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2002 Chevrolet Silverado Regular Cab SS Concept
Source: Chevrolet Manual steering, a simple bench seat and even rubber floor mats. They"re all part of the minimalist approach to outfitting the Silverado Regular Cab SS concept vehicle - a slimmed-down pickup with a 395-horsepower 6.0-liter V-8 and six-speed manual transmission, designed to haul more than lumber back from the home improvement store. "If you look back at traditional hot rods and the heyday of the muscle car, serious enthusiasts always chose a vehicle with the fewest "extras"," said Chevrolet General Manager Kurt Ritter. "Items like air conditioning and power accessories not only cost more, but added performance-robbing weight to the vehicle. In the "60s, it was common for a buyer to order a new Chevy SS model without a radio and, in some cases, a heater - just to gain a performance advantage." The Silverado Regular Cab SS does have a radio and a heater, but puts a contemporary twist on the stripped-down muscle car theme. The engineering team responsible for the vehicle selected a Silverado Regular Cab because it is the lightest full-size pickup in Chevrolet's lineup (the Silverado Regular Cab SS weighs 4,190 pounds), and added only the necessary body enhancements to identify it as part of the Chevy SS family. Exterior appearance is based on the Silverado Extended Cab SS production model, including the new styling found on all 2003 Silverado light-duty models. Under the Silverado Regular Cab SS's hood is another twist on tradition. Rather than a big-block engine and a four-barrel carburetor, it's a state-of-the-art, sequential port-fuel injected 6.0-liter small block V-8. The engine block is cast iron with a balanced rotating assembly. The cylinder heads are specially modified versions of aluminum Corvette LS6 units. They"ve been reworked to provide more airflow, and the volume of the combustion chambers was reduced to raise the engine's compression ratio to 10.5:1. The engine also employs a special high-lift roller camshaft, as well as a custom oil pan that features an elongated sump and a Corvette LS1 oil deflector. Inside, the Silverado Regular Cab SS is all business. The basic graphite cloth bench seat offers unfettered access to a custom shift handle that's topped with a traditional Hurst shift knob. It stirs the gears of a T-56 six-speed manual transmission. White-faced gauges with the "SS" logo are the only other interior clue that this is anything but a workaday Silverado. A proper performance stance and sports car-like handling were achieved with Eibach lowering springs and a solid 33 mm front stabilizer bar from Hotchkis Performance and Bilstein shocks. The springs and shocks work harmoniously to provide a firm, but compliant ride. At the rear, engineers swapped in the five-link suspension from a Tahoe, which required cutting the Silverado's production rear frame and welding in the Tahoe's rear frame section. The five-link design, which has two upper control arms, two lower control arms and a track bar, provides greater overall agility, as well as better control of side-to-side movement of the rear axle. The rear axle of the Silverado Regular Cab SS has a limited slip differential and a 3.73 gear ratio. Updated 09:24 AM - October 14, 2008
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