Photo: Chevrolet
According to sources, the 2023 Chevrolet Silverado ZR2 will be produced in limited numbers. Only 5 percent of the planned output will be produced. GM Authority writes that the constraint isn’t related to the worldwide microchip shortage, nor is it related to a supplier issue.
Considering that General Motors failed miserably to produce a bonafide rival for the F-150 Raptor, this development isn’t all that impactful. The Fast Lane Truck, for example, sold their ZR2 and a long-term FJ Cruiser in order to purchase a brand-new truck. TFL videos of the ZR2 haven’t performed as intended in terms of viewership, which is exactly what you’d expect of a pickup truck that doesn’t live up to the public’s expectations.
The biggest issue of the ZR2 is the small-block V8. Codenamed L87, the 6.2-liter engine is good for 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet (624 Nm) of torque on full song. Coupled with a 10-speed automatic transmission, it’s more than adequate for a half-ton pickup. On the other hand, “adequate” is a dirty word in this particular segment, especially when you remember the Ford Motor Company’s newly launched Raptor R and Ram’s 1500 TRX.
Both of them are rocking supercharged V8s of the DOHC and pushrod variety, powerplants that make 700-plus horsepower in standard tune. What’s even more infuriating, General Motors had a supercharged V8 available, the LT4 that Cadillac uses in the overly expensive Escalade-V.
Priced at $149,990 at press time, the Escalade-V is rated at 682 horsepower and 653 pound-feet (885 Nm). It’s not quite up there with the Raptor R and TRX, but the Silverado ZR2 with the LT4 would’ve gotten very close. So close that some customers would consider it over the Raptor R and TRX.
Naturally aspirated, on the other hand, limits the pool of prospective customers. Another detail that leaves much to be desired is the 33-inch rubber versus 34.4 inches for the Raptor and 34.6 inches for the TRX.
The biggest issue of the ZR2 is the small-block V8. Codenamed L87, the 6.2-liter engine is good for 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet (624 Nm) of torque on full song. Coupled with a 10-speed automatic transmission, it’s more than adequate for a half-ton pickup. On the other hand, “adequate” is a dirty word in this particular segment, especially when you remember the Ford Motor Company’s newly launched Raptor R and Ram’s 1500 TRX.
Both of them are rocking supercharged V8s of the DOHC and pushrod variety, powerplants that make 700-plus horsepower in standard tune. What’s even more infuriating, General Motors had a supercharged V8 available, the LT4 that Cadillac uses in the overly expensive Escalade-V.
Priced at $149,990 at press time, the Escalade-V is rated at 682 horsepower and 653 pound-feet (885 Nm). It’s not quite up there with the Raptor R and TRX, but the Silverado ZR2 with the LT4 would’ve gotten very close. So close that some customers would consider it over the Raptor R and TRX.
Naturally aspirated, on the other hand, limits the pool of prospective customers. Another detail that leaves much to be desired is the 33-inch rubber versus 34.4 inches for the Raptor and 34.6 inches for the TRX.
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