FCA's Ram truck brand plans on making a big splash at the 2016 State Fair of Texas.

Ram Brand Head Jim Morrison reveals the 2017 Ram 1500 Lone Star Silver edition at the 2016 State Fair of Texas

State Fair of Texas

The state of Texas may be big, but there is at least one thing it lacks: a major auto show that can rival those held in Los Angeles, Detroit and New York. Making up for this shortfall, at least as far as pickup buyers are concerned, is the State Fair of Texas.

Unless you've been living under a rock for at least the past two decades, you probably know why pickups mean so much to the Lone Star State and why Texas is so important to the pickup market. In case you don't, here's an explanation FCA's Ram brand gave last year:

Ram Rebel TRX Concept front fascia

More Texans drive pickup trucks than drivers in any other state; 20 percent of motor vehicle registrations versus 12 percent national average. In fact, Ram sells nearly two-and-a-half times as many pickup trucks in Texas as it does in the next-highest volume state.

In other words, for truck manufacturers, tapping into the Texas market and, more importantly, the pride Texans feel for their pickups, is the closest you can come to a sure thing outside of a royal flush in a game of Texas Hold’em.

Ram Rebel TRX Concept side view

2016 State Fair of Texas

Here's what's on tap for this year's fair, which opens to the public tomorrow:

2017 Ram 1500 Lone Star

2017 Ram 1500 Lone Star

Ram's top-selling truck in Texas, the 1500 Lone Star, gets a new Silver Edition option consisting of:

• Grille with chrome surround and chrome Wave Mesh inserts
• Bright belt moldings
• Chrome exterior side-view mirrors
• Chrome wheel-to-wheel side steps
• Polished 20-inch wheels and front tow hooks
• Grille-mounted, milled-aluminum Lone Star badge
• Cloth and vinyl high-back bucket seats in Canyon Brown/Light Frost Beige or Black/Diesel Gray
• Available on Ram 1500 4x2 and 4x4 Crew Cab, short and long box-length configurations
• Standard 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6, available 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 and 3.0-liter EcoDiesel powertrains

Ram Rebel TRX Concept

Ram Rebel TRX concept

Since no auto show is complete without at least one concept vehicle, Ram is happy to oblige with the Ram Rebel TRX concept – what the manufacturer describes as "an engineering, design and consumer-interest study for an extreme performance half-ton pickup" featuring:

• Supercharged 6.2-liter Hemi V-8 developing 575 horsepower
• 8-speed automatic transmission with 4x4 Performance Control System and paddle-shifters
• Severe-duty front and rear axle components
• 13-plus inches of front and rear wheel travel
• Bypass performance shocks front and rear
• Power Wagon-inspired RAM front grille and steel also provide additional air flow
• 6-inch wider hour-glass body design and huge fender wells for 37-inch tire clearance
• Based on the Ram Rebel, additional interior touches include carbon fiber, leather/suede and six-point harnesses

Ram Rebel TRX Concept hood detail

"Ram Truck heads to the 2016 State Fair of Texas with a host of product news plus a new concept that pickup fans will truly appreciate – the Ram Rebel TRX concept was built specifically for this event and solidifies Ram Truck's position as the off-road pickup leader," said Mike Manley, Head of Ram Brand, FCA – Global. "With 575 supercharged horsepower and a suspension system built to withstand an all-day hammering, the Rebel TRX concept can devour the roughest terrain at more than 100 miles per hour and never look back."

Boo-Rah!

2017 Ram 1500 Lone Star Silver Edition grille badge