The all-new 2023 Chevy Colorado ZR2 is much improved over the outgoing model. It has a new turbocharged 2.7L I4 engine with 310 horsepower. It had more ground clearance and larger tires. It has DSSV spool-valve dampers and front/rear lockers. What’s the best way to see what it’s made of? How about “racing” it off-road from Vegas to Reno? This is exactly what Chevrolet had in mind.
Las Vegas, NV to Reno, NV is an annual off-road race that is organized by the Best in the Desert (BITD) association. This year’s race (2023) is in August. Chevy, Chad Hall Racing, and BITD got together to organize this first drive event for the new Colorado ZR2. This is a tall task because the original plan was to drive nearly 440 miles of punishing off-road terrain in under three days.
Of course, real racers in real off-road racing vehicles can do this route in between 7-14 hours, but we are driving all-stock pickup trucks on a route we have never seen before.
Join the video below for all the antics! TFL team drove the red truck with the number 7301 (Smirnov/Pearson). We completed the 350 miles of the racing route without a single flat tire or any damage.
The new 2023 Chevy Colorado ZR2 goes on sale now (is starting to ship from the factory in Missouri). The starting price for a Colorado ZR2 is around $48,000. The red truck I am driving has a price of just over $50,000. The ZR2 Desert Boss package pushes the price of the ZR2 to around $60,000.
