Uploaded on YouTube by the JC Travel Stories channel, this 19-minute video is mostly about a drive through the Arizona desert to the Valley of Names. Nothing unusual at first glance, but Jerry Clausen has also captured GM testing the mid-cycle refresh of the Silverado 1500.
Accompanied by a Ford F-150 Raptor, Colorado ZR2, and what appears to be the Silverado 1500 LT Trail Boss based on the design of the front fascia, the camouflaged prototype is clearly geared toward off-road shenanigans. There’s no mistaking this fellow is the Silverado ZR2, previously known as Silverado ZRX, based on a trademark filing from August 2019.
It is widely believed that General Motors has abandoned the ZRX handle in favor of ZR2 for a couple of reasons. First things first, it’s too similar to the Ram 1500 TRX. And secondly, ZR2 would align the most off-road configuration of the Silverado with the Colorado ZR2.
Skip to the 2:40 mark of the video, and you will catch a glimpse of the newcomer’s exhaust sound. That’s clearly some sort of internal combustion, although I can’t make up my mind between V8 or V6 power. Based on previous reports on the ZR2/ZRX, the Golden Bowtie will use a small-block V8 with Dynamic Fuel Management and a 10-speed auto.
While it doesn’t hold a candle to the 3.5-liter EcoBoost and the 6.2-liter Hellcat, the engine in the ‘Rado isn’t the highlight of the ZR2. Chevy is likely going to one-up the competition in terms of suspension with Multimatic DSSV dampers instead of Fox or Bilstein shock absorbers.
The race-proven spool valve dampers are utilized by the Camaro Z/28 from the previous generation, Ford GT Mk II, Ferrari SF90 Stradale Assetto Fiorano, and the Colorado ZR2. In the latter’s case, the position-sensitive dampers are complemented by two locking diffs, a 2.0-inch (51-mm) lift, 3.5-inch (89-mm) wider track, cast-iron control arms, and an Autotrac transfer case.
On that note, it remains to be seen if Chevrolet will unleash the Silverado ZR2 for the 2022 model year. Given the worldwide health crisis and chip shortage, it wouldn’t be hard to imagine the newcomer as a 2023 model.
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
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