Introducing the 2023 Silverado SS ZL1, the Ultimate Muscle Truck

Back in the 90s, American automotive manufacturers had a unique idea. They would take the concept of the pickup truck and combine it with that of the high-performance car. As such, the muscle truck was born. While it seems like an amazing idea, it’s not one that quite caught on in such a way as to help it stick around in the long run. While there are a couple of high-performance offerings in the pickup truck world like the crew cab Ford Raptor and Ram TRX, gone are the days when Chevrolet or any of the big three offered a performance-oriented regular cab short bed platform.

However, designers who tinker with vehicles as we know them have been listening to the automotive enthusiast community and have come up with some pretty awesome renderings that show plenty of unique ideas including what it might look like should the muscle truck make a return.

This time, the truck in question is labeled as a 2023 Chevrolet Silverado SS ZL1. The concept uses the base from a regular cab short bed Silverado but also borrows styling cues from Chevy’s Silverado ZR2 off-roader and the brand’s Camaro ZL1.

The result is a truck that looks incredibly sporty and also appears to be something that could come straight off of the assembly line. It doesn’t look like an aftermarket rendition but instead something that Chevrolet itself might actually produce one day. From the Camaro, this rendering borrows some of the ZL1’s style with its wheels and recognizable front bumper along with aero features like the side skirts. Throw in a ZR2 style hood and you have yourself a truck that looks like it’s ready to rock.

Of course, as a rendering, what’s under the hood can be left to the imagination. This particular artist decided that the best fit would be Chevrolet’s supercharged 6.2L LT4 that one would find in the Camaro ZL1.

Perhaps the frustrating part about a design like this is that it would be incredibly easy to produce. We’re certain that it would take very little engineering effort for General Motors to reach into the parts bin and slap something like this together. However, if we ever see a machine like this hit the streets is another story entirely. Graphic Designer Art – @jlord8