Duramax Diesel Engine Production Halted for the Rest of 2021

Photo courtesy GM Authority

It's been a rough year for automakers, but especially for GM. Semiconductor shortages have hit all of the Big 3 automakers, causing production disruptions. GM seems to had more than its share of woes. 

In August we wrote about how strong the demand has been for diesel trucks, though at the end of this article we referenced a temporary halt to production that was announced. That ominous warning evolved quickly to a more serious concern, as GM was forced to change its tune. The temporary parts shortage will impact the engine more than initially expected. The temporary parts shortage would have a bigger impact on the engine than initially expected.

Last week news broke that production had been halted for the rest of the year on its 3.0L LM2 GM Duramax diesel engine. The article does not explain where the derailment took place. Rather it takes advantage of the bad news to remind us of its features and applications.

The LM2 Duramax diesel is assembled in Flint, Michigan. It has been one of the options for their full-size half-ton pickups and full-size SUVs. These would include the Chevy Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500, Chevy Tahoe, Chevy Suburban, GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade.

If you ever attend the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, you'll find that GM is not only proud of its cars but also of its engines. The engines are set on pedestals in the massive booth  that historically sprawls in the center of the main hall. They're impressive.

According to the story in GM Authority, "The LM2 engine features a straight six configuration with a DOHC valvetrain, 84mm bore, and 90mm stroke, with a 15.0:1 compression ratio. The block and heads are made of aluminum, with a forged steel crankshaft and forged rods. The pistons are made from hypereutectic cast aluminum alloy, while the cylinder liners are made from iron."

The halting of Duramax diesel engine production wasn't GM's first black eye this year. In July GM announced a recall for 410,019 trucks due to faulty roof rail airbags. The problem was related to moisture issues that might cause the inflator end cap to detach from the inflator, or cause the inflator to rupture. The 2015-2016 Chevy Silverado 1500 and Chevy Silverado HD, as well as the 2015-2016 GMC Sierra 1500 and GMC Sierra HD were the model years impacted. 

All this safety equipment can be a blessing when you need it. For manufacturers dependent on suppliers, it's just one more thing that can go wrong. In addition to an army of laborers, they are required to have a battalion of lawyers as well.

You will find the full story here.

Enjoy the holiday. We'll be back tomorrow.

Car & Driver Puts 2021 Chevy Suburban Diesel to the Test but You May Have to Wait to Get One

A week ago Car & Driver published an enticing review of the 2021 Chevrolet Suburban. The story, titled Tested: 2021 Chevrolet Suburban Diesel Should Be the Default Choice, gave a mouth-watering review of the 2021 Suburban, went so far as to suggest that all Suburbans should be powered by the diesel Duramax 3.0 engine. 

Automotive journalist Ezra Dyer describes how "the 3.0-liter six is perfectly adapted to Suburban duty. Its 460 pound-feet of torque arrive at only 1500 rpm, imbuing the 6272-pound behemoth with an air of nonchalant muscularity in real-world driving."

The diesel Suburban is not a race car, and you wouldn't expect it to be with a 277-hp engine, but it does jump from zero to sixty in a quick 8.4 seconds, and adequate pace for merging into traffic.

For Dyer, one of the high points on this SUV is its stability. It's smooth. "With that luxurious 134-inch wheelbase and four-wheel independent suspension, the Suburban glides imperiously down interstates, whether perched on its base steel springs or the optional air suspension with magnetic ride control," he writes of the full-sized SUV. 

The noise volume on this car -- or lack of it -- is noteworthy. When cruising along at 70 mph, the volume is equivalent to a Lexus ES350. And of the noise you do hear, most of it is wind and tires, with only a mild hum coming from the straight-six on the other side of the firewall.

When it came to the low points of this story, there really wasn't much to say. The Suburban gets decent numbers when it comes to city and highway driving. And the diesel can tow around four tons if need be. Other "low points" read like high points, with the only real gripe being that the diesel Duramax is not the default engine and you have to request it. 

You can read the full story here. There are lots of photos.

And now the bad news. If you are one of those who was sufficiently enticed into considering this as your next purchase, hold your horses. The Fast Lane Truck (TFLTruck.com) just broke the news that GM is temporarily stopping production of the 3.0 Duramax Diesel Inline-6 engine due to a parts shortage.

These Covid-era supply shortages are more than annoying. Chip shortages have caused the automakers plenty of headaches already this year. Over the weekend GM confirmed that this will impact the Chevy Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500, Chevy Tahoe, Chevy Suburban, GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade.

Fortunately it's only a temporary setback. They promise to resume production as soon as possible.   

The Silverado Trail Boss Steps Up to Diesel

Silverado Trail Boss now available in diesel.

Some people might be surprised at how long the Chevy Silverado half-ton went without a diesel engine. When you go to performance diesel competitions, the Big 3 are always well represented. But for a while the diesel option was absent in recent years. So it was that in 2020 that the Silverado stepped up its game with a turbo diesel inline six.

At the time, automotive columnist Len Ingrassia wrote last year, "The new turbo diesel inline six cylinder promotes high fuel economy, performance and a plethora of configurations to match your pocketbook and penchant for creature comforts." 

We find it interesting that GM is now adding a diesel option to the Chevy Silverado Trail Boss. As reported earlier this year, GM has its sights set on going all electric by the middle of this century. Needless to say, they obviously do not want to abandoned the diesel enthusiasts among us. Hence, GM Authority last week announced this new move for the 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500 Limited LT Trail Boss.

According to a story by Caleb Jacobs in The Drive, the Trail Boss is currently considered the most off-road capable truck in Chevy's half-ton lineup. 

Jacobs notes that "the 3.0-liter Duramax diesel inline-six that hasn't been available on the Trail Boss to this point, and it'd be great to pair that 4x4 prowess with nearly 30 mpg on the road. Now, it seems like General Motors will make it happen."

The 3.0-liter Duramax produces 277 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque. That's equal to GM's potent 6.2-liter gas V8. The V8 can't compete on fuel economy though. Off road in 4x4 mode, Duramax numbers are 25 mpg. Running down the highway you get 29 mpg.

We applaud the move, especially since Ford is discontinuing its half-ton diesel after this month. Ram will no doubt pick up the slack with its EcoDiesel V6-powered half-ton trucks, including the Rebel 1500.

Special thanks to the industry journalists who work at keeping us informed of all the latest developments in our industry as they happen.

Shopping for a Used Diesel Truck? Here's the Best and the Worst

Dodge W250 (1991½-1993) --This is a Winner, if you can find one.

In April, Autowise.com published their recommendations as regards the best and worst diesel trucks to consider when buying used. These kinds of lists are always fun to review, just to see if the author's views are in alignment with your own.

Personally, I think choosing the best is a more difficult task than identifying the worst. We may have built in biases regarding which features are of greater value to us personally. As we've written about before, it depends a lot on what you're using your truck for.

On the other hand, picking the worst is much easier. Why? Because the bad trucks, like those selected by Riley, the author of this piece, have a reputation. We're not talking about "Friday trucks" or "Monday trucks" where assembly workers are distracted or foggy. We're talking about bad engineering. 

The one positive about some problems is that it gives aftermarket engineers an opportunity to create fixes for some of these mistakes. Not all design flaws are that easy to resolve however. Which leads to our story.

The title of the piece is 8 Best Diesel Trucks You Can Buy & 4 of the Worst. 

The article begins with the basic reasons why people buy diesel trucks. First, they're workhorses. If you're towing a boat, ATVs, a camper trailer or hauling bricks, you know the importance of having equipment that's up for the task. 

Riley's concise description of the benefits of diesel is worth memorizing. Diesel engines "get better fuel economy, are often easy to modify with aftermarket parts, and, when properly maintained, will basically run forever. This makes them a great deal if you are looking for a used truck." 

All this is a plus for diesels, but there's a minus, too. A well maintained, low-mileage vehicle can cost a pretty penny. That's OK with some of the best trucks, and totally not OK if you select a clunker.

That is why this article was written, to help us avoid purchasing a truck that has little more value than a lawn ornament. 

The Autowise article begins with the 8 champion selections, then flashes warning signs regarding the losers. I will discuss the worst first, and list the 8 trucks they have labelled "the best." 

THE WORST

Here are the four diesel trucks that this article recommends you avoid. Sadly, these  trucks that have helped give diesel a bad name in some circles. 

Chevy & GMC C/K 5.7L (1978-1981)

Older folk are familiar with the Oldsmobile debacle in which GM dropped a 5.7L diesel engine into an Olds. It went down in history as one very bad decision. Ironically, GM took this same engine and decided maybe it would work in a pickup. Two wrongs don't make a right. One problem was that this particular engine was a gas 5.7L converted into a diesel. There were other problems as well, Riley writes. Ultimately, the only thing going for this truck is the vintage look. Buyer beware.

Chevy & GMC C/K 6.2L (1982-1993)

GM learned some lessons by this point in time and decided to exit the diesel engine building business. They turned to a neighbor, Detroit Diesel, to undertake this task. Unfortunately, what they delivered was a 6.2L engine that looked like it should have power because of its size. Such was not the case. The 130 horsepower it delivered is only 40 hp more than today's Smart Car. The other problem this engine had was a tendency to leak oil from the rear main seal. Not good. To fix this issue required removing the tranny, and you can be sure that was neither easy nor cheap.

Chevy & GMC C/K 6.5L (1994-2001)

You'd think by '94 GM would have this diesel business figured out, but no. The turbocharged Detroit-built 6.5L had a new set of problems. It was also behind the curve with regards to its indirect injection and couldn't compete with the Cummins and Powerstroke engines of the same time period, engines with 50% more power. Add to this the mechanical issues and your best best is to avoid them altogether. Riley says, "Get a Duramax."

Ford Super Duty 6.0L Turbo(2003-2007)

The article tags this engine as "by far the worst modern diesel engine." The engine was so bad that there were legal battles between Ford and Navistar (the parent company of the Powerstroke.) The list of problems this engine had includes head gasket issues and catastrophic fuel system failures. To make matter worse, to do some of these repairs required removing the cab in order to access the parts. Yikes. Riley recommends avoiding this one as well and find a 7.3L Powerstroke. You will be much happier.

THE 8 BEST DIESEL TRUCKS YOU CAN BUY 

If you're brand loyal, there's something for everyone here. You can read about each of these at Autowise. If you have different opinions here, feel free to leave a comment. 

Chevy/GMC 2500 & 3500 (2006-2007)

Dodge Ram HD (2003-2004)

Ford F-250/F-350 (2008-2010)

Dodge Ram 1500 (2014)

Chevy Silverado HD (2012)

Dodge W250 (1991½-1993)

Ford Super Duty (1999½-2000)

Dodge Ram 2500HD (2010)

Source: https://autowise.com/best-diesel-truck/

Demand for Chev Tahoe and Suburban Diesels Is Growing

How many manufacturers of full-sized SUVs offer a diesel engine alternative? Toyota does not. Nor does Nissan. And neither does Ford. GM alone seems to own this space with a trio of large SUVs -- the Chevy Tahoe, Suburban and the GMC Yukon. GM has evidently identified an unmet need that its competitors have neglected, or simply or created a demand that consumer have been waking up to.

According to the article in GM Authority, when GM made a decision to insert its 3.0-liter I-6 LM2 turbo-diesel Duramax into their 2021 Chevy Tahoe and 2021 Chevy Suburban, both models saw an increase in orders for the diesel engine option. And that is the point this article strives to bring home.

Whereas gasoline-powered full-sized Tahoe and Suburban SUVs still garner more than 90 percent of sales, the story is about the significant growth taking place in the diesel category. Sales numbers reflect the highest take rates since the Duramax became an option.

What is it that is causing this increased interest in the full-sized diesel SUVs? Some surmise that the SUV body styling is preferred over the Chev Silverado 1500 or GMC Sierra 1500, which both offer the same engine. There is certainly a place for each in the lineup. Different strokes for different folks, as they say.

The article proceeds to outline the special characteristics of the 3.0-liter LM2 Duramax engine, which features a duel overhead cam (DOHC) configuration and direct injection, enabling it to produce 277 hp at 3,750 rpm with 460 pound-feet of torque at 1500 rpm. For it size the fuel economy looks good, too. Both are "significantly more efficient" than their gasoline-powered counterparts.

When it comes to towing, the Tahoe diesel is able to tow more than four tons or carry a max payload of 1717 pounds. The Suburban likewise can tow four tons and carry a payload of 1,625 lbs. These are essentially workhorses dressed in their Sunday best.

As you might expect these brands have been keeping pace with the stylish requirements of a futuristic contemporary vehicle. Check our this interior shot of the cockpit. It's NASA Mission Control for civilians. 

Without a doubt the bottom line in this story is that diesel engines are being embraced by a broader portion of the market. The benefits have been increasingly recognized, and sales numbers are confirming it.

The full story includes a few pricing details. And lots more photos. You can find it by clicking this link.

2021 Yukon Diesel Brings Back Memories of the Gold Rush Era

Shortly before the end of the 19th century, gold was discovered in an inhospitable corner of Northwest Canada. As word got out, more than 100,000 prospectors migrated there in what became known as the Klondike Gold Rush. The famous American author Jack London was one of these. Through stories like Call of the Wild and White Fang the rest of America learned how challenging and dangerous this terrain could be.

By understanding the Klondike, its terrain and its history, we might gain a greater appreciation for the the Yukon name when it was introduced in 1991 for the '92 model year. The terrain is rugged, and half the year downright treacherous. You have to learn how to be a survivor there or you're a goner. Hence the Yukon name speaks of a toughness the exceeds the normal.

The Gold Rush image speaks of value. When you "strike gold" it is something you longed for but seldom really expect. So the Yukon name goes along with a search for something of value, and perhaps the joy of finding it. 

One of the nice "discoveries" of this year's crop of SUVs was that of finding a new Duramax diesel engine under the hood of the 2021 Yukon. This story by Fox News focused on yet a third way that the Yukon parallels the Gold Rush of 1896-99, its temporary duration. The title of the article is The 2021 GMC Yukon Diesel is built for the long haul, but may be short-lived. The meaning behind these words is that yes, it is exciting to have a diesel Yukon, but by 2035 GM will only be producing EVs.

The article by Gary Gastelu begins by noting, "It’s the same 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six-cylinder offered in the Sierra pickup and an alternative to the 5.3-liter and 6.2-liter V8s that are also available in both trucks." Then he switches gears to address the "Why now?" question. The answer is clear. Not everyone is ready to go electric yet. Gastelu cites a stat from the Diesel Technology Forum that diesel pickup and SUV sales were up 28% in 2020. 

After noting the excellent fuel economy of the Yukon the author highlights the hefty towing capacity. (8100 pounds with 2-wheel drive and 7800 with 4-wheel drive.) One gets the impression that Mr. Gastelu likes this compact big boy. 

After a look under the hood, the author takes us inside the cockpit with its unique interior dashboard design. The electronic goodies are many, but it all comes with a price. Then again, gold has value, and this Yukon does, too.

Read the full story here. 

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2021 Champion New Products and Announcements

Champion Brands Celebrates 65 Years in the Lubricant Business

Champion Oil's Winter-Blend Diesel Flo Fuel Additive Gets an Upgrade

Highlighting A New All-Season Air Brake Anti-Freeze from Champion Brands

Champion’s Classic & Muscle 15W-50 Motor Oil for Vintage Trucks

Blue Flame Contingency Program for Drag Racers: How to Get Your Piece of the Action

Champion Oil Seeking Diesel Vehicle Builds for SEMA 2021

Special Offer For New Champion Diesel Oil Distributors

Champion Blue Flame Diesel Engine Oil Recommended for Limited-Edition Shelby F-250 Super Baja Pick-Up

Champion Oil Introduces a Professional Grade 80% Ether Starting Fluid

Champion Blue Flame Diesel Engine Oil Supports OOIDA Members

ATTN: Diesel Racers. Click on the Orange Button (top right) for contingency program details.

Motor Trend's 10 Best Diesel Trucks Ever

These are the kinds of stories that start arguments. Write a story about the ten best of anything and you'll have readers checking it out, then arguing, "What wasn't this on the the list?" It could be the 10 best Beatles songs of all time, the ten best rock groups, the ten best movies of all time... two beers and you've got a fight started. 

Dodge Ram: Kickin' up dirt and spoiling for a fight.

So KJ Jones has dished up a treat for gear heads. The 10 Best Diesel Pickup Trucks of All Time. Who's in and who's out? Let's rumble.

Jones sets a few parameters up front. First, he knows that there are some readers who are so enamored their Rams that they believe "If it doesn't have a Cummins, it can't be on the list." All bias aside, there are other criteria beside sheer muscle. For this reason he writes:

The trucks we've selected range from first-generation Dodge Rams of the late 1980s, to present-day Ford, GM and Ram rigs that tow upwards of 35,000 pounds, while getting almost 30 mpg in fuel economy. So, if you're in the market for a brand-new, or new-to-you, (older) diesel truck, consider the ten rigs that are cited in this rundown.

And indeed, the first truck unveiled is that first generation Dodge Ram: 1989-1993 Ram D-250 and D-350. His moniker for this truck is Timeless Diesel. Each photo is accompanied by a paragraph of text that underscores the features that make this selection significant.

The second photo is what Jones calls the Best Used Diesel Value: 2003-2008 Dodge Ram 2500 and 3500 HD. Third-gen Dodge Heavy Duty diesels are also held in high regard, Jones writes. In part, this is due tothe facelift as well as increased cargo and cockpit space. This is a big man's truck.

Truck #3 he labels the Most Capable Diesel, and yes, it is a Dodge Ram as well, a 2010-2013 Ram 2500 Heavy Duty. This puppy has a 6.7-liter Cummins I-6 diesel engine that produces real horsepower and mountains of torque in what Jones calls "a fairly simple package."

At this point you have to be wondering when the Fords and Chevs will get mentions. The answer, when you turn the pages is "not yet." Truck #4 is the First 1,000 lb-ft Diesel. It, too, is a Ram. Specifically, it's a 202 Ram 3500 Heavy Duty. This was a Motor Trend Truck of the Year when it appeared, and it's got a lot going for it, not the least of which is its 35,100-pound towing capability and 7,680-pound payload.

Rather than spill all the beans here, I'm just going list the rest of the categories Jones pigeon-holed his selections into. Three Ford and three GM offerings get selected. 

Fords were chosen for these categories: Best Budget Diesel and Best Diesel to Modify and Best Diesel for Towing.

GM trucks got gold stars for these categories: Best Pre-Emissions Diesel, Best Hot-Rod Diesel and Best Diesel Drivetrain.

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Go check out the story and tell us what you think.

https://www.motortrend.com/features-collections/best-diesel-pickup-trucks-ever/ 

GM Has a New Logo.What Do You Think?

When companies change their logo it is a pretty big deal. All your stationary, all your packaging, all your users manuals, all your web pages... everything needs to be updated. The bigger you are, the bigger the challenge. For that reason, when a logo gets a makeover, it's not a frivolous decision.

While watching the first weekend of the NFL playoffs I noticed a couple commercials with a new look for their companies. But it wasn't there that noticed the new GM logo for the first time. Rather, it was here in a barbed story from Fast Company: General Motors' New Logo Is the Biggest Branding Fail of 2021, So Far. The article begins:

Over the last week we’ve seen a rash of rebranding efforts by major companies such as Burger King and Pfizer. Now, General Motors announced it too had a New Year makeover, unveiling a new logo aimed to reflect its commitment to the production and sale of electric vehicles.

When companies make a move of this nature, they usually accompany it with a publicity campaign in which they explain their rationale. That is, since decisions like this can't be made lightly, it is useful to take the opportunity to draw attention to what the new look is attempting to convey. Here's what GM had to say about it:

The new GM logo features a color gradient of vibrant blue tones, evoking the clean skies of a zero-emissions future and the energy of the Ultium platform [GM’s EV battery system]. The rounded edges and lower-case font create a more modern, inclusive feel. The underline of the “m” connects to the previous GM logos as well as visually representing the Ultium platform. And within the negative space of the “m” is a nod to the shape of an electrical plug.

Essentially it's an environmental message and a commitment statement. It reads like a sales pitch from an ad agency to the GM marketing team, who in turn took it to the top to see if it would fly. And apparently it did.

Jeff Beer, the author of this article, does not share the same enthusiasm for this re-branding effort that GM does. The problem, according to Beer, is trust. Trust is an essential part of any relationship between consumers and companies. Beer cites the 20% drop in Tropicana's sales after they rebranded in 2009. (Which included 5 months of design work and a 35 million dollar campaign.)

GM says they are in an evolutionary state, moving toward a future with "zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion." These ideas are contained in a logo concept that Beer feels has zero history, zero trust and zero originality. On top of all that Beer sees it as just plain bland.

* * * 

2001-2010

The Fast Company piece compares the GM re-branding to Ford's Bronco launch last summer which focused on that company's history and legacy. Beer's barbed probe questions GMs motivations, too. Does GM feel challenged by Tesla? Is this re-branding an effort to re-captured the future in the imaginations of its consumers?

At the New York World's Fair the GM Pavilion, a.k.a. Futurama,  was equally future-focused. Imaginations were stirred by concept cars that looked very different from what we drove in the Fifties, almost space-aged. There comes a time when being too tied to the past is perceived as dated. "We're not your father's Oldsmobile" is a famous campaign that implied cutting ties with the past. 

Nearly all the previous logo designs maintained that stodgy, square, solid block with a GM in the middle. Today's logo is more fluid, organic. 

What do you think about this new look? Leave a comment. We'd really like to hear.

Related Links

Here's a cool web page where you see all the logos from General Motors' history since 1908. The first 30 years its Certificate of Incorporation served as its logo. https://logos.fandom.com/wiki/General_Motors

New Logo Is the Biggest Branding Fail of 2021, So Far (Fast Company story)

GM Rolls Out More Diesel Models Than Ever

There's a saying on Wall Street: "The trend is your friend." Until fundamentals change, an investment will continue to flow in the same direction it had been flowing. Growing companies keep growing, and wise investors buy into it.

EV cars and trucks have seen this kind of growth the past 20 years, some of it driven by hype and much of it by public demand. Every automaker has been active in the development of vehicles that reduce the carbon footprint of gasoline-powered internal combustion engines.

The media coverage of this adoption of EV technologies has been extensive. What's been missed, or seems so at times, are the advances in Clean Diesel technologies. Their reputation as being loud and smelly is so fixed in some peoples' imaginations and memories that they are unable to see the New Diesels in their true light. Fortunately, major automakers recognize the consumer demand.

This week GM Authority published a story by David Finlay about GM's continued commitment to diesel. The December 26 article is titled, "Availability of Diesel Models Has Doubled Since 2016." It begins:

The availability of turbodiesel engines in General Motors vehicles sold in the U.S. has doubled in the past five years. During the 2016 model year, just six GM diesel models were available. In 2021, that number has risen to 12.

The article includes a chart showing which GM models have had diesel engines and what kind of engines they were, from the 1.6L 14 LH7 WhisperDiesel to the 6.6L V8 L5P, which has a toque close to 1,000 pound-feet.

The article includes a chart showing which GM vehicle models have been powered by diesel engines and the kind of engines they've got under the hood. In 2021 you'll find Duramax engines in all its full-sized vehicles include the Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Tahoe Suburban, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukons and the Cadillac Esscalade, which we wrote about here.

Finlay points out that GM has been neglecting its EV offerings. Not by a long shot. In fact, the global giant has announced plans to roll out 30 EVs worldwide by 2025. In the meantime, don't expect EVs to outsell diesel powered vehicles in the U.S. anytime soon.

Read the full article here: 
https://gmauthority.com/blog/2020/12/availability-of-gm-diesel-models-has-doubled-since-2016/

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The New GM 2.8-liter 4-Cylinder Diesel Engine Is at the Heart of This Mad Max ISV

Tell me this doesn't look like something out of Mad Max. (GM Defense)

Sometimes art inspires life. That was my first thought when I saw this October story in Car and Driver about GM's new Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV), which looks like it would have been right at home in the storied Mad Max series. (How fun it must have been for the folks who were assigned to create all these bizarre rat rod-like contraptions for that post-apocalypse thrill-ride.)

Three companies had been given a million dollars each to develop a light-weight off-road troop carrier. Every aspect of the design had functionality as its criteria. It had to be light enough for easy dispatch from a C-130 or C-17 transport plane, as well as for sling lift by UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter. The nine-seat ISV also had to be strong, durable, and off-road nimble. GM Defense got the assignment.

In developing the concept, GM Defense began with a Chevy Colorado ZRT as a foundation. From there it gets exciting as they clamped a new GM 2.8 liter, 4-cylinder diesel power plant in place under the hood. Ezra Dyer reminds readers that the specs are classified, but experienced journalists have no problem sharing their hunches as regards the possibilities. Dyer knows well the Colorado this machine is based on.

Dyer also shares a little GM history as well, noting that the automaker "started building trucks for the military in 1914, sending 90 percent of its trucks to the front in World War I. More recently, in the the 1980s, they built more than 70,000 lightly militarized Blazers and Silverados: the Commercial Utility Cargo Vehicle (CUCV). Plenty of those are now in private hands, their naturally aspirated 6.2-liter diesels still grumbling away. So the ISV continues a long tradition of modifying GM trucks for military duty."

The contract GM Defense signed was worth $214 million for 649 vehicles. Ultimately the army is looking to acquire 2700 of these light-weight beasts. The occasion for this article in October was that the company had just deliver the first of the lot. To get the full story, plus some cool video showing off what the ISV can do, follow the link below. Looks fun.

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a34518940/gm-4x4-colorado-based-military/