Photography by Sinuhe Xavier
Humans make upward of 35,000 remotely conscious decisions a day. Around 225 of those are related to food, and with only 122 of them being well-informed choices, that leaves an ocean of bad choices swirling around people’s brains. What to eat, what to watch, what to wear, what to buy—we are spoiled for choice. Even when we make a decision, it’s rarely definitive, as 87 percent of people change their minds. So, bearing all that in mind, it’s no wonder how exciting it is, what a relief it is when a real no-brainer choice comes up. Such was the case for me when the invite came through to join Chevrolet on an off-road run from Vegas to Reno in the brand-new 2023 Colorado ZR2. The only questions I had were, “When is it happening?” and “Can I bring a co-driver?.” The answers were “mid-April” and “Yes, of course.” If only all corporate communications were this easy. With the dates fitting neatly into my calendar, all I had to do was choose a co-driver, and in my mind, there was only one man for the job. Sinuhe Xavier needs no introduction here or just about anywhere, really. His overloading bona fides are beyond reproach, and more recently, he’s been devoting more time and attention to desert racing. Having run the Best In The Desert: Vegas to Reno race in 2001, I figured a little familiarity with the route would pay dividends. Following a quick call, some discussion of logistics, a mention of gear needed, and flight dates, I had my co-driver.
There are two primary reasons why it was an emphatic “Yes” to the question of taking this trip. First, I’d driven the previous generation ZR2 with both the rev-happy gas V6 and the torque-monster turbo-diesel under the hood. Mud was slung, the air was caught, and fun was had. It was a good truck, and I can remember thinking to myself at the end of my time with it that when they completely re-work the interior for the next generation, this thing was going to be truly great. And wouldn’t you know it, I was right. Chevy replaced the economy car cabin of the previous-gen with a thoughtfully styled and well-appointed interior that makes spending three full days ripping through remote terrain much less exhausting than it should be. Heated seats and a heated steering wheel chase away the pre-dawn chill while you chase sunrise, and ventilated seats keep you cool when the sun is high in the sky, baking the expanse you’re crossing. These were among the most welcome and, certainly, the most frequently used creature comforts on the run from Vegas to Reno. There are, of course, many more, most of them digital and contained within the new 11.3-inch infotainment touch screen. However, anybody can put fancy off-road infographics on a screen and 10 (yes, 10) camera views. When it comes down to it, the ultimate creature comfort is an unshakeable platform composed of a rock-solid chassis and pre-cognitive suspension. Wouldn’t you know it, the Colorado ZR2 rides on a brand-new platform with both.
Second, the route. Vegas to Reno off-road? You’re damn right that grabbed my attention. It’s pretty wild that Chevrolet was keen to give us a brand-new truck and let us manhandle it on one of the toughest off-road race routes in North America. Nevada is totally underrated as a road trip and overland destination, but that tracks, given that Nevada is totally underrated in general. Blame it on the two world-renowned cities we were driving between, but the Silver State has so much more to offer than glitz and gambling. For the better part of our trip, we were straddling areas with pre-human history and key sites of the atomic age where life as we know it was changed forever. It is impossible to drive through Nevada and not think about life on a cosmic scale—the bunkers, alleged crash sites, government black sites, mining towns, ghost towns, dried-up lakes, and mountains of waste. It’s a wild place, and it’s achingly beautiful.
I can’t say exactly how many times Sinuhe and I busted out laughing on our trip, but it was a lot, and the majority of it was involuntary. The ZR2 will do that to you. Time and again, we’d tense up, both as driver and passenger, expecting an impact to send a violent shockwave through the suspension and up into our bodies. Not only did that not happen, but the ZR2 repeatedly remained steady. It just continuously soaked [expletive] up, unfazed by the elements, whether it was flying through the air one minute and gobbling up chunks of volcanic rock the next. The way it puts down its ample power, clawing at the ground, spitting stones, hunting for the next opportunity to make the driver giggle with childlike joy—it’s addicting in the way some of my favorite sports cars are. My professional background is primarily in going fast on pavement in vehicles with eye-watering price tags, but since driving the first-gen Raptor some years back, I’ve become more and more of an evangelist for speedy fun while on loose surfaces. Given the ridiculous power offered by even some of the most mundane vehicles on the market these days, performance products for less-regulated (or unregulated) routes seem like the right call. You can barely scratch the surface of what a modern sports car is capable of on public roads while staying within a reasonable distance of the legal limit. However, on dirt, you can push a vehicle right up to its intended limit, sometimes beyond. From the get-go, that’s precisely what Sinuhe and I intended to do. Imagine that.
Therein lies the X factor of the Colorado ZR2 and our journey with it. Chevrolet tossed us the keys and essentially said, “Have at it; just don’t be idiots.” The ZR2 was purpose-built for adventures like this, and allowing Sinuhe and I to hammer it on such a demanding route for three straight days shows how confident the team behind the truck is that they got it right. You can imagine how glad we were to find that their confidence wasn’t misplaced. As the terrain got more demanding, the ZR2 shined in new and sometimes unexpected ways. I figured that the truck would be a willing companion on the relatively smooth graded gravel sections of the route, but neither Sinuhe nor I could have anticipated how composed it would remain in the rough-as-hell washes that had seen more water this past winter than in recent memory. Despite regularly stopping to admire the dramatic scenery and grab some photos, we managed to be ahead of schedule. That doesn’t happen without the absolutely stellar Multimatic DSSV dampers, which are without question the star of the ZR2 show. The 3-inch lift is a welcome addition, and the brand-new chassis is great, but for those DSSVs, there’s some powerful magic at work there.
Having experienced Multimatic’s handiwork on other GM products like the Camaro ZL1 1LE, as well as the Ford GT and the Mercedes-AMG GT, I should have known what was coming. I suppose until you’re doing 75 mph through a section of mellowish whoops, encounter a legit G-out, and subsequently sail through the air like them ol’ Duke Boys but land a whole hell of a lot softer than they did, there’s just no way of understanding the legitimacy of the DSSVs. The wildest part is just how turn-key the whole experience is. “Stab it and steer” was the extent of Sinuhe’s advice, and provided you have a modicum of self-preservation and respect for whatever terrain you encounter, there’s not really much else you need to consider. Selecting Baja from the five mode options sets everything up just how it should be for speedy trail running. It’s up to you to decide whether to keep it in 2WD, Auto, or 4WD, and you’ve also got a push-button command over locking the rear diff or both diffs. Both Sinuhe and I spent a great deal of time in 2WD kicking the tail out in corners just for extra style points, but for the majority of the trip, I enjoyed 4WD as it still allowed me to slide around corners, but then scramble out of them as quick as possible. Only on a handful of occasions did either of us switch to Off-Road or Terrain mode where we utilized 4L. Encountering large rock gardens and deep snow wasn’t necessarily part of the plan, but the ZR2 handled both with ease. The latter did get to a point that required turning around, but it’s important that I note it was without question the right thing to do for the sake of safety.
Just because the vehicle is capable of getting through what’s right in front of you doesn’t mean that it’ll be equipped for what you can’t see further down the trail. I considered this while cruising across a basin, looking up at the north-facing side of the snowcapped mountains we’d been on earlier in the day. Simply put, digging out a vehicle sucks. Every. Single. Time. I’m glad we didn’t find ourselves caught up in such labor. Instead, we found ourselves at our overnight stop earlier than expected, which meant nachos and margaritas sooner than later. Sure, we’d had some trailside burgers off a Blackstone earlier in the day, thanks to Chevrolet, but it had been hours since then, and with the sun setting on the second day, a cold drink and melted cheese sounded pretty good. With our thirst and hunger satisfied, we called it a night, resting easy in the knowledge that we’d get to do it all again the following day.
After two full days on the trail, we were still excited to get up and go. Certainly a good sign for the ZR2. Having dabbled in sharp rocks, big rocks, loose rocks, ruts, snow, silt, and a couple of dry lake beds, the final day on the trail brought my favorite terrain to play on: sand. Maybe it’s because I’ve had a lead foot since my pop first put me on the riding mower, but I’ve had nothing but good fortune on the sand. Keep the skinny pedal matted, and you’ll generally be alright, save for the occasional underestimation of how steep an ascent is. Our route didn’t have us visiting the nearby playground of Sand Mountain on the outskirts of Fallon, Nevada, but we were still treated to a lengthy section that allowed both Sinuhe and me to get a pretty good idea of how the ZR2 handles in soft, pillowy sand. Neither of us wanted to give up the driver’s seat throughout the trip, but that sand section was particularly enjoyable. I figured Sinuhe would be getting his fair share in the near future when he’s down in Baja running the Mexican 1000 with Safari Special, but even with that adventure on the horizon, he was keen to get plenty of wheel time. Again, a very good sign for the ZR2.
As usual, a tinge of melancholy crept in as we neared the end of the road. Even with all the literal and metaphorical bumps in the road, we could have kept going. Though we were able to reconnect with the outside world each night when we bunked down—something about being in such vast and remote places all day for three days in a row—it’s a significant change to your state of being. I suppose that’s the root of the appeal of a turn-key performance off-roader like this, changing your perspective and inviting the unexpected into your life. After all, it’s not really about the truck, it’s about where the truck can take you, except now you can get there faster. Rather than weigh yourself down with the requisite capital G overlanding “GEAR,” you can play it fast and loose. All you need is a credit card for fuel and hotel rooms. Well, that and a duffel full of underwear, socks, and maybe a spare T-shirt. We agreed that the less stuff you’ve got to secure in the back, the better.
Reflecting on the experience overall, Sinuhe posited that the ZR2 is “essentially a side-by-side with airbags, ventilated seats, and a total lack of dust in your face.” In addition to its off-road prowess, it’s perfectly enjoyable to drive on pavement, meaning your energy and enthusiasm aren’t diminished on the way to or back from the trail. You can have a conversation at a normal speaking volume or enjoy music even when doing 80 mph on the highway. What a novel concept. When I finally did put the ZR2 in the park for the last time, I was definitely a little bummed as well as somewhat relieved. We’d made it through unscathed, with no flats, no damage, just a lot of grit and grime covering the once pristine silver paint. A little skill and luck, sure, but the truck did its job to the highest degree, and that’s all we could have hoped for when we set out. If the call came down the line tomorrow to go do it all over again, I’d only have two questions, “When?” and “Who’s coming with me?.”
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