Take a look underneath this new 2027 Chevy Silverado 1500 ZR2 race truck. It appears to hide new Active Spool Valve (ASV) Multimatic dampers in plain sight. What is this all about? Let’s dig in!
We already have an idea about how the new 2027 Chevy Silverado 1500 trucks drive. The new version of the Silverado 1500 ZR2 off-road truck is more capable than ever with its modified DSSV Spool Valve Position Sensitive shocks, hydraulic bump stops, and larger 35-inch all-terrain tires.
At the first drive event in Tucson Arizona, Chevrolet also displayed their latest 2027 Silverado 1500 ZR2 off-road race truck. This is the truck that GM and Chad Hall Racing field in the various off-road racing series, including the Best in the Desert series.
In order to compete, the trucks must be production based. These race trucks have production-based chassis, body, and powertrain. This includes the new L78 6.6L V8 engine that is rated at 481 horsepower and 501 lb-ft of torque. Some modifications are allowed. Most of the mods are safety and navigation related. This includes a roll cage, a bed cage with a place for two spare tires, racing-style fuel cell, and navigation equipment. The race truck is rolling on 37-inch off-road tires.
Looking underneath the race truck unveils a surprise. We get a close look at the front shocks and they’re nothing like what we have seen before. The front coilover damper body includes what appears to be adjustable valves. These racing dampers also have large diameter fluid lines going to and from a large remote reservoir. There is also a suspension droop limiting strap.
In March of 2025, we saw a debut of the Silverado EV ZR2 off-road race truck. It participated in the MINT 400 off-road race near Las Vegas, Nevada. This EV ZR2 used the latest Multimatic ASV (Active Spool Valve) shocks. The EV ZR2 is much heavier than this 2027 Silverado 1500 ZR2 race truck, so the damper design and size are different.
Take a look for yourself. The picture on the left from the ZR2 Race suspension. The one of the right is a stock ZR2.
The race truck sees hundreds of miles of punishing off-road terrain. One of the last races Chevrolet participated in was measured at 505 miles. GM uses these race trucks to develop, test, and evaluate new components. So, what are they testing now? Could it be a new version of the Multimatic ASV for a future Silverado 1500 ZR2-X?
Do you want GM to build a wide-body Silverado 1500 ZR2-X with long travel suspension, a supercharged V8 engine, and Multimatic ASV shocks? Let us know in the comments below.
You can take a closer look at the ZR2 racing suspension in the video below.
If you want to learn more about the Multimatic ASV dampers, check out this video below.
