I'm sorry. This looks kinda dumb. First off, ZR2 brings back some sad memories for me. ZR2 was nothing truly special. This truck doesn't look like a stunner either. The front and rear ends (especially the front) look pretty bad. The exhaust is the only cool thing. The lift looks really cheap, like some city boy trying to look badass or something. I think Power Wagon and Raptor would dominate this thing in a comparison.

I agree, Farmboy. They were thinking about this truck for a long time. But then came the Raptor. Gm needs to go back to the drawing board.

They should have used the Sierra. The Silvy is just too damn fugly.

Agreed. While the raptor is a hardcore baja machine and the power wagon is a dedicated trailer buster, I'm getting the impression from this that chevy didn't know quite where to go on this truck. It seems like they just threw on a lift, some Carbon Fiber, and an engine-swap with a 'vette. The attention to fine tuning just isn't as present here as it is in the Ford or the Dodge...

Sorry for the double-post, That was meant to say "Trail Buster"

I agree.

This truck just doesn't seem to have the same dedication to it as the Power Wagon and Raptor do.

It's a "lite" version of them.

I really see no major difference between this ZR-2 and the ZR-1.

GM: Go back and make it a Hummer Z!

Gene: GM no longers owns Hummer.

As to the ZR2, it was something special for the S10 chasis. It made the truck worthy of trails.. Could it have been better? Absolutely. The front ends on it were weak from the beginning. But everything else was more than adequate.

At the time it had the most powerful V6 when compared to other midsize trucks.
4 wheel disc brakes
31" BFG AT's
8.5" 30 spline rear axle
full underbody skid plates
A stronger frame that was also 3 inches taller than stock

It was actually a pretty good stock truck.

As to this Silverado.. does it hold a candle to the Raptor which was built from the frame up for a specific purpose in most day to day uses.. yes. In desert running not even close.

Will this truck come to market in its current form? Not a chance.

Will the ZR2 name come back into production for a offroad Chevy truck.. one can hope so as long as it is not nerfed by the bean counters and made into a mall crawler

Does anyone else think that it's funny they were hyping up the "extensive use of carbon fiber, to help achieve some of the weight savings goals..." In order to "...demonstrate alternative ways we can reduce mass to improve fuel economy..."

Good job GM - you're broke, but you insist on using the most expensive option possible to save weight. How about fiberglass, or even plastic. I know it's a concept show truck, and I get that they want to make an impression, but this is just another example of the the naivety in design, and half-hearted execution that seems to be GM's motto these days - out of touch, poorly executed.

While Ford builds it GM swills it , its sad to see GM fall so fast , there is about as much of a chance of GM building this as the federal debt disappearing over night . I am a GM man but I will surely be buying a Ford next time .

Plus, they built it on a chassis combo that you can't even get anymore from GM (ext. cab with the "short" 5'8" bed)

At least they put some decent tires on that thing, compared to the sorry excuse for an off-road tire the raptor and power wagon use(BFG All-terrian)

Well, in my opinion it was premature for the media types to automatically assume this was a Raptor fighter when the picture first appeared in the Camaro stripe video to begin with. As a GM fan, one of GM’s biggest critics and a previous GM employee, I must say this is probably one of the best looking Chevrolet GMT900 trucks I have seen yet and that isn’t saying much. The GMT900’s are poorly styled trucks with terrible body design and stamping quality.

On the other hand, I don’t feel GM needs to chase something like a Raptor. The Raptor is an answer to the question nobody is really asking other than a very small population of people in California and Arizona that may actually pony up the money to buy one. I am still shocked that Ford took the Raptor to market given the product liability exposure. People in general are idiots and do not take responsibility for their own actions, especially in the state of California. Yes, that is right California, where there are more automotive related lawyers than border patrol agents. I predict in the near future there will be a blog spot somewhere on the net where a Raptor owner kills himself racing around the Mojave desert like Ford shows in their advertisements and will hold Ford liable for a billion dollars and actually WIN! GM is too conservative and doesn’t need those headaches right now. Let Ford take that liability, after all they made a billion dollars this past year right?

Now, if GM should benchmark an off-road truck they should benchmark the Power Wagon as it has more of business case for government and fleet sales opportunities as well as retail sales. I just don’t see that with the Raptor. Is the Raptor cool? Yes, I suppose but so were the Tbird and GT40. I give the Raptor 4 to 5 model years, if that, before it is dropped.

Guess I'm alone in thinking this is a sharp truck. Really like the primary color and secondary color as well.

The take away here is that it's a concept. The truck could end up into production, or parts of it. But no one knows for certain, so pitting it against the Raptor and PW is simply conjecture and internet bench racing at it's finest.

Wow, so much hate.
Firstly, the Raptor DOES actually perform like they're advertised to and you don't see the fine print at the bottom "Do not attempt" That's right, the truck is that good. It's that good for anyone, not just Desert dwellers. It's wide, stable, and extremely capable. Chevy's make believe show truck doesn't even come remotely close to Ford's production vehicle that people are driving right now. The question of "Are they competing with Raptor" with this thing? It's not even worth asking. I predict that Ford will be the only profitable domestic this year.... oh wait, that's already TRUE. One look at this half hearted attempt by GM and that explains it all. Sure, it suits a wide variety of tasks Mr. Ross, but that's by it's very defiinition, plain vanilla. Does nothing exceptionally well, isn't very exciting. Now that you've been schooled, go back and build something people actually want to buy.

Dave,

I knew that GM let go of Hummer. WHat I was trying to tell GM was to make a SEMA truck concept as if it was going to be badged as a Hummer instead of Chevy. That way the designers would be more agresssive with it.

Now maybe it's unfair to compare this ZR-2 to the Power Wagon and Raptor, but it's done becasue GM fans want GM to build a competitor to them. We all know that GM can do it. In fact, GM already has it for the military. Just take that same truck they sell to the military and "option it up" for consumer use.

If I remember correctly, the military truck features:
A deisel engine
A strong tranny
Heavy duty gearing
heavy duty suspension with a 4 inch lift
hood fitted snorkel
winch

Now give it:
35 inch tires on a choice of 16, 18, or 20 inch rims
fancy gages with an optional heads up display
and sporty paint schemes

BOOM! Instant competitor!

miss the ZR2.............. the real one

but I love this truck!

though I also say it can use improvement

colorado zr2?

I like the GMC body style much better than the Chev.
This truck doesn't look much different than what any guy on the street could build in their back yard. The carbon fibre doesn't stand out at all.
It has exhaust pipes that come out below the bumper like the Dodge Laramie. This isn't such a great idea for a truck that is supposed to show offroad prowess.

I would still rather have a Tacoma for my desert prerunning duties!

The Tacoma is also a great base to build upon with a coil-sprung front and leaf springs above the rear axle and no lower shock mounts hanging below the rear axle for starters!

I am a big ford guy i have a new ford truck . Chevy needs to bring this truck out they dont have anything on there dealer lots that will bring young ppl into the show room truck wise the ground effects model sucks

The original S10 with the ZR2 package was a great off-roading daily driver. I owned one for a brief, but fun period a few years ago. Financial reasons (in college) forced me to sell the truck, and I still miss it. Now that I'm older, I have a Z71, and would buy another ZR2 if it weren't for the fact I need the load handling of a full size, and can't afford a ZR2 for a toy.
That said, I think they need to leave the ZR2 package as an off-road option for the small trucks in the future. Having a Z-71 Colorado is just dumb, it should be actually lifted, widened, add 31s and called the ZR2.
They should just make the Z71 truly off-road capable by giving it the zr2 treatment, but with 33s instead of 31s. And bigger rims are a bad idea, they make it handle better on road, but drive up the tire cost too much.

first off it may look like an offroad truck but honestly it wouldnt stand a chance offroad. you want a real offroad truck buy an H3T with the adventure package. for one 31 inch tires are too small needs 35's also it needs locking differentials underbody protection all stuff that i feel gm is not up to putting on it. in my opinion gm should leave the offroading to hummer and jeep! nice tires though(just need to be bigger)

I think this truck will blow the Raptor away, not to mention that Chevy has a way better suspension than ford and more reliability. People love to bring up that GM is not doing well and yes this is true, but jhave you your heard of Amreican Airlines?? Who has gone bankrupt 3 times and are still one of the most used airlines. Chevy is making a statement with their new line of products and will most certainly be profitable in the next year (Huck BB62).

I really hope the zr-2 takes off in production,this truck is super light and has close too 600hp,it can out run go through more mud and prolly tow more im sure ...andi have owned my own buisness for 12 years and i know that chevys are longer lasting and more dependable trucks then ford and thats a fact....I have a 1995 gmc sierra ext 2wd with 320,000 miles and transmisson or engine has never been rebuilt and it is my daily drive and is in mint conditon...this zr-2 would do and outstanding job and sale like no other.
I really hope to see these trucks in the near future.
Dakotah

wow greg ah no the silverado and the sierra are just about the same damn truck with a different emlem on the grill and the only thing wrong that i see with this truck is the black tailgate

I'm excited GM is finally stepping back into the off-road scene, but this truck most of all needs a solid front axle. I'm sick of the bs IFS crap. They should have most of all used sierra styling rather then that of the silvy. I do like the look so far.