Chevrolet May Be Planning to Destroy the Ford Raptor

Ford’s toughest truck, the F-150 Raptor, has controlled its own niche in the pickup truck market since it debuted in 2010. Chevy may change that.

For the last decade, Ford’s F-150 Raptor has largely owned the badass full-size off-road pickup truck market. Ram has its Rebel and Power Wagon, but neither delivers quite the same level of high-speed terrain-crushing capability; like the Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, those rigs are made more for traditional off-roading than the free-wheeling fun that is the Raptor’s milieu. Chevrolet has the Colorado ZR2 and ZR2 Bison, but while they offer Raptor-like off-road upgrades, the Colorado is a full size smaller than a regular F-150, let alone the wider, beefier Raptor.

Looking for a new Chevy truck? Call the Ron Westphal Chevrolet customer care team at 630-898-9630 or visit our website.

The Raptor’s reign as the fiercest predator in the pickup ecosystem may be about to end, however. A new report claims Chevrolet is currently hard at work developing a version of the Silverado designed to take the fight to FoMoCo’s toughest truck.

According to Muscle Cars and Trucks, the new all-terrain truck will be called the Chevrolet Silverado ZRX. If the name reminds you of the ZR2, well, that’s likely intentional; MC&T‘s report suggests that the new truck will largely use the same sort of recipe GM applied to its midsize off-road truck. The Silverado ZRX will reportedly pick up a rock-hopping suspension featuring the same sort of delightful Multimatic DSSV dampers that deliver a remarkable blend of comfort and capability in the ZR2, as well as locking differentials for both front and rear axles, and a host of other upgrades and changes to improve its capabilities beyond the pavement, including tweaks that improve approach and departure angles.

really need them to battle the Raptor; the Silverado’s current top-tier engine, a 6.2-liter V8, is a variant of the engine found in the Camaro and Corvette, cranking out 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet. (It’s also tied to the same 10-speed automatic used in the F-150 Raptor, as that transmission was a joint Ford/GM project.)

That motor would put the ZRX in a similar league as the Raptor — though the Ford’s 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 still would have the edge with its 450 horses and 510 pound-feet of torque. Then again, given that the ZRX is reportedly slated to arrive for the 2022 model year, GM has plenty of time to squeeze a little more power out of its fabled small-block.

If all this is true — and it sounds like a solid money-making gambit to us — Chevrolet won’t be alone in pursuing Ford’s ferocious truck. Ram is currently hard at work whipping up a Raptor-fighter called the TRX (get it?) that combines off-road goodies with the supercharged Hellcat motor that makes a bare minimum of 707 horsepower everywhere it goes. Rumor has it Ford may ultimately counter that by packing the Raptor’s engine bay with its new 7.3-liter V8 known internally as “Godzilla,” thus pushing the saurian one-upsmanship about as far as it can go.

Source: Chevrolet May Be Planning to Destroy the Ford Raptor

The GM Strike

If the GM strike lasts more than a few days, it could impact far more than the company and the thousands of UAW workers walking the picket line

What’s going on with the GM Strike?

If the General Motors strike lasts more than a few days, it could impact far more than the carmaker and the thousands of autoworkers who are walking the picket line.

The GM Strike is not currently affecting Ron Westphal Chevrolet. We have a large inventory of parts/accessories in stock. And, we have an extensive variety of new vehicle inventory in stock, ready for immediate delivery.

“It could be a surprisingly significant impact,’’ says Harley Shaiken, a professor in U.C. Berkeley’s graduate school of education who specializes in the study of labor.

Striking workers may hold onto their reduced pay a little tighter, meaning that local businesses, from the dry cleaner to the movie theater, could see their profits dip.

“If it turns into a more prolonged strike, which may well happen, well then you’re going to have tens of thousands of workers with less … probably being a lot more careful about what they purchase,” says Erik Gordon, a professor at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business who closely follows the auto industry.

UAW workers must wait for smaller wage: UAW workers picketing GM must wait for $250 a week in strike pay

Source about the GM Strike: For every GM job, up to 7 other jobs are generated. Here’s how a strike affects the economy

Things you might not know about the 2020 Corvette c8

As the first media outlet in the world to test the production mid-engine Corvette C8, we had to check for Easter eggs. Here are six things we found!

Every second with the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette C8 is precious. We were the first media outlet in the world to test the first production mid-engine Corvette, but aside from how it drives, we had a chance to see other important bits and pieces.

Would you like to order a 2020 C8 Corvette? Ask for Joe Fosco at 630-898-9630 for details.

We looked around the new Chevy Corvette C8 to find any kind of Easter eggs or cool features, and just as we expected, six caught our attention. With the sports car arriving to customers’ hands at the end of the year, here are three cool features and two Easter eggs to look for in the new Corvette C8.

Corvette Logo Hidden On The Speaker Between The Seats

The center speaker located between the two seats bears the Corvette logo, but you’ll have to search to find it. The holes of the speakers are drilled so that you can see the flags from certain angles, and it’s actually easier to see them when you’re standing outside the car. You won’t be able to see the logo when you’re sitting inside, as the pattern is only visible from a certain distance.

Open The Frunk From The Front

Given that the engine is behind the driver and passenger, the Corvette has enough space in the front for what we call a frunk, or front trunk. Instead of opening the frunk with the remote key or from inside the car, there’s a button hidden on the front fascia just above the left air vent that will open the frunk. Just like the rear trunk, the frunk has a proximity feature, so it can be opened when the car is locked and you have the key in your pocket.

Hold The Unlock Button On The Key, And The Windows Will Open

Just like other Chevy products, if you hold down the unlock button on the remote key, the windows will automatically lower. Although this is technically not an Easter egg and it’s something we’ve seen in other Chevrolet products, it’s a nice feature to have on hot days.

More Flags On The Rear Window

Continuing with the tradition, the Corvette C8 also has a pattern of black flags on the rear window that fades downward. This started with the Corvette C7 and continues in the mid-engine car. The flags are a bit narrower and have more of a V shape, following the C8’s updated logo.

The Trunk Is Soft-Close

You don’t have to slam the trunk to close it. Gently close the hatch, and the soft-close system will make sure it closes properly without you having to push on it.

Top Can Be Secured In The Trunk

Removing the top is quite easy, and once you take it off, the glass, body-colored, or carbon-fiber top can be secured in the trunk. Two latches (one on each side) keep the top secured. Although trunk space is significantly reduced, you can still store smaller items if you need to.

Source: Exclusive: 6 Cool 2020 Chevrolet Corvette C8 Easter Eggs