GM Chief wants Colorado “Badlands” to take on Tacoma TRD Pro

GM’s product Chief, and likely GM’s next CEO, Mark Reuss, is not interested in building a Silverado to take on the Ford F-150 Raptor. However, he and GM are interested in butting heads with the Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro.

In an interview with Mark Reuss, Edmunds asked if GM planned to develop a full-sized pickup with extreme off-road capabilities like the Ford F-150 Raptor. Reuss replied "We have a lot of priorities… That is not one of our highest priorities in terms of spending capital right now." However, Reuss did offer "We showed the ZR2 and said we would like to do that." The ZR2 is an off-road sports pickup based on the new Chevy Colorado.

One tidbit or comment does not usually mean very much, but GM recently trademarked the name “Badlands.” If ever a name for an off-road sports truck was registered, this is it. It has a familiar ring, sounding like the slang for tough-guy, and would give Chevy a name to advertise a bit more exciting than “Z-blah blah.” Presently Chevy has way too many performance packages with the letter Z and a couple letters or numbers. Even this Camaro-Corvette fan can’t keep them straight.

Toyota’s TRD Pro series is winning all the fun off-road awards this year. With an all-new 2016 Tacoma on the way in a few months, and Chevy considering this super-sport version of the Colorado, the segment may become of the most exciting in all of the automotive world very shortly.

Related: 2015 Toyota Tacoma beats Colorado in Pickup of the Year voting