Sworn Rival Reconnaissance: Hardcore Silverado on the Way to Do Battle with Ford F-150 Raptor

The knowledgeable staff on duty at Muscle Cars and Trucks blog weighed in on a groundbreaking story this week: a very hardcore Silverado truck called the ZRX is reportedly under development and will be rugged enough to do battle with sworn rival Ford's F-150. Many elements will be borrowed from the Colorado ZR2, and rumor has it that it will be even more extreme than the Silverado Trail Boss. While still not 100% official, the publication says that the truck will be outfitted with an off-road-focused suspension that sports Multimatic DSSV Dampers.

The truck is also rumored to brandish front and rear locking differentials, as well as vastly improved departure angles and approach, two elements  needed to properly take on the Raptor. It is still not entirely clear whether the improvements will stem from the suspension alone, and its entirely possible that a modified front bumper could be added to this aggressive and off-road-ready mix. Other potential highlights on deck include exclusive wheels wrapped in 31-inch Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac off-road tires, a revised hood, and new grille.

The Raptor brandishes a twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 that cranks out 450 hp, and 510 lb-ft of torque, and to aggressively take part in the brash battle, the new Chevy may feature carryover engines such as a 6.2-liter V8 that doles out 420 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque. Even though this is significantly less than what the competition will boast, we could also be given the grunty gift of a 3.0-liter Duramax turbodiesel that cooks up 277 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque. If development and design go smoothly, the off-road-focused and heavy-duty truck could be launched in time for the 2022 offerings.

All of us here at the Mid-Missouri Powerhouse deemed this exciting enough news to want to follow up closely on, and after researching it online, found that GM does absolutely have an application for the ZRX moniker pending as of August 15. Said registration covers “motor land vehicles, namely automobiles, SUVs, trucks, vans, engines therefor, and structural parts thereof”.

The battle in all truck slots for sales is red-hot right now: many of our reliable sources in the industry thought a year or so ago that this may be for the return of a street performance pickup, but we admit we are more excited about anything off-road ready. We also understand that owning a brand-new truck is going to make you eager to get in the saddle and put the miles on, and it's why we offer the best warranties in the business! We hope that we see you here at the Powerhouse this fall where you can check out the existing models thoroughly, and see what a great addition to your home or business the Silverado will be.

2021 Chevy Equinox Spy Shots Provide Glimpse of New Fascia Design

The knowledgeable and savvy folks on staff at GM Authority have been covering the refresh that will take place on the 2021 Chevy Equinox for the current, third-generation compact crossover. These recent spy shots sent to us here at the Mid-Missouri Powerhouse provide another look at the upcoming CUV's front and rear fascias, and other highlights such as an all-new front-end. You can see the influence from Chevy's latest crossover design and styling language that was introduced on the new Chevy Blazer and Chevy Trailblazer crossovers, but the design of the refreshed equinox probably won't be as over the top aggressive as it was on these two.

The 2021 Chevy Equinox is also expected to sport a brand new two-tiered headlamp design. Its a bit hard to make out under the camouflage, but it looks as though it incorporates a two-tier layout similar to what is found in the new Blazer, though, still not quite as edgy. The 2021 Equinox will likely include a new grille, forward-facing camera, and rectangular cutout located at the bottom of the camo on the front grille. The profile itself does not see any change from the last model, and in the rear is a new set of horizontally-oriented tail lamps, with the lit-up graphic resembling the U-shaped elements that are found on the 2020 Blazer.

We would expect to see a few various updates to the cabin, and the introduction of more active safety features. The current three-generation Equinox already uses Chevy's latest, third-generation infotainment technology, so there probably won't be too many changes to be had in the infotainment category. Under the hood, it's expected that the 2021 Chevy Equinox should offer the same line of turbocharged 4-cylinder gasoline engines, including the 1.5-Liter LYX 4-cylinder, and 2.0-Liter LTG 4-cylinder. The1.6-Liter LH7 Turbodiesel 4-cylinder will continue to wait it out for a brief breather on the sidelines after it was discontinued for the 2020 model year.

A six-speed transmission handled shifting duties within the 2020 model year's lower-end trims, but the GM 9-speed automatic is expected to replace this inside the 2021 model. There are also rumors of a high-performance Equinox variant, and even though we have not yet seen evidence it makes sense: this is the SUV on the smaller size for the budget-minded consumer would surely see wild excitement about above-average acceleration as an additive.

Only the Silverado truck moves more units than the Equinox, and its versatility remains part of its wide-reaching charm. This is also the SUV that heartily topped the competition in initial and long-term quality in the J.D. Powers Dependability Study for 2019, proving its namesake resilience as well as reliability.

Transformation of an Automotive Lifetime: Business Insider Covers the C8's Supercar Status

All of us here at the Mid-Missouri Powerhouse would have to agree with the opening statement that Business Insider made during an article about the new C8 Corvette last week, claiming that it was one of the most “notorious scene-stealers in the history of cinema”. Always recognizable and now sporting a mid-engined model, this is a car that has undergone a crucial change that drastically changes its face and functionality. Even as the supercharged Z06 and ZR1 versions were high on the horsepower factor, it had not quite yet climbed all of the way up the ladder into the status quo reserved for supercars such as the Lamborghini and Ferrari namesakes. 

The choice to release a mid-engined model was one that Business Insider staff writer Daniel Gessner agrees created a car that can definitely hang in the big leagues. Since its very first introduction in 1953, the Corvette has been no stranger to constant change, as it morphed from a slick street cruiser into a very high-powered and sought-after race car. So many fervent fans out there simply could not contain their excitement when the 2019 ZR1 came out with guns blazing full-force, and a 755 horsepower engine under its hood.

Even with all of this raw power available to it, the current Corvette design was holding it back from reaching its true potential. After some very productive time back at the drawing board, the iconic sports car was redesigned, and the benefits of relocating the engine finally became a reality instead of just concepts diagrams. One of the largest benefits of mid-engined placement is seen in the car's handling and braking. At this position, the weight is evenly distributed between the front and rear wheels, which allows direction to be changed quicker.

Another benefit of the mid-engine design is regarding the all-important acceleration factor. Once you add horsepower and torque to an engine, the mass is increased as well. When it comes to a rear-wheel-drive vehicle, the engine is sitting on top of your front axle and is putting far less weight on the wheels that all the power is coming from, there is really only so much faster that the car will be able to go. This was what happened with the ZR1: even with a huge engine at its disposal, it was not always performing much better than previous-generation models.

One of the most staggering marvels in modern engineering is the pricing difference between the Corvette's base model and the Ferrari 458. Even though they are both similar as far as mechanics and performance go, the Corvette comes in at an astonishing $180,000 cheaper. Even though we know that Corvette fans are not necessarily in need of a bargain-basement markdown, the fact that the C8 can offer up this much with its allocated resources is a feat that should amaze any fan of screeching tires and tightly-wrapped torque stats: the many years in the making concerning this car made it an immediate symbol of engineering success!

GM Authority's Labor Day Feature: 2020 Chevy Equinox Standard Active Safety Suite

The crossover SUV category is absolutely on fire in terms of popularity, sales, and the very stiff competition it faces. Very popular models like the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V are on the front lines ready to do battle this fall with the Chevy Equinox we love so much right here at the Mid-Missouri Powerhouse. On the GM Authority blog this week, there is a feature that closely outlines the number of updates and changes the 2020 Equinox will have, as well as a brand-new set of standard safety features.

The following features are now all standard across all 2020 Equinox equipment groups and trim levels: Automatic Emergency Braking, Forward Collision Alert, Following Distance Indicator, Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning, Forward Automatic Braking, and Intellibeam Headlamps. This marks a very large change for Chevy and the way the vehicles are now offered: now providing these as standard equipment really sets the brand we love to represent every day apart from others, and puts us far ahead of the curve. Active safety technology has become a prime wish for consumers, and much more of an everyday expectation for newer cars.

The 2020 Chevy Equinox will be offered in four trim levels: L, LS, LT, and Premier. Engine options will feature the turbocharged 1.5-liter LYX inline four-cylinder which generates 170 horsepower, as well as the turbocharged 2.0-Liter LTG inline 4-cylinder hard at work cranking out 252 horsepower. These will be paired to either the GM 6-speed or 9-speed transmission, allowing for smooth shifting and the best in gear management systems out there!

When asked which of these features that will now be made standard we have had our eyes on the most, it is hard not to ignore Automatic Braking: this is an amazing system that will take charge and automatically apply the vehicle's brakes to avoid a crash entirely or help reduce the severity and impact. It is made up of Front and Rear Automatic braking and incorporates Rear Park Assist ultrasonic sensors and 1 or 2 short-range radars placed behind the rear bumper to get the job done.

Tailgating has been recognized as an issue that dominates the pet peeve list of many in cities nationwide and can lead to severe road rage as well as accidents. Following Distance Indicator is a technology that constantly aids the driver in keeping a safe following distance from the vehicle ahead. It uses the vehicle's Forward Collision Alert sensors to provide the driver with an accurate following time to let them know if they are indeed following too close. The system is set to display a minimum following time of .5 seconds, and is also great for teen drivers: many of those on the younger end of the driving spectrum tend to not be as aware of their surroundings in terms of distance.