It’s official: the Hemi is back. Ram announced today the 5.7-liter V-8 will return unchanged, an available option for the 1500 pickup in the 2026 model year, with order books open now. Every new Ram equipped with a Hemi will receive a badge on the front fenders, dubbed the “Symbol of Protest.”
Created by the Ram design team, the Symbol of Protest badge isn’t a raised fist, a peace sign, or anarchist “circle-A,” but rather a ram’s head affixed to the front of a Hemi engine block, complete with individual straight-pipe exhaust tubes.
Photo by: Ram
What, exactly, does having a V-8 in your Ram truck protest against, aside from the company’s own line of more economical straight-sixes? We’re not exactly sure. If we had to guess, Ram is defending consumers’ right to choose to have eight cylinders under the hood, whether that be to stick it to the man or just because they prefer the easy torque and rumbling sound of a Hemi.
There are many obvious connections to draw between the “Symbol of Protest” and today’s charged political climate. But one thing also is clear: the badge is a smart marketing play that comes at the right time, promoting a product that people are actually asking for.
Ram knows this and is leaning into the moment. The brand told media it plans to plaster the Ram-headed V-8 everywhere in promotional materials. You’ll even be able to ride the symbol itself at an upcoming NASCAR race in Michigan, mechanical bull-style. Winners who stay on long enough win t-shirts.
If this all sounds like a bit much for an engine that returns unchanged after being absent for just one model year, it is. The strategy of declaring something dead, then bringing it back after a year just for a big boost in support is a proven one, though. So we don’t blame Ram for doing it.
