Chevrolet Teases a V8-Powered Silverado ZR2

Silverado ZR2 will feature improved off-road capabilities, but it may lack supercharged power.

We have known for some time now that Chevrolet was working on a Silverado ZR2 and last week, the company provided us with our first look at the new off-road package. A short video posted to Twitter shows the wheels, tires and suspension of the truck as it rambles through deep mud. At the end of the video, we get a look at the ZR2 badging and during the video, we can clearly hear the roar of a V8 engine, but we expect that it is the current L87, not the supercharged LT4.

In other words, this truck isn’t going to go toe-to-toe with the likes of the Ram 1500 TRX or the rumored F-150 Raptor R with their monster power ratings, but it should be the most capable Chevy truck ever.

Silverado ZR2 Teaser

You can watch the teaser video from the official Chevy Trucks Twitter feed below, which was accompanied by the following text.

“Celebrating those who love the mud. Tune in this fall to see what’s new from #Silverado.”

The video itself is only 15 seconds long and almost all of it shows the wheel-and-tire package of the Chevrolet Silverado ZR2. The camera angle bounces from alongside the truck, showing the wheel design and the tire sidewall in the mud, to a view from under the truck. From this onboard angle, we can see the rear leaf springs at work, but we cannot see the dampers. It is expected that the ZR2 will have similar Multimatic Dynamic Suspensions Spool Valve shock absorbers as what is used on the Colorado ZR2. When combined with the unique wheel-and-tire package and an array of underbody protection, this will be the most off-road-capable Silverado ever.

At the end of the video, we get a look at the ZR2 fender badging as the mud is rinsed away and throughout the video, the soundtrack is clearly provided by some variety of V8 engine. Sadly, while many had hoped that the ZR2 would be powered to battle the likes of the 702-horsepower Ram 1500 TRX, it seems more likely that a version of the L86 currently in use in the Silverado lineup will be the standard powerplant. With 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque, it is more powerful than Ram’s 5.7-liter Hemi in the off-road Rebel package. It is also far more powerful than Ford’s 5.0-liter V8, but it trails the high output 3.5-liter EcoBoost in the Raptor by a significant margin.

No Supercharger?

The Ram 1500 TRX has taken the spot atop the half-ton market as the most powerful and most capable off-road production truck, packing a hefty 702 horsepower. Ford has promised to launch a V8-powered F-150 Raptor sometime next year and when that happens, rumors suggest that it could feature a variation of the supercharged Mustang GT500 engine. It those rumors prove to be true, the Raptor R could have more horsepower than the TRX, as the Mustang GT500 packs 760 horsepower. For the time being, the 2021 Raptor is powered by the high output 3.5-liter EcoBoost with 450 horsepower and 510lb-ft of torque.

When the rumors of a premium off-road package for the Silverado first surfaced, many people were hoping that it would feature a powerful supercharged engine of its own. The key issue is that GM only has two engines in its lineup that would fit the bill – the LT4 from the C7 Corvette Z06 and the Cadillac CTS-V and the LT5 from the C7 Corvette ZR1. Since the LT5 was only ever offered in the Corvette ZR1, it seems highly unlikely that this engine would be used in the truck. The more likely option would be the LT4, but based on reports from trusted GM insider media outlets, Chevrolet isn’t playing the big power truck game.

So, it seems that Chevy truck fans will have the option of a new, more capable off-road truck, but those who buy it will be racing through the mud against the Ram Rebel and the Ford Tremor, not the TRX and the Raptor.

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Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com

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