An Off-Road Beast Even Greater Than the ZR2 Bison? AEV's Plans to Double Down

By very obvious leaps and bounds, the Chevy Colorado ZR2 Bison is the most off-road capable mid-size truck offered within the entire ranks of the automotive market! With an expertly-laden boost from Montana-based experts American Expedition Vehicles, the standard ZR2 underwent a drastic transformation with hot-stamped boron steel skid plates, as well as steel rail protection on both side skirts and bumpers. It provided so much protection and clearance that it enabled the Colorado to conquer the utmost in unforgiving terrain.

Locations such as the red rock deserts of Arizona and punishing trails of Mt. Moab come to mind when brandishing a truck equipped with these goodies! Here in Tennessee, we have Windrock Park, the largest privately owned riding area in the nation. Known for always keeping the rider in mind, they offer more than 300 miles of trail riding and hiking, camping and events. This is one of those places that means it if it says “extremely difficult” on a trail grade: dangerous cliffs and large boulders are just a few of the things you'll encounter while on course here.

When asked exactly what they had in mind to even further prepare the Bison for the tests of the trail, AEV Marketing Manager Matt Felderman said that a bigger tire kit is in the works. The ZR2 Bison Tray Bed that was displayed at Overland Expo West had a set of our new high-clearance fender flares which allow for a 35-inch tire and zero lift. There is a lower center of gravity at play, and the driver can take full advantage of everything that went into the ZR2 suspension, as well as the addition of a bigger tire. These larger tires were first pushed as an idea during the initial development of the AEV addition, but at the time just did not seem feasible.

The development team wanted a bigger tire than 31 inches, but there were a completely different set of tests for this one-two-thousand unit build, and millions would have been spent on the research and development end. Actual pricing for the 35-inch tires and high-clearance fenders have not yet been officially announced, but AEV will be proudly displaying two Colorado ZR2 Bison pickups with the special package this November during the 2019 SEMA show.

Many will want to take note that AEV also now offers other ZRT Bison components straight off the shelf: you can order bumpers, winch mounts, and high-strength hot-stamped boron steel skid plates “ala carte”. Once you get a slight taste of an upgrade variety that can rapidly up your trail hound status, it becomes addictive and could be the ultimate “gateway” to this amazing and expertly-designed package that prepares you for the demands of the off-road trek!

Motor Trend Reveals 6 Cool Extra “Easter Eggs” Within the 2020 Chevy Corvette

The very excited staff of Motor Trend were the first lucky media outlet in the world to test the first production mid-engine Corvette, and they admitted that they savored every second. So much excitement and attention on the many automobile blogs out there is understandable: now that the engine is situated behind the driver, many new possibilities open up. In this particular feature, the crew tells us here at West Chevy of Knoxville all about some “secret gems” that make the new Corvette even that much cooler. 

The Logo is Hidden on the Speaker Between the Seats: The center speaker located between the two seats is where the Corvette logo is, but it takes a bit of a search to find it. You can see the flags from certain angles because of the way the speaker holes are drilled, but once you are inside the pattern is only visible from a very specific distance.

Opening the Frunk From the Front: Since the engine is now behind the passenger and driver, the Corvette has ample space in the front for a front trunk. You actually don't open this frunk from inside: there's a super cool button hidden a little way above the left air vent that will open it. Much like the rear trunk, there is a proximity feature so you can open it when the car is completely locked, and even if the key is tucked in your pocket.

Hold the Unlock Button on the Key, And the Windows Will Open: If you happen to be out on a particularly hot day, there's a shortcut to getting the windows to lower. Just like other Chevy models, the windows will automatically lower if you hold down the unlock button on the remote key.

More Flags on the Rear Window: These look so awesome when contrasted against red: The Corvette C8 has the traditional pattern of black flags on the rear window that faces downward. This tradition began with the Corvette C7, and continues now in the 2020 model. These flags have a bit more of a V shape, following suit with the C8's updated logo.

The Trunk is Soft-Close: Even though it sometimes feels good to release some aggression by slamming a trunk shut, this one will close with ease! After gently closing the hatch, there is a soft-close system that will make sure it closes snugly without the need to push terribly hard.

The Top can be Secured in the Trunk: Once the top is off, two latches keep the top well-secured. The top pops off easily, and once it's in the trunk you can still store other items alongside it if you need to. Every single blog and news story we have seen regarding the C8 has been derived from a sense of amazement and wonder, as it has been a real dream come true to see this idea finally “leap to life” off the assembly line! 

Motor Authority Covers Mid-Engined C8 Corvette Convertible Version Coming Soon

This past week the Motor Authority crew conveyed in an article just how excited they were when the C8 coupe debuted in the flesh: this summer in California it finally arrived at a revealing ceremony that took place in some of the largest hangers in the nation. Those who received the treasured “golden tickets” as their invitation were treated to the show of a lifetime, and now there is another date regarding the Corvette for fans to mark on their calendar.

Last Friday during an interview with Motor 1, Corvette Assembly Plant Manager Kai Spande let slip that it is expected to see the Corvette convertible “in the October timeframe”. At least this steers us a bit in the right direction as to when to expect the droptop's coming. Everyone here at West Chevy of Knoxville knows that sometimes automakers choose to hold back different variants of a new sports car to keep the interest peaked, and it thankfully does not seem like this will be the case here. If this is the case, we should see the open-air model rolling excitedly into showrooms by early 2020, just in time for the promise of spring weather right around the corner.

Engine options for the Corvette convertible haven't been fully disclosed, but they are expected to be similar to the coupe's. That should most likely mean the potential of a 490-horsepower 6.2-liter V-8 in the base form, or a 495-hp version of the same engine with the optional Z51 performance package. An 8-speed dual-clutch automatic is expected to be standard across the board. As happened with previous generations of Corvette, the C8 convertible is also expected to stoke the inspiration for high-performance models like the ZR1 and Z06.

The retractable hardtop roof can fold into a compartment just behind the passenger cabin. The C8 convertible model won't sport the clear engine cover that the coupe does, because the roof takes up space directly on top of the engine when it's pulled down for fresh air. Much attention has been given on the newswires and blogs regarding the zero to 60 time, which resides at less than 3 seconds when equipped with the Z51 Performance Package.

It is true that the C8 had to make some concessions in terms of overall interior and cargo space, but because the engine is now in the rear, Chevy has done a superb job with the graduation to this new generation. Even with these differences, the C8 remains an amazingly fast, yet still practical daily sports car, and will surely be thought of as a game-changing and iconic landmark in auto history for the future.

Potential 2021 Chevy Equinox RS Spy Shots Delivered Via GM Authority

The scheduled mid-cycle enhancement for the Chevy Equinox is the facelift coming up next that is expected to introduce a new RS version, and was captured on camera off guard by the GM Authority staff on their blog last week. At this time the RS is available in the Chinese market only, but this may be changing soon. It may simply be offered as a trim level or as an entire package, as Chevy as offered RS models as both during past years.

The RS is now assigned in conjunction with the Sonic RS, Malibu RS, Trailblazer RS, Silverado RST, Traverse RS, and Camaro RS. The Camaro RS bits are the ones offered as a complete package, while the other models offer them in various trim changes. The introduction of these variants would make quite a bit of sense, seeing as the Equinox is the second-best-selling model underneath the commanding and well-chiseled Silverado truck. All of us on staff here at West Chevy of Knoxville have watched closely and now come to realize that in a large sea of SUV offerings, the optimum size and numerous features of the Equinox are winning people over in very large numbers.

Among the upgrades with the RS is body-colored door handles, red RS badging, black bow tie badging, black grille surround, dark wheel finish with silver accents, and black sideview mirror caps. The new Chevy Blazer provides quite a bit of influence for what the final appearance is regarding the RS models, and it has been said frequently over the past year that it is one of the vehicles that will set the tone for the direction of future crossovers. Up front, this spotted potential 2021 Equinox RS prototype features a row of horizontal LED signatures on top, and daytime running daylights below.

The refreshed Equinox is also expected to sport entirely reshaped front and rear fascias, newly redesigned tail lamp housings, RS-specific black wheels, black bow-ties, body-color door handles, black mirror caps, and a grille unique to the model. Power is expected to be provided by the same current arrangement of turbocharged gasoline 4-cylinder engines that are officially on deck to power the 2021 Equinox. The 1.6-liter LH7 turbodiesel has been discontinued for the 2020 model year, and the GM 9-speed automatic transmission is expected to replace the current six-speed in the lower-end models. A variant that provides high-performance is expected as well, but the particulars are not yet set in stone. We'll keep you posted right here on the blog regarding anything Equinox-related, and developments as more photos are nabbed out in the wild!