BoostedBeast's 2007 Chevrolet TrailBlazer

The Daily Driver

About this Current Vehicle:

General motors probably started the muscle SUV craze in the early 90's with the GMC Typhoon. Jeep answered back in 1998 with the grand cherokee 5.9 limited, and the "war" continues to this day with the chevy trailblazer SS and the jeep grand cherokee SRT8.

And I've always been a big fan of this genre. In fact of the above examples - there's both a Jeep GC 5.9 ltd and a Typhoon in the family. Any gearhead knows that power to weight ratio is the key to performance. And putting a bigger engine in a lighter vehicle is where the concept of a muscle car originated. Conversely, just because you have a big engine, it really doesn't equate to big performance if you're dealing with a heavy vehicle.

So if you need something that you want to tow a trailer with occasionally, move larger items around with, get around in the worst of winter weather, and fit 4-5 adults in comfortably, why should you be forced to drive around some monstrous behemoth of a vehicle? That's why the mid-size muscle truck is appealing to me.

And in June 2007, an opportunity presented itself. The incentives on GMT 360 trucks like the trailblazer were through the roof, and although I really liked my 5.9 jeep, it wasn't the most reliable vehicle at 85,000 miles and 9 years old, and I definitely outgrew the size of it on several occasions. But the worst part of it was the abysmal cost of fuel. The thirsty 360 engine, combined with can't-be-defeated full time AWD and a need for premium gas really put a hurting on you every time you filled the gas tank.

So being a fan of the genre I am, my eyes immediately went to the Trailblazer SS as a replacement. But it sadly had the same trappings as the Jeep - big thirty engine, full time AWD, and a need for premium gas. However, fortunately for me, another option presented itself. GM also had an active fuel management 5.3 liter V8 with much improved mileage and the ability to run on 87 octane. And it was available with a selectable 4wd system, so it met all my needs perfectly, and 300hp and 330ft-lbs still more than met the needs of a "muscle truck".

Due to budget and personal preference on the styling, I sought out an LS package truck, which although it was an available way to build the vehicle, it proved to be near impossible to find a vehicle equipped the way I wanted it. So after an extensive dealer inventory search spanning a 50 mile radius, I finally found the truck I wanted just past phillipsburg NJ.