Silverado Trail Boss Drag Races Silverado Z71: 10-Speed vs. 8-Speed Auto

Many people say it's one of the coolest trucks you can buy without going full Raptor mode. You can tell it's the Trail Boss by the blacked-out face, equally black bowtie badges, and the red towing hooks.

The main powertrain combination for this trick has to include the 5.3-liter V8 with a power output of 355 horsepower and 383 pound-feet of torque. When it came out, the Trail Boss had an 8-speed, but this 2020 model gets a new 10-speed automatic, which paired with the Dynamic Fuel Management is supposed to improve fuel economy. If you want to go faster, there's also a 6.2L.

Every vehicle must have a sport mode, including off-road pickup trucks. That's why the Boss has a little dial with a racing flag by the driver's left knee.

The Fast Lane Truck also brought another Silverado to the race. But because it's the LTZ trim, it hasn't got the new transmission and instead uses an 8-speed automatic. The rest stays unchanged, including the 5.3-liter's output and the rear differential.

TFL believes the 10-speed might have a shorter first gear helping it in the drag race. But tires can also play a huge role, especially when dealing with two off-roaders. Both models have Goodyear Wrangler rubber, but the normal Z71 package gives you TrailRunner tires while the Boss gets the DuraTrac, beefy, and wrapped around a smaller wheel.

Both of these are trucks configured the way most dealerships have in stock. The drag race is just to see which one is quickest, because GM won't say officially. And the answer is: LTZ Z71. It hooks up faster and has better grip. TFL notes that it's quicker by almost 0.4 of a second to 60 mph.