Mid Missouri Powerhouse Links

Tuesday, September 11, 2018

The Best in Off-Road Adventure Just Got More Intense: Spotlight On The Colorado ZR2 Bison





Lately here at the Powerhouse, many of us have been jostling each other at the power and prowess of one of our greatest competitors in the truck realm, the Ford Raptor. We merely scoff at the premise of losing the battle in the long run, as many additives have been tacked on to our Colorado ZR2 Bison for 2019, the current champion of everything off-road related. Based on the AEV concept presented during last year's SEMA show, the new ZR2 Bison features very wicked custom gear from the tried-and-true professionals at American Expedition Vehicles. One of the differences is a winch mounting plate underneath with “Chevrolet” spelled out across its width, in addition to a custom AEV steel bumper with fog lights.



Larger fender flares are now also positioned over very cool customer 17-inch black wheels, 31-inch Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac tires, an AEV steel rear bumper with integrated tow books, and Bison decals on the bed. When you are setting out to master the art of rock climbing, skid plate protection is one of the most important elements of the game there is. Aluminum skid plates are now traded for a total of five new steel units ideal for the covering of the transfer case, both differentials, engine oil pan, and the fuel tank. We love the cool new logos of a charging bison, and the prominent AEV name now making its appearance on the headrests and tailgate.



The Bison has predominantly shared many of the same traits with the standard ZR2's equipment, sporting the usual Multimatic remote-control reservoir dampers, cast-iron control arms, front and rear electronic locking diffs, a two-winch lift, and a 3.5-inch wider front and rear track then is found on the lower-model Colorado Z71. The engine selections don't favor anything on the weak side: you have your pick of the turbo-diesel 2.8-liter inline-four with a six-speed automatic transmission, or the 3.6-liter gasoline V-6 with the 8-speed automatic, in crew cab or extended cab body types. This is the truck that the folks at Jalopnik raved about as “a plated pickup to power through anything”, and were also in high praise of the protective plating's amazing strength.



These hard-working and very talented folks from AEV are the ones who take credit for turning the Jeep Wrangler into the fully-fledged and fiercely off-road ready AEV Brute, and are currently taking the time to modify the Dodge Ram pickup line to boot. Since the skid plates are part of the main ingredient, it's hard not to notice that they have been constructed of very durable and able hot-stamped Boron steel. It is on deck to make an enormous difference for anyone who plans to take a truck off-road: differentials, as well as oil pans, can be some of the very first items to crack hard under pressure, and this new additive to protect the underbelly is part of a sensible plan to detract from severe damage during off-road endeavors. Activities such as crawling rocks and racing through raging rivers always score high points here in West Lynn, and you're going to be more than excited to embark on your own adventure with the trusty and wilderness-ready 2019 ZR2 Bison!