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Kid Rock’s Acid-Washed 2016 Chevy Silverado 3500HD Concept Debuts at SEMA

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2016 Chevy Silverado 3500HD Kid Rock Concept at SEMA 2015 in Las Vegas

The 2016 Chevy Silverado 3500HD Kid Rock Concept

Last summer, Chevrolet sponsored Kid Rock’s Cheap Date summer concert tour (amid some controversy), and now the pair of Motor City institutions has reteamed for the 2016 Chevy Silverado 3500HD Kid Rock concept.

Inspired by the artist’s hit 2010 song “Born Free” (which later became the official theme of Mitt Romney’s not-so-hit  2012 presidential campaign), GM says that the customized 2016 Silverado 3500HD dually “celebrates freedom and honors American workers.” The vehicle premiered yesterday at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, alongside several other Chevy truck concepts:


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Kid Rock met with the UAW Local 598 union members who built his truck at the Silverado HD assembly plant in Flint, Michigan, before driving it to Chevy’s design studio to, according to GM, “share his ideas for its customization.” Hmmm…

I have to wonder how much input Kid Rock actually had when it came to the design, based on the truck’s noticeable lack of confederate flags, a gun rack, mudflaps picturing silhouettes of the female form, or Truck NutzTM.

Still, the poet laureate of Detroit insists his design ideas were inspired by GM’s dedicated auto workers.

“The Flint plant – and everyone on the line – is the backbone of America,” said Kid Rock. “I wanted the design for the truck to be bold, but with features and elements that wouldn’t be out of reach for working-class guys.”

The result is a Silverado with a custom chrome grille that features the Born Free logo and a gigantic Chevy Bowtie emblem, American flag graphics flowing along the body-sides, 22-inch chrome wheels, black metallic-flecked paint, chrome assist steps, and chrome exhaust stacks.

2016 Silverado 3500HD Kid Rock Concept


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“With Kid Rock’s input, we came up with a chrome-like silver-metallic design that conveys an industrial, made-in-Detroit aesthetic that totally complements the other bold elements of the truck,” said Chevrolet Accessories design director Todd Parker.

Yes, all the chrome and metal is pretty blue collar, I suppose, but what makes this truck unique to the self-proclaimed Rock n Roll Jesus? What marks it as distinctly Kid Rock? What feature illustrates its inherent Bawidabaness?

Well, according to GM, the interior boasts “unique Sky Cool Gray leather-appointed seats featuring metallic-appearing inserts patterned after acid-wash jeans.”

Ah, yes… there’s the rub.

In terms of performance, the Silverado 3500HD Kid Rock concept is powered by a Duramax 6.6-liter turbo-diesel engine and Allison 1000 six-speed automatic transmission. With a 4WD dually configuration, the Silverado has a maximum conventional trailering rating of 20,000 pounds, and 22,600 pounds with a fifth-wheel or gooseneck hitch.

Kid Rock’s ride also comes with a pair of Gibbs Sports Quadskis, which can convert from ATVs into personal waterskis.

2016 Silverado 3500HD Kid Rock Concept with waterskis

Jet skis! Woooo! PC Beach, babaaaay!