- Check out this modern take on the Chevy K5 Blazer from Flat Out Autos.
- Under the skin is a 2023 Chevy Silverado regular cab with a 22-inch shorter chassis, a long-travel suspension, and 37-inch tires.
- Featuring a supercharged Chevy small-block, the KR2 conversion costs a $202,000.
Off-roaders and 4x4s are all the rage these days, with pretty much every automaker producing at least one dirt-bound SUV. Last year, Flat Out Autos, an Arkansas-based restomod company, converted a 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 into a Jimmy SUV for the 21st century. For this year’s SEMA show, the same company tried its hand at a modern-day Chevy K5 Blazer.
K5 Blazer Reborn
Flat Out Autos named the new version the KR2—a clever mashup between the iconic K5 name and Chevy’s newer off-road-focused ZR2 moniker. On the surface, the KR2 looks like a shortened and widened version of a 2023 Silverado because it is. Under the skin, the KR2 is a 2023 Chevy Silverado 1500 WT regular cab.
For its custom build, Flat Out Autos shortened the chassis by 22 inches and cut the back of the cab open to produce an open-aired back seat. Custom rear quarter-panels were fitted to the bedsides and a carbon-fiber cover was added to complete the K5 transformation. The inside of the truck is completely overhauled from the bare-bones nature of the donor truck. Instead of the standard cloth coverings, the front and rear seats are now wrapped in red Katzkin leather.
The KR2’s Hardcore Hardware
The KR2’s track width is also widened by seven inches, putting it on par with the factory ZR2 Silverado. Along with a long-travel suspension kit by Dirt King, there’s are coil-overs with remote reservoirs from Fox Racing. The custom 4×4 also rides on a chunky set of 37-inch Nitto Trail Grappler mud-terrain tires.
A 5.3-liter V-8 from the stock Silverado sits under the hood, and that Chevy small-block is mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission. For $14,950, Flat Out Autos will also bolt on a Whipple supercharger and dial up the tune. The supercharged version is claimed to produces 467 horsepower and 440 pound-feet of torque at the rear wheels.
The dream of owning a modern K5 is not a cheap one. With no options, the converted KR2 comes in at $178,000. Specced out with the supercharger, spare tire, and bed cover like you see here brings the total price to $202,000 out the door. We love the stubby SUV look, but for $202,000? Yikes.
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Associate News Editor
Jack Fitzgerald’s love for cars stems from his as yet unshakable addiction to Formula 1.
After a brief stint as a detailer for a local dealership group in college, he knew he needed a more permanent way to drive all the new cars he couldn’t afford and decided to pursue a career in auto writing. By hounding his college professors at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he was able to travel Wisconsin seeking out stories in the auto world before landing his dream job at Car and Driver. His new goal is to delay the inevitable demise of his 2010 Volkswagen Golf.