a much better voice without making it annoying to drive every day.
Direct Connection MagnaFlow SPEQ Series Cat-Back Performance Exhaust. (Ram).
Giving The HURRICANE Some Grunt
Power has never been a problem for the RHO. The complaints start when the conversation turns to the sound of the 540 horsepower twin-turbo HURRICANE.
In its stock form, the HURRICANE has more of a high-pitched, buzz-saw exhaust note. It simply can’t match the deep rumble of the supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI® HELLCAT V8 that powered the Ram 1500 TRX SRT.
The SPEQ exhaust cannot turn an I6 into a V8, but it does give the HURRICANE a lower and throatier sound. It takes some of the edge off that factory buzz and lets more of the engine’s natural I6 tone come through. It still will not win over every die-hard HEMI fan, but anyone who enjoys the sound of a BMW I6 will probably appreciate it.
Cold starts are where the SPEQ system really gets your attention. The RHO fires up with a loud, deep growl, and the exhaust only gets better once you step on the gas. Despite the extra volume, it settles down nicely at cruising speed. I haven’t noticed any annoying drone inside the cab, and you can still carry on a conversation or listen to the radio without cranking up the volume.
Direct Connection MagnaFlow SPEQ Series Cat-Back Performance Exhaust. (Ram).
SPEQ Versus xMOD
MagnaFlow offers two Direct Connection exhaust systems for the RHO: the SPEQ Series and the more expensive xMOD Series.
Both use three-inch mandrel-bent stainless-steel tubing, MagnaFlow’s Tru-X crossover pipe, No Drone Technology, and dual five-inch black chrome exhaust tips. Both systems also replace the factory exhaust from behind the catalytic converters.
The biggest difference is adjustability.
Last year, I drove a 2026 RHO at the Chelsea Proving Grounds with the xMOD Series Cat-Back system. That setup includes three interchangeable exhaust modules—STREET, SPEQ, and COMP—along with standard valve-equipped mid-pipes and valve-delete pipes. Altogether, the xMOD system offers six different sound configurations.
That ability to change the sound is great for someone who constantly changes something on their truck or wants the loudest setup available. The downside is its $3,354 MSRP.
The SPEQ Series takes a simpler approach. It uses a fixed dual-muffler setup with valve-integrated mid-pipes and costs $2,236 on the Direct Connection website. That makes it $1,118 cheaper than the xMOD while still delivering a deep exhaust note and plenty of volume under acceleration.Â
Direct Connection MagnaFlow SPEQ Series Cat-Back Performance Exhaust. (Ram).
It Gets Attention
Not everyone will love the sound of the HURRICANE, especially longtime HEMI fans. Still, this truck has attracted plenty of attention over the past few days.
I had several people approach me to ask about the RHO and its engine, and most of them weren’t the traditional Ram or Mopar enthusiast. One owned a 2025 Ford F-150 Raptor and spent about 10 minutes talking with me at a local gas station about the RHO, the HURRICANE engine, and how it compared with his truck.
That tells me the RHO is getting noticed well beyond the usual Mopar crowd.
Direct Connection MagnaFlow SPEQ Series Cat-Back Performance Exhaust. (Ram).
Which One Would I Buy?
If it were my money, I would choose the SPEQ Series system.
The xMOD is the better option if you really want the ability to swap modules and experiment with different sound levels. For most RHO owners, though, I think the SPEQ delivers exactly what the truck needs. It sounds much better than stock, gets loud when you want it to, remains comfortable on the highway, and saves you more than $1,000.
Unless you absolutely need all three swappable modules, buy the SPEQ and put the extra money toward fuel. You are going to want to keep your foot in it just to hear that HURRICANE sing.
Robert S. Miller