Autoblog

click above for more high-res images of the ROUSH Silverado

It was a big enough shock last May when ROUSH announced that it would begin making performance parts for a select few General Motors' vehicles. Long associated with Fords, in particular the Mustang and F-150, ROUSH initially began offering just its Power Programmers and cold air intakes for GM products.

Then a rendering surfaced that showed a fully tuned Silverado with a ROUSH body kit and wheel package. Though the company admitted it was researching such a truck, it didn't admit much else. Now it doesn't have to, as we have pictorial proof that ROUSH may soon branch out beyond vehicles branded with a blue oval to offering full performance packages, including the ROUSHcharger supercharger, for 1997-and-up Chevy Silverados.

The spy shots you see here show a ROUSH-modified Silverado that's virtually identical to the rendering that leaked out. Beyond the bright color, we can see a new front bumper and lower apron with a deep chin spoiler, large-diameter dual exhausts out back, larger wheels wrapped in low-profile rubber and a new hood with a power dome. That dome no doubt hides a supercharged V8, probably the 6.0L Vortec MAX V8 that normally produces 367 hp and 375-lb/ft of torque, but should hit 500 hp and 500-lb/ft with the addition of a ROUSHcharger. ROUSH and Chevy? We know, it sounds weird to us too, but based on these spy shots, it looks like a good time.

[Photos: Brian Williams for Brenda Priddy & Co.]