Chevrolet is giving is releasing numbers on its tweaked 2017 Silverado HD…
…but they’re not horsepower or torque numbers.
Instead, it’s telling us that the new scoop on the hood of its heavy-duty workhorse provides 60 percent of the air to the Duramax V8 (which, like the diesel in the 2017 GMC Sierra Denali 2500HD, should make more horsepower and torque than it did in the 2016 model year).
The air that scoop will feed to the engine will not only be cooler, which will help the Silverado HD maintain full power and perform better under load, but more of it will be packed into the combustion chambers by a ram-air effect at highway speeds. According to Chevy, “The air filter housing also draws 40 percent additional air from a dry location in one of the front fenders. It blends with the cooler air from the hood inlet before funneling into the Duramax’s combustion chambers.” So even if the hood is completely blocked, the Duramax can still catch its breath.
It won’t drown in a rainstorm because of its eye-catching new scoop, either. Chevy engineers developed an air/water separator to keep the air going into the combustion chambers nice and dry. After the water is collected, it’s drained through a valve. The air then makes its way into the engine.
This all sounds thoughtful and clever, but what sort of power and torque does it translate to? We hope to get “the scoop” so we can share it with you.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
