Ever heard of Blacklake Research & Development? Based in Michigan, these guys have created “the ultimate truck” in the guise of the XT1. Essentially a Silverado 1500 on steroids, their go-faster and go-anywhere package combines a fully integrated widebody kit with chunky tires, a five-link rear suspension arrangement, and Eaton’s TVS R2650 supercharger.
Under the functional vents located in the hood’s center, the Magnuson- and Lingenfelter-branded supercharger is connected to a small-block V8 by means of a belt. Care to guess how much the 6.2-liter mill develops in this configuration? 650 horsepower is the official rating, which is a rather mild improvement, which doesn’t require a beefed-up transmission. A transfer case also needs to be mentioned, together with Chromoly control arms, long-travel shocks by JRi, as well as 17-inch Method Racing BeadGrip wheels.
Loosely inspired by Prerunner trucks, the Baja-style truck further boasts a single-tipped Borla exhaust system, heavy-duty half shafts, a CCI Driveline drive shaft, a remote winch, and Katzkin leather upholstery, among other bits and pieces that come together like a hand in glove. On the other lane of the runway, Nathan Adlen of The Fast Lane is lining up for a drag race in a bone-stock Chevrolet Silverado ZR2, which is the Silverado’s most off-road trim level yet. The biggest of the Big Three in Detroit is working on the Bison, yet prospective customers will be treated to the same powerplant.
Codenamed L87, the free-breathing engine in this pickup develops a respectable 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet (624 Nm) of torque. Why didn’t Chevrolet borrow the LT4 supercharged V8 from the Cadillac Escalade-V is beyond comprehension, but nevertheless, GM always made poor decisions in this regard. The LTA twin-turbo V8 comes to mind, a.k.a. the Blackwing used by the short-lived Cadillac CT6-V and CT6 Platinum.
Forced induction makes a world of difference in the quarter mile, and obviously enough, the ZR2 simply can’t close the gap to the mighty XT1.
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