Is this new Chevy Silverado 1500 desert off-road truck just another one-of-a-kind racer, or is it foreshadowing what GM has in store for a future Ford Raptor fighter? There are a lot of rumors flying around about a so-called future Silverado ZRX production off-road truck. Is this it? The quick answer is no, but Chevrolet says this racing development truck is a proof of concept for many new parts, including new DSSV spool-valve shocks.
Chevy Silverado – Desert Racer
This truck is currently participating in the ‘Best in the Desert’ racing series with one race already in the books. This truck starts out where the current production Silverado 1500 Trail Boss leaves off. The frame is the same, but there is an additional body lift that allows the racing truck more wheel articulation and 35-inch off-road tires.
The front and rear springs are unique, but (more importantly) this truck is riding on experimental DSSV spool-valve shocks. It’s similar technology to what is currently available on the production Chevy Colorado ZR2, ZR2 Bison, and the Colorado desert racing truck. However, the Silverado DSSV dampers are much larger and have external reservoirs. Chevrolet says these shocks offer great control and bottom out resistance for a big and heavy truck like this.
This racing truck also has a full roll cage that is tied into the frame front and rear. This makes the overall chassis very strong and able to handle some jumps as well.
Underneath are customized aluminum and steel skid plates, including protection for the rear shocks as well. One important note: the desert racing truck is just as wide as a standard production Trail Boss.
Under the hood of this truck is a standard 6.2-liter V8 that is mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission.
Take a look at the video below for all the details about this desert racing truck. If these components work well, let’s hope GM will put them into a future production off-road truck.
