Live at SEMA 2009: Chevrolet Silverado ZR2 Concept
Posted on Nov 03, 2009 by Zane Merva in Auto Shows
GM is taking the chance at this year’s SEMA show to shoot a warning shot over the bow of the Ford SVT Raptor with the Silverado ZR2 concept.
Just like the Raptor, the Silverado ZR2 looks the part of a rough and rugged off-road beast. Unlike the Raptor, the ZR2 is unfortunately just a concept (for now).
Take a look at the ZR2’s spec sheet. It’s quite impressive.
- Widened body
- Supercharged 550-horsepower LS crate engine
- 35-inch Goodyear Wrangler off-road tires
- A slew of carbon fiber inside and out
- extruded aluminum Cargo Management System rails from Chevy Accessories
- Spray-on bed liner
In person the ZR2 looks amazing. We’ve driven the SVT Raptor and came away dissapointed that its looks don’t quite match the off-road performance. Of course, as a concept, we don’t expect to be driving the ZR2 off-road anytime soon, so we’ll end the comparisons to the Raptor there. We can only hope GM puts this vehicle into production as close to the concept as possible (without the carbon fiber, likely). From the talk at the show, our dreams just may be realized in the future.
GM’s offical word on the SEMA Silverado ZR2 concept truck
Silverado ZR2 concept
At a glance, it’s clear the Silverado ZR2 concept wasn’t designed to haul flowers back from the nursery. With its widened body, tall stance and powerful LS supercharged engine, it is ready to hit the berms, dry washes and gullies of the Baja Peninsula.
The Silverado ZR2 is based on an extended cab/short box body. The custom bodywork includes carbon fiber fender flares that stretch outward to cover the 35-inch-tall Goodyear Wrangler off-road tires and widened stance. Much of the truck’s body is made of carbon fiber, including the front fenders, extractor-style hood, rocker extensions and tailgate, which features large, debossed CHEVROLET lettering as a nod to Chevy trucks of the past.
The pickup box, which is protected with a spray-on liner, features a unique locking storage system mounted to the extruded aluminum Cargo Management System rails from Chevy Accessories.
Many of the carbon fiber parts, including the hood, are clear-coated, rather than painted, to show off the intricate weave pattern of the high-tech, lightweight material. The parts that aren’t clear carbon fiber are painted Dune Metallic, a color that blends with the desert terrain. A large, more prominent grille is also part of the package and is a vision of what designers would like to see in a production or accessory part. It is very functional, feeding cool air to the 550-horsepower LS supercharged crate engine from GM Performance Parts.
The combination of 20-inch BBS RD wheels - reminiscent of historic Chevy truck wheel - and aggressive Goodyear Wrangler MT/R tires connect to the chassis via BDS shocks and a four-inch lift kit to help negotiate those desert trails. The new front fascia dramatically improves approach angle and skid plates protect the chassis.
The interior features more carbon fiber details on the dash, along with black leather and suede-trimmed seats with contrasting stitching to those trail runs more comfortable.
“There’s more to this concept than meets the eye,” said Dewar. “Some of the components are being explored for possible inclusion in upcoming models.”
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