It has been years since Chevrolet has offered a high-performance version of its Silverado pickup truck, but a new concept for this year’s SEMA show imagines what a revival of the Silverado SS could look like. Called the Silverado Performance concept, this street-oriented truck packs a supercharger, upgraded brakes, performance tires, and a bit more visual aggression courtesy of some surprisingly tasteful exterior tweaks.
It’s what’s under the hood that makes the Silverado Performance concept so appealing: a supercharged version of the 5.3-liter V-8 making somewhere around 455 horses, or 100 ponies more than stock. Chevy says that the supercharger itself is the same as the unit used in the Corvette Zo6 and Camaro ZL1’s LT4 V-8, although that just makes us want to see a Silverado with that 650-hp 6.2-liter motor. In addition to the extra grunt, the Silverado also gets six-piston Brembo brakes up front and 22-inch wheels with performance tires. Since the truck is devoid of any 4×4 badges, we’ll assume that it is rear-wheel drive?all the better for burnouts, of course.
Finished in Satin Steel Gray, this concept truck has a subtly different grille treatment that combines with the larger wheels, smoked headlights and taillights, and darkened window moldings to make for a subtly aggressive look. A cat-back exhaust system and a cold-air intake are also part of the package, as are interior pieces such as a suede steering wheel, carbon-fiber-...