It appears General Motors may be considering a Ford Raptor competitor in the near future, though not with the Silverado or Sierra. Reports from GM Authority suggest The General will use the upcoming midsize Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon as the truck of choice.
It seems GM has chosen the smaller trucks mostly due to their compact size and lighter weight, giving them more agility and potentially better handling. Along with being more agile, the smaller trucks will fit into tighter trails, like the famous Rubicon Trail in California — a trail the Raptor is simply too large to navigate.
There are really no solid details to go on, so speculation will have to suffice. It?s likely the new Raptor fighter will come with the largest engine offering, meaning the 3.6-liter V-6. Perhaps GM will allow the 2.8-liter turbo-diesel to power the off-roader as well. Beefy springs and shocks will be a must, along with larger off-road tires. Expect to see the Eaton G80 locking rear differential come standard along with a high-capacity cooling system for the engine and transmission. Generous underbody skid plating will also come included.
As far as naming the new GM truck, we could see a revival of the ZR2 nomenclature last used in regular production on the long-dead Chevy S-10. The name had a recent comeback on a Chevrolet Silverado concept truck back in 2011, but never gained any traction. We already know GM was pondering a ?ZR2 package? back when the new Colorado/Canyon twins were revealed in 2013, so the likelihood is rather high the ZR2 will happen. Whether it?s a true Raptor fighter has yet to be seen. Stay tuned for further details.
Note: Chevrolet Colorado Rally Concept pictured here.
Click past the jump to read more about GM’s future Ford Raptor competitor.
GM Considers Ford Raptor Competitor originally appeared on topspeed.com on Sunday, 20 July 2014 18:00 EST.
Elmer George Bob Gerard Gerino Gerini Peter Gethin Piercarlo Ghinzani
No comments:
Post a Comment