A lot of overlanding is about finesse. Carefully driving the right line on the trail. Finding that perfect balance between having just enough gear and hauling too much stuff. Some times, though, there’s room for a bit of excess. Enter the XTREME OFF ROAD.
No, I’m not shouting at you. Specialty Vehicle Equipment (SVE) named its latest creation, based upon the 2022 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2, with the caps lock fully on. The XTREME OFF ROAD earns its moniker, and capitalized letters, with its potent power plant: a supercharged 5.3-liter V8 that produces 750-horsepower and 600-foot pounds of torque.
SVE did more than just bolt a Chevy crate motor under the hood a stock ZR2 and call it a day. The truck has been blessed with a carefully tuned motor. Here’s how SVE lists the engines upgrades: “blueprinted L83 aluminum block; computer-balanced, race-quality rotating assembly including forged 1538MV twisted steel crankshaft; forged H-beam rods; forged aluminum pistons; CNC ported L83 high flow cylinder heads with ARP high-strength head and main studs; our own OEM-quality centrifugal supercharger with a 33% larger 8-rib belt drive system; an upgraded high and low pressure fuel system with high-flow injectors; state-of-the-art high efficiency air-to-water intercooler system; and custom stainless steel exhaust system.”
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All told, SVE wagers “the XTREME OFF ROAD could easily qualify as the quickest limited production mid-size pickup truck for the 2022 model year.”
Backing up that huge hunk of record-setting power, engineers beefed up other parts of the ZR2. It gets heavy-duty traction bars, 13.6-inch vented rotors with six-piston brake calipers, special wheels, and a four-inch high-clearance lift kit that utilizes the stock Multimatic DSSV damping system.
Inside, customers can pick from one of two leather trim colors to best accent any one of the factory paint colors. These leather-covered seats are accented with red stitching and XTREME is embroidered into the head rests.
Before you get too excited about the XTREME, you should know that only 50 examples will be built.
Rarity aside, would the XTREME make for a good overlanding rig? Well, given the fact that there are increasingly more aftermarket equipment options for the Colorado, it could be. Using an XTREME for overlanding would be a huge flex, though.
That’s because I assume virtually no one on the trail would recognize its specialness. So you’d be wheeling an incredibly rare truck for little fanfare.
That said, if you’re the kind of person who appreciates raw, under-the-radar power over trailside notoriety, this truck might be a good choice for you.
