Photo: @jlord8 on Instagram
Remember the S-10 pickup truck-based Blazer from the '80s? GM dropped the S-10 prefix for the 1995 redesign, and not long after that, Chevrolet added the Trailblazer as a separate model in North America.
Based on the GMT360 architecture, the mid-size utility vehicle ticks all the right boxes although the build quality and reliability weren’t up to snuff. Four-wheel drive, independent front suspension, and a five-link rear suspension with a G80 locking differential made the Trailblazer a commercial success, and this very success convinced the biggest of the Big Three in Detroit to spruce it up with the SS package for the 2006 model year.
Only available with five doors, the short-lived Super Sport came with the LS2 small-block V8 from the sixth-generation Corvette. Rated at 395 horsepower and 400 pound-feet (542 Nm) of torque at the crankshaft, the performance-oriented utility vehicle sits low to the ground and looks the part as well thanks to 10-inch-wide tires. 4.10 differentials, air-leveling suspension for the rear end, and 20-inch alloy wheels also need to be mentioned.
Offered through 2009, the super-sporty variant didn’t sell particularly well. Chevrolet sold a total of 26,441 units, which is peanuts for a volume-oriented automaker. Given these circumstances, the Golden Bowtie couldn’t justify a three-door body style with a shorter wheelbase. Pixel artist @jlord8 is responsible for the ominous-looking design study before your eyes, which sweetens the deal with six-lug hubs, rotors, and alloy wheels.
A marvelous piece of high-octane nostalgia, the digital makeover features not one, not two, but three wheel designs. This variety should make every TBSS enthusiast out there happy. Considering that former GM manufacturing engineer Dave Caplan built a three-door Trailblazer SS with the LS7 engine from the sixth-gen Corvette Z06, we can all agree that an even sportier variant would’ve been possible with the automaker’s blessing.
Canceled with a lousy fizz rather than a glorious bang in 2009, the Trailblazer was resurrected for the 2021 model year in North America as a subcompact crossover of all things. Considering that Ford’s all-new Bronco features very similar underpinnings to the next-generation Ranger for the 2023 model year, it’s pretty obvious that GM continues to make poor decisions.
Only available with five doors, the short-lived Super Sport came with the LS2 small-block V8 from the sixth-generation Corvette. Rated at 395 horsepower and 400 pound-feet (542 Nm) of torque at the crankshaft, the performance-oriented utility vehicle sits low to the ground and looks the part as well thanks to 10-inch-wide tires. 4.10 differentials, air-leveling suspension for the rear end, and 20-inch alloy wheels also need to be mentioned.
Offered through 2009, the super-sporty variant didn’t sell particularly well. Chevrolet sold a total of 26,441 units, which is peanuts for a volume-oriented automaker. Given these circumstances, the Golden Bowtie couldn’t justify a three-door body style with a shorter wheelbase. Pixel artist @jlord8 is responsible for the ominous-looking design study before your eyes, which sweetens the deal with six-lug hubs, rotors, and alloy wheels.
A marvelous piece of high-octane nostalgia, the digital makeover features not one, not two, but three wheel designs. This variety should make every TBSS enthusiast out there happy. Considering that former GM manufacturing engineer Dave Caplan built a three-door Trailblazer SS with the LS7 engine from the sixth-gen Corvette Z06, we can all agree that an even sportier variant would’ve been possible with the automaker’s blessing.
Canceled with a lousy fizz rather than a glorious bang in 2009, the Trailblazer was resurrected for the 2021 model year in North America as a subcompact crossover of all things. Considering that Ford’s all-new Bronco features very similar underpinnings to the next-generation Ranger for the 2023 model year, it’s pretty obvious that GM continues to make poor decisions.
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