This is the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Bison prototype we saw in the desert.

• A Chevrolet Performance engineer showed a camouflaged ZR2 Colorado to reporters after its first drive. 2023 Colorado ZR2.
• Although they didn’t explicitly identify it as a new ZR2 Bison, they found the word “Bison” on a sticker on one of the DSSV damper prototypes that was on the truck.
• No longer an accessory showcase, the Bison is now a high-performance ZR2 variant, featuring its own long-travel suspension and 35-inch tires that lift the truck an estimated 2 inches over the standard ZR2.

McCarran, Nevada—Just as we were gasping to celebrate the end of a three-day off-road blast from Las Vegas to Reno across the Nevada desert, Chevrolet Performance engineers unveiled the ZR2 in its signature camouflage. There was no doubt that it had huge 35-inch tires (actually he’s LT315/70R-17) on beadlock-ready rims, but a quick look underneath revealed that this was a tall tire It turned out to be much better than his generic ZR2 with .

2 inches tall

For one, the truck was about two inches taller than the normal ZR2 parked next to it. The 1 inch larger radius of the 35s accounts for half of that, so the rest is an additional inch of suspension lift. The Multimatic DSSV damper was an engineering sample “teardown” part. This shows that this new ZR2 variant of him has its own suspension tuning. This makes sense considering the taller stance and larger tires.

But the new high-performance ZR2 also appeared to have some extra suspension travel beyond the 9.9 inches of front and 11.6 inches of rear travel found on the regular ZR2. This speculation is not due to the taller stance and extra fender gaps, but also to the presence of unique Chevrolet Performance-branded hydraulic front and rear bump stops. Speed ​​up offroad.

Why I Recognized This as a Bison

What makes you think this high-octane ZR2 is a Bison? For one, the new ZR2 Desert Boss is this year’s accessory showcase variation, leaving room for the Bison to transform into an extreme performance model Second, and most likely, the word “Bison” was found on one of the ID stickers on one of the adjustable engineering sample DSSV dampers.

As for the interior, the only difference was the seat trim, which was black with a touch of red. No badges or embroidered logos were in evidence. And during the brief, almost casual look we got, we didn’t see anything noticeably different under the hood. The output of the liter turbo engine (310 hp and 430 lb-ft) is inconclusive as it can be ratcheted up by less obvious means including software and turbo boost.

now we are excited

Whatever the engine story goes, the prospect of seeing a distinct performance difference from the real ZR2 Bison is what drives our engine. We have a feeling that his new ZR2 Bison will be just that, thanks to a prototype with a taller stance, 35-inch tires and long-travel suspension with hydraulic bump stops. The mid-duty truck performance wars are in full swing.

technical editor

Dan Edmonds was born into the automotive world, but it’s not what you might think. His father, a retired racing driver, opened his Autoresearch, a manufacturing shop for racing cars, where Dan gained experience as a metal fabricator. He then went on to engineering school, SCCA Showroom Stock, where he went through racing and got a job in suspension development at two different automakers. His writing career began when he was featured by Edmunds.com (unrelated) to build a testing department.