Ram has a 702-horsepower pickup with more than adequate off-road chops, Ford sells the F-150 Raptor like hotcakes, and the Blue Oval is putting the finishing touches on the F-150 Raptor R. On the other hand, Chevrolet is way behind the curve with the small-block V8-engined Silverado ZR2.
Had it been equipped with a supercharger, the Silverado ZR2 might have challenged the F-150 Raptor on equal footing. The F-150 Raptor R and TRX are in a different league, packing in excess of 700 ponies from the 6.2-liter Hellcat and 5.2-liter Predator engines. General Motors, on the other hand, makes do with 682 bhp in the pickup truck-based Cadillac Escalade-V.
The question is, how much slower is the Silverado ZR2 compared to its closest rival? The Fast Lane is much obliged to answer that question with a series of acceleration tests and drag races. First things first, the Chevy posted 7.65 seconds to 60 miles per hour (97 kilometers per hour), 16.04 seconds in the quarter, and a top speed of 87 miles per hour (140 kilometers per hour).
Equipped with the 35-inch tires that come standard rather than the optional 37s, the F-150 Raptor on the other lane needed 6.33 seconds to reach 60 mph. The quarter mile was dealt with in 14.99 seconds at 91.5 mph (147 kph), which is pretty good for the heavier of the two half-ton pickups.
Priced at $69,525 sans destination charge, the F-150 Raptor slots between the $62,070 Platinum and $76,595 Limited trim levels. Customers who want off-road credentials at a better price can always pick the $53,085 Tremor, which features the 3.5-liter EcoBoost and 33-inch rubber boots.
Over at Chevy, the Silverado ZR2 starts at $68,400 before options. Even at this price point, the power up-and-down tailgate is $185 and adaptive cruise control is bundled in the $1,970 Technology Package. Similar to the aforementioned Ford F-150 Tremor, this truck is rocking 33-inch tires.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News