2014 Chevrolet Silverado Reaper — the Raptor Slayer?

2014 Chevy Siverado Reaper (Credit: Youtube)

It seems as though Ford Trucks have had their proverbial way with the off-road super truck market since the inception of the Raptor in 2010. It is evident that this domination has not gone unnoticed by other major automakers with Nissan delivering their Frontier based Desert Runner, Toyota offering the Baja 1000, and now the TRD Pro Series, which is to include a full-sized Tundra pickup, compact Tacoma pickup, and a 4Runner SUV. These American manufactured Japanese trucks are alright — to each his/her own — but they lack the size and power to tangle with the Raptor, which boasts a 411-horsepower 6.2-liter V8.

Enter the grim reaper themed 2014 Chevrolet Silverado Reaper. Does the “bell toll” for the Raptor with this able entry into the off-road super truck market? The Reaper, introduced last month in New Orleans, Louisiana during the National Automobile Dealer’s Association Convention, is a collaboration between Chevrolet, Southern Comfort Customs, and Lingenfelter Performance Engineering. It begins with an ultra-tough Chevrolet Silverado four-wheel drive pickup, with a redesigned front end that includes a more aggressive looking front grille, a high clearance front bumper with integrated fog lights and a heavy-duty skid plate, Xenon headlights, fender flares all the way around, and REAPER graphics on both sides of the bed. Add a 2-inch suspension lift, remote reservoir FOX racing shocks, and a 6.2-liter V8 outfitted with a Lingenfelter supercharger providing 550-horsepower and you have some serious competition for the Raptor.