I’m in the driver’s seat of the 2025 Ram 1500 RHO—the off-road-focused flagship of the Ram lineup—in the dirt, and being invited to get as sideways as I feel comfortable with.
Further, I’m feeling stoked to be sampling its signature Baja drive mode on a course that Stellantis engineers say really showcases this rig’s capabilities. The decommissioned gravel-pit-gone-wild is in Holly, Michigan, not far from Ram’s Auburn Hills hive mind, and this “serious work environment,” as one of Ram’s crew called it includes rubble, small boulders, and lots of whoop-dee-doos, amid stretches of extra-fine sand that I have a hunch might slick up nice in the rain.
Seriously, it’s likely the most extreme off-road terrain in Michigan south of the thumb—thus my passenger riding shotgun, veteran Stellantis high-performance off-road vehicle development and validation engineer Toon Tan calmly tips me not to hang the tail out as we’re descending “Hollywood Hill,” smirk included…