Our rendering of how a Chevy competitor for the Ram TRX and Ford Raptor R might look.
We picked up a rather tasty rumor at this year’s CES: Chevrolet is looking to make a more extreme version of the Silverado pickup, beyond the current ZR2, to properly take on the Ram 1500 TRX and Ford F-150 Raptor. The project is apparently called “Meteor” because “that’s what killed off the dinosaurs.”
The name isn’t quite right. Technically, meteors burn up in Earth’s atmosphere, while those that make it to the ground are called meteorites. A rock big enough to cause the event that killed the dinosaurs would be considered an asteroid. General Motors has been in the space business for over half a century, so you’d think the Chevy people would know this.
We kid because we love—that is, we love the idea of a Raptor-beatin’ ZR2. We’ve been very impressed by the Silverado ZR2, which is way more capable off-road than even its strapping looks would suggest (a big part of the reason it’s our sister publication Four Wheeler‘s Pickup Truck of the Year for 2023). Still, MT testing has shown that, despite the potent 420-hp, 6.2-liter V-8 under its musclebound hood, the Silverado ZR2 is a long way from the 702-hp Ram TRX or the bonkerballs 700-hp Raptor R.
What might a ZR2 Meteor look like? We worked with designer Abimelec Arellano to come up with the render you see here.
First, we had to think about what a muscled-up ZR2 would need under the skin. For one thing, it’d need more suspension travel; we imagine up to 13 inches in the front and 14 inches in the rear. Up front, that means longer suspension arms. That’d mean widening the body, just as Ford does with the Raptor. We imagined smooth bulges in the fenders that work their way back into the doors, not terribly dissimilar from the current ZR2, abetted by the requisite black-plastic fender extensions.
For the rear suspension, Chevrolet could simply go with longer leaf springs and shackles, but we imagine it would match the Raptor with a triangulated four-link rear suspension. Given the type of hauling such a truck is meant to do, we figure Chevrolet would likely follow Ram and Ford with a crew cab and abbreviated bed, with sheetmetal alterations to accommodate the wider rear track.
The secret sauce in all ZR2 models, and largely responsible for their amazing ability to work as both low-speed rock-crawlers and high-speed desert bashers, is the Multimatic DSSV spool-valve shocks. We wouldn’t expect to see any substitutions, though modifications for the truck’s heavier weight might be needed. Same for the ZR2’s front and rear locking differentials: You rarely need them in the current truck, but they certainly don’t hurt anything by their presence.
What a theoretical dinosaur-beater would need most, though, is moar power. The solution, to us, is obvious: The supercharged 6.2 as fitted to the CT5-V Blackwing. In that setting, the engine produces 668 hp and 659 lb-ft of torque. The latter is enough to claim bragging rights over the TRX and Raptor R, but ego requires a horsepower figure starting with a 7. We’re sure there’s enough room in the Silverado’s engine compartment for some breathing improvements, and we’ve given our Meteoric ZR2 a single-bulge hood to accommodate the supercharger and other needed hardware.
What of the details? We love the existing ZR2’s front fascia, bright red tow hooks, LED driving lights and silver skid plate, and we don’t want to see them change. Of course, to target the dino trucks, the ZR2 would need clearance lights in the grille; there’s just no other way. A Chevrolet “Flowtie” badge with a red inlay would distinguish it from regular ZR2s, along with driving lights on the roofline. Out back, aside from clearance lights in the bumper and our new Chevrolet badge—with body color showing through the middle—we’ve left well enough alone. Beadlock-capable wheels and 37-inch Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac tires round out our concept.
As for the interior, we wouldn’t change much. We really like the yellow stitching GM employs on the ZR2, and we’d love to see it stay. How to differentiate the “Meteor” truck from the plain ol’ ZR2? A plaque denoting a numbered edition would suffice, and what about a tribute to Rod Hall? While he’s well known for the 1968 Bronco in which he won the Baja 1000, but Hall switched to Hummers in 1993, his company Rod Hall Products is involved in the Infantry Squad Vehicle program, and his son Chad races Chevrolet ZR2s to this day. It would be a fitting tribute to a person who helped make the ZR2 line the off-road force it is today.
As for the name… while it’s technically wrong, we rather like the ZR2 Meteor moniker (certainly better than ZR2 Meteorite or ZR2 Asteroid). If anyone asks, Chevrolet could say it chose the name because this truck will burn up the trails.
Is Project Meteor a real thing? Is Chevrolet planning a Silverado to beat back the TRX and the Raptor R? Only the folks at GM know for sure, but we sure hope so. Next time we do a 700-hp supertruck shootout, we’d love to invite the Chevrolet Silverado along.
