The Chevrolet Silverado ZR2 was expected to be a direct rival to the Ford Raptor and the Ram TRX.
Unfortunately, Chevy's go-faster truck didn't quite meet expectations. While it is an outstanding off-roader, it doesn't reach the same levels of ridiculousness as these hi-po trucks. You wouldn't take it out to go jumping dunes, for example. And it's down on power. Chevrolet was at one point said to be working on a more extreme model, but an insider recently spoke to GM Authority, and that might not be the case after all.
Why does Chevy not want to enter this seemingly highly competitive space? Because it's not as lucrative as one might think.
The discussion about a direct rival to the zany Ram TRX and upcoming Raptor R has come up several times, but it always gets canned due to cost.
GM would have to shut down its Silverado production lines in Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, and Mexico to build a proper rival to the establishment. Since the Silverado is GM's most successful product, even stopping one shift would result in a loss worth millions. It's also currently in third place in overall truck sales, even without giving customers the option of a performance version.
To build such a model would require extensive plant modifications, which costs money. Lost time is also lost money, and the profit margin from the hypothetical performance truck is not enough. Or not enough to make it worth Chevy's while considering the hypothetical sports truck would not be a volume seller.
Chevrolet could upgrade the factory lines while preparing for an all-new model, but a Silverado replacement is years away. GM's other products will render it irrelevant by the time it arrives.
As you might know, GM is hitting the EV world hard. The upcoming Silverado EV should have no problem outsprinting the TRX and Raptor R in Wide Open Watts mode, and let's not forget about the Hummer EV. The latter uses the full potential of the GM's Ultium technology to provide the owner with more than 1,000 hp.
Despite weighing the same as the moon, the tri-motor version of the Hummer will get to 60 mph in three seconds. It can also jump, though GMC strongly advises against it.
The 9,000-lbs truck might just put a dent in planet earth, jump-starting the apocalypse.