SEMA 2006: Chevrolet Colorado Z-71 Plus

[Guest YellowJacket894]

SEMA 2006: Chevrolet Colorado Z-71 Plus

The 2007 Chevy Colorado Crew Cab Z71 Plus is an off-road enthusiast’s dream interpretation of one of Chevrolet’s most popular trucks – the just right-sized Colorado crew cab. Keeping with the rugged Z71 image, the suspension has been fitted with HUMMER H3-derived components, front and rear. Custom-milled 20 x 9-inch alloy wheels are wrapped with aggressive 285/50R20 off-road tires. Underneath the restyled front fascia, hood and fenders is a powerful 320-horsepower 5.3L V-8. Fuel enters the Colorado via a unique, racing-style ITW spherically actuated fuel fill system. The cargo box bed and rear bumper were restyled and a roof rack/light bar was added. The custom paint job combines light green metallic, bright aluminum and light charcoal for a stunning high tech look. The leather interior is upscale yet durable.

Vehicle highlights

• 320-hp 5.3L V-8 with Hydra-Matic 4L65 transmission

• Restyled front fenders, hood, fascia, grille, bed and rear bumper

• Roof rack/light bar, chrome tow hooks, custom tonneau cover

• Tri-color paint: light green metallic accented with fine bright aluminum and light charcoal

• TYE LED taillamps and custom driving lamps

• Custom-machined 20 x 9-inch alloy wheels

• Aggressive off-road 285/50R20 tires

• Increased ground clearance

• HUMMER H3 suspension components

• High-performance brakes: 15-inch front rotors with six-piston calipers; 14-inch rear rotors with four-piston calipers

• ITW SAFF (spherically actuated fuel fill) refueling system that replaces traditional door and cap with a custom ball valve

• Flowmaster cat-back custom exhaust system

• Ruggedly luxurious leather interior with Dusty Olive bolsters, woven inserts and Pumice piping

• Matching door panels, instrument panel and steering wheel with bright exterior color trim bezels

• Kenwood speakers

• Magellan portable GPS – eXplorist XL Series

Edited October 29, 2006 by YellowJacket894

[FAPTurbo]

I'm not too sold on the face, but this is exactly what the H3T should be, except with maybe an I6 as a standard engine.

Hell, maybe this should become an option package for the Colorado itself. The V8 couldn't hurt :AH-HA_wink:

[Guest YellowJacket894]

A very bold look is in store for the 2008 Colorado. And is a V8 a possibility, too?

The Dakota may just have to start looking over its shoulder.

[loki]

the front looks kinda silly to me... close off the hood intake and add....something to the "mouth"... otherwise, looks good

[ocnblu]

That is sexy as hell. I know this has to portend the '08 production truck. I am imagining it toned down just a tad for production. Way hot. Love it!

[Northstar]

I see the possibility of the Chevy Lambda having a similar front end to that.

[ocnblu]

This would not be a super-expensive facelift, as the zig-zag side contours on the current truck don't extend into the doors. I really like the smoother side contours, the normal looking wheel arches, and the face. I don't really care for the '94 S-10-inspired rear bumper situation though.

[mjdecker]

I like the WTC inspired grill, but I'm not too sure about the headlights...

Oh and the exhaust tips are sweet.

[NOS2006]

Give it:

1. More of a rear bumper

2. Different headlights

3. The top of the grille should match up with the bottom of the grille (where they meet the crossbar)

Then it would be perfect. It looks great as is.

[HarleyEarl]

I like this a lot......so nice to see slimmed down headlights making a comeback.

[Croc]

Love the front!

[Cadillacfan]

The front end is much better then the current one. GM needs to get serious in this segment so it can catch up with the competition. Something that the current Colorado failed to do. Next step, put some serious money into that interior and drop in a V6 and a V8.

With this concept, it appears that GM may be listening to the complaints of the critics and fans and will beef up the Chevy/GMC twins.

[DetroitNut90]

Front end:

The rest:

It's kinda like my ZR5...and I like the V8 addition. But the front I can live without.

[Cory Wolfe]

That looks quite nice. With a few tweaks it'd be perfect.

[PurdueGuy]

not a fan of the amber turn signal "eyebrow", but other than that it looks very, very good.

[red]

That's an amazing front end - really creative! Build it!

[turbo200]

I think it looks great. Call it a major improvement over the current one.

[C.H.U.D.]

Looks like its yawning. The rest of the changes look great though.

[Dsuupr]

I like it ALOT more than the curren truck. I do hope they use this front end in 2008.

[big blue]

It looks like it wants to swallow up some Plankton.

[Camino LS6]

The front end is Aztek ugly.

The rest is interesting.

[Brandon Lutz]

That truck was whipped with the ugly stick on the front end.... Everything else though looks good!

[G. David Felt]

YEA Baby, this is HOT! This is what I expected the first time Chevy rolled out this truck, a In your face version of it.

Build it and they will come!

[thedriver]

The headlights make it look sleepy, but other than that, I like it.

They should ofer the I-6 tho, since they won't be needing it for the Trailblazer, I hope they don't kill the engine. It is too good to waste...

[ocnblu]

Well yeah, but an engine 4 cylinders in depth seems to fit better than one 6 cylinders in depth.

And it is pretty much a guarantee that a production version of this facelift will be toned down.

[wjfox]

This is much better looking than the generation 1 Colorado / Canyon with their I want to be a Lamborgini when I grow up wheel arches. I love the front facia. The sides could be toned down a little for production (as often happens with these things) and still look very good. It is so good to see GM style coming back from the dark days of the '00 Impala.

[benjiwah]

For all the nay-sayers, this is exactly what Chevy needs. Designs that polarize will enstill that "gotta have" feeling, especially to the core customer base that would be shopping mid size trucks. Hopefully the powers that be will not ponder this design to long. If they do, we will end up with some watered-down, P.O.S. wonder bread design custom taylored to apease some idiotic focus group. Sure a tamer version of the truck won't offend anyone, but nobody would feel passionate about it either. Please Chevy, don't step on the designers toes!!!

[ocnblu]

How about this: think of concept vehicles as "slingshots". The purpose of a concept vehicle is to push the design envelope, to shock the onlooker, to polarize public opinion. Then, for production, the final design is brought back from the extreme just enough to appeal to more people on both sides of the fence. The first glimpse has to be a shock to gain attention and force an emotional response.

I am remembering an S-10 concept truck, painted chartreuse and black, that previewed the new-for-1994 production truck. It was wild, eliciting much the same passionate response as this Colorado concept. Then the design was tempered for the assembly line. This is just one example, as just about every concept vehicle is used for this purpose.

Concept vehicles are useful tools for manufacturers to advance their design language and make something "new" stick in the public's mind, but they're almost always made more "sane" for production.

[mjdecker]

The leather interior is upscale yet durable.

Vehicle highlights

• Ruggedly luxurious leather interior with Dusty Olive bolsters, woven inserts and Pumice piping

     

• Matching door panels, instrument panel and steering wheel with bright exterior color trim bezels

     

• Kenwood speakers

     

• Magellan portable GPS – eXplorist XL Series

Any pics of the interior?

[Intrepidation]

Well I did a chop of it and this is what I came up with. For reference, this is the origina:

and this is my chop:

[Guest YellowJacket894]

Decka: I don't know if there are any interior pics. Some unofficial ones may surface sometime soon, though.

Ocnblu: You were saying something about this . . . ?

1993 Chevrolet Highlander concept (I wish GM would've kept the name for production.)

[ocnblu]

Yes, that's it, Mr. Jacket. Compare this to the stock '94 S-10 ZR2. See how it is a bit more outrageous than the production truck. Front, sides, rear, all appreciably different, but the essence is there. (Neat sliding 3rd door!)

Prediction: The '08 Colorado will be a toned down version of this concept. Use this S-10 as a point of reference.

You can see realtime photos of the SEMA Colorado at Autoweek magazine's website show coverage.

Edited November 4, 2006 by ocnblu