COMBAT CARPOOL!

America’s Army infantry soldiers have mostly been getting around on foot, but they’re about to get a radical upgrade in the form of the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2–based Infantry Squad Vehicle.

The ISV’s mission is to airdrop into a safe zone then drive infantry through low-threat areas at speed, the soldiers walking the rest of the way where the threat is greater. This way the troops should arrive at their destination much less fatigued than they would be if they had walked the whole way or been carried in a Humvee or JLTV.

Let’s dive right into what might just become a great recruiting tool for the Army’s 35 Infantry Brigade Combat Teams.

275 Horsepower, 420 Pound-Feet

The military generally runs on diesel fuel and the chemically similar JP-8 and F-24 fuels, so the ZR2’s 2.8-liter turbodiesel inline-four engine is modified to sense and adjust for these fuels automatically. Further improvements for ISV duty end up boosting output to 275 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque—89 more horses