The Reaper: The Silverado–Based, Lingenfelter-Tuned Off-Road Pickup GM Won’t Build—But Will Sell

Thursday, September 25, 2014

The Reaper: The Silverado–Based, Lingenfelter-Tuned Off-Road Pickup GM Won’t Build—But Will Sell

Reaper Performance Reaper Ford peddles the off-road-awesome F-150 Raptor (which is expected to return for a second generation) and Mopar still offers Ram 1500 buyers the deliciously dune-ready Ram Runner package. So where's Chevrolet and GMC in all of this? The simple answer is that they're absent, but Lingenfelter Performance Engineering and Southern Comfort Automotive have an alternative called the Reaper. The Reaper's been around for a minute, having been presented for the first time on a major stage at the 2014 Chicago auto show. The latest news, though, is that Chevy fans will be able to walk into select dealerships and purchase a Reaper of their own. While it remains a third-party creation, the Reaper's store availability places it somewhere between the factory F-150 Raptor and the DIY Mopar Ram Runner kit. Unlike the Ford and the Ram, the Silverado 1500–based Reaper can get engine love from Lingenfelter in the form of a supercharger kit that bumps the truck's 5.3-liter V-8 from 355 horsepower to 475 ponies. (Hennessey will futz with your Raptor, of course.) Buyers with 6.2-liter–equipped trucks can look forward to a solid 550 horsepower with the Lingenfelter gear. Standard Reaper fare includes a Corsa exhaust, a lifted Fox Racing suspension, skid plates, 33-inch off-road tires on 20-inch wheels (17-inch beadlock wheels and off-road tires are available), and heavy-duty front and rear bumpers. Also included is a new grille, hood, and front fascia element, all of which sort of makes the Reaper look like it's in the middle of punching something with its face. Besides announcing the Reaper's dealer availability, Lingenfelter and Southern Comfort also released a video showing the transformation of the first modified Silverado to be built on foreign soil. Apparently built for a Middle Eastern customer, the not-built-in-the-U.S. Reaper looks just as mean as the 'Murican version, especially wearing matte-black paint. Check it out: