1997 Chevrolet S-10

LAS VEGAS -- Is there a limit to the possibilities baked within Chevy's versatile S-10 pickup? Considering the ZL2-Plus 4 concept vehicle prepared for this year's SEMA show, the only logical answer is definitely not.
When Specialty Vehicle Manager Jon Moss characterizes the ZL2-Plus 4 as 'wild,' you know this is a remarkable truck because Moss is hardly known for exaggeration.

Consider a few of the ZL2-Plus 4's high points: A full four-door crew cab. A dooley rear axle under a 6.5-foot Sportside box. A ground-effects decor package to slam the eye of the beholder toward the pavement. A custom interior seating five in supreme comfort. Low-profile radial tires mounted to unique alloy wheels for optimum cornering performance. And to top it off, a 5.7-liter Vortec V8 engine under the hood. For the compact pickup truck buyer with a wild imagination, ZL2-Plus 4 is a dream come true: what you'd get by scrambling S-10 and Impala SS genes in a blender.

The creative transformation began with a 17-inch stretch of the regular model's frame. The spacious four-door crew-cab is a standard S-10 production item from the Brazilian market. The box is a regular ÚS-spec component with flares added to shroud a heavy-duty axle sourced from C/K parts bins. Boyds' five-spoke billet-aluminum wheels are shod with BF Goodrich Comp T/A 60-series radial tires. Front and rear fascias, wheel flares and rocker extensions blend together to reinforce the pavement-hugging visual theme. A stunning PPG cobalt-blue high-metallic paint job assures that this truck will never be lost in a crowd.

The car-like interior provides bucket seats in front and a spacious rear seat trimmed in tasteful shades of blue and gray fabric. Door panels mimic that theme. Únder the hood, the ZL2-Plus 4 has grown well beyond its origins. The 5.7-liter Vortec V8 pumps out 250 horsepower, more than enough to keep this research project running with the big trucks. A Hydra-matic 4L60-E four-speed electronically controlled automatic transmission sends torque to the dooley rear axle. ZL2-Plus 4 is purposely a deep reach into Chevy's knapsack of future possibilities.

Source - GM Corporation

CHEVROLET S-10 PICKÚP NAMED 1997 TRÚCK OF THE YEAR BY NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF HISPANIC PÚBLICATIONS
MIAMI -- The Chevrolet S-10 Pickup was named the 1997 Truck of the Year today by the National Association of Hispanic Publications (NAHP), marking the second a consecutive year that the automaker has been honored by the Hispanic advocacy group. Previously, the NAHP named the Chevrolet Cavalier its 1996 Car of the Year.

The award was based on a number of factors, according to NAHP officials, including a series of test drives and performance capacity examinations. In making their selection, NAHP executives lauded the S- 10 Pickup's overall endurance, quality and value for Hispanic consumers.

'Hispanic truck buyers in this country will undoubtedly benefit in their everyday use of the affordable and durable S-10 Pickup truck,' said Luis Rossi, NAHP president.

For 1997, Chevrolet S-10 Pickups are available in a combination of three, two-wheel drive models and three, four-wheel drive models, the widest line of compact pickups in the industry. With a cargo box length of more than seven feet (long wheelbase models), a maximum trailer rating of three tons (when properly equipped) and a choice between a 2.2 Liter four-cylinder or two Vortec 4300 V6 engines, S-10 models like the ZR2 4x4 and options like Sportside, third door and two- wheel-drive SS offer a great deal of choice to people pursuing active outdoor lifestyles, according to Ron Stanley, Chevrolet S-10 brand manager.

In particular, the NAHP praised the S-10 third-door option because its design provides added convenience for drivers with physical disabilities.

The organization also lauded the GM Mobility Program for Persons with Disabilities for offering persons with special needs access to important information and financial assistance to have adaptive equipment installed in their new GM vehicles.

'The swing-open third door option, available on S-10 LS Extended- Cab models, provides a door directly behind the driver's door that gives quick and easy access to the rear of the cab,' explains Stanley. 'It's a General Motors innovation and remains GM exclusive in the compact pickup class.'

Chevrolet recognizes the importance of mobility to everyone's life, and therefore offers financial assistance to persons with disabilities through the GM Mobility Program for Persons with Disabilities. The program provides reimbursement -- up to $1,000 -- toward the cost of any aftermarket adaptive equipment for drivers or passengers and/or vehicle 'alerting devices' for drivers who are deaf or hard of hearing.

A special feature of the program is single transaction GMAC Financial Services financing for the vehicle and its adaptive aids. More information is available by calling the GM Mobility Assistance Center at 1-800-323-9935, Text Telephone (TTY) Úsers can call 1-800- 833-9935.

'The special recognition from NAHP is very gratifying to Chevrolet, a brand that has long been a trusted name in the Hispanic community,' said Stanley. 'We feel it's imperative that Chevrolet continues to strengthen its image and commitment to this vitally important market, and believe the NAHP honor will help us achieve those goals.'

Dating back to the 1996 Model Year, Chevrolet's S-10 Pickup has earned seven industry awards, including a 1997 Model Year 'Best Buy' Recommendation, Pickup Trucks from Consumers Digest magazine.

Source - GM Corporation

CHICAGO — Chevrolet Motor Division is expanding its motorsports involvement in 1997 to include National Hot Rod Association (NHRA), sponsoring a Camaro Funny Car, and a unique S-10 Pickup for a proposed Pro Stock Truck division. Showgoers in Chicago will get a glimpse of what might be seen on the drag strip in a future NHRA truck series. The XTREME FORCE concept truck is a modified S-10 Pickup that shows the versatility and flexibility of this truck line.
Originally shown at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the XTREME FORCE concept truck demonstrates what can be done with aftermarket parts, elbow grease and a little ingenuity. The result? A vehicle as comfortable on track as off track.

'We created the XTREME FORCE so consumers could better visualize the many options they have in modifying their S-10 pickups,' said Ron Stanley, S-10 brand manager. 'This concept truck shows the wealth of possibilities available to them.'

The concept truck was originally a two-wheel drive S-10 Fleetside pickup. Engineers added the aggressive Sportside rear fenders, custom tonneau cover and PPG Orange Glow paint.

Then, they installed a GM Motorsports 4.5-liter V6 engine, which develops 450 hp and 375 lbs.-ft of torque. A GM Hydramatic Motorsports 4L60-E automatic transmission and a Dana 46 4.10:1 rear axle put the power and torque to the pavement. The engine is built to handle the rigors of racing, with an iron block; 18-degree aluminum cylinder heads; forged-steel, common-pin crankshaft; a roller-follower camshaft; tuned-port, sequential fuel injection and tuned tubular stainless steel exhaust manifolds. A ZQ8 suspension system lowers the body two inches for a 'hugger' look and feel.

Boyd's 'Vintage' billet aluminum wheels and BF Goodrich Comp T/A Drag Radial Tires (245/45-17s in front, and 315/35-17s in the rear) complete the package.

While the production S-10 pickup — with its various models and options — already offers owners a chance to individualize their vehicles, this concept clearly highlights even more, extreme possibilities. Enthusiasts interested in outfitting their vehicles to look and perform like the XTREME FORCE should contact the parts department at their Chevrolet dealership.

The S-10 line offers consumers regular and extended cabs, available in two-wheel and four-wheel drive with Fleetside and Sportside boxes. S-10 also features a range of suspension choices, from the ZQ8 on the XTREME FORCE to the top-of-the-line ZR2, meant to handle the toughest terrain.

The association includes the Copenhagen Camaro Funny Car, owned by four-time NHRA Winston Series Funny Car champion Don Prudhomme. This is the team's first outing in that division since Prudhomme left it in 1989. Prudhomme returns this season as team owner, joined by 31-year-old driver Ron Capps.

'Chevrolet has been the soul of drag racing competition since we introduced our small-block engine in 1955,' said Chevrolet General Manager John G. Middlebrook. 'The NHRA is a perfect venue to showcase Camaro and the Prudhomme Funny Car team is the one we feel will help us achieve victory.

'Frankly, I think the best way for us to celebrate Camaro's 30th anniversary is to have this great car showcased in one of the country's most visible racing series with a first class team.'

'There's no argument that Chevrolet and drag racing have a long and proud association,' said Prudhomme. 'When the opportunity came for us to use the ‘97 Camaro Z28 body, and especially with Camaro celebrating its 30th anniversary, it was a natural for my new team.'

In conjunction with the NHRA announcement, Chevy also announced they will back programs featuring the S-10 Pickup in 12 exhibition runs scheduled by NHRA. The events are designed to help introduce an all-new Pro Stock Truck racing class for 1998.

Chevrolet's commitment to NHRA racing is the latest addition to a comprehensive motorsports lineup, which includes involvement in several major racing series, such as NASCAR Winston Cup and Busch Grand National Division stock cars; NASCAR Craftsman Truck series; and Short Course Off Road Racers Association (SODA) off-road racing series. Chevrolet is also the official sponsor of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.

Source - GM Corporation