The all-new Chevrolet Silverado 4500HD/5500HD/6500HD trucks took a design cue from an unlikely source: the Chevrolet Camaro.
The flowtie, first introduced on the front grille of the 2014 Camaro Z/28 and now standard on the 2018 Camaro ZL1, is the chrome outline of the traditional Chevrolet bowtie but with the centre removed, allowing increased engine airflow to help improve performance.
During Camaro Z/28 aerodynamics testing, engineers noticed that the bowtie on the grille was displacing air away from the radiator, which can impact engine cooling. So, propulsions engineer Richard Quinn took a cut-off wheel to the bowtie’s gold fill, leaving the silver outline intact. He installed the prototype flowtie on the grille and a retest revealed that it allowed more air into the engine, lowering engine fluid temperatures during extended track sessions.
The conventional cab Silverados are heavy-duty trucks, and the designers needed a solution that allowed for maximum airflow with the truck’s pumped-up grille. They found their solution in the performance car toolbox.
The Chevy Silverado’s other exterior design highlights include a muscular look with a broad wide bumper, strong centre bar and fenders that grow out of the hood; a powerful hood form that maintains downward range of sight to provide driver perspective; a fibre-glass tilt-hood with integrated hand grips to aid serviceability; and a chassis cab with inlaid doors and triple door seals for in-cab quietness.
Check out the 2018 Ram 1500 Hydro Blue Sport, a special-edition truck.
