Remember the full-size, two-door Blazer with a removeable top? It was produced from 1969 to 1995, then was replaced by the four-door Tahoe. The Chevrolet K5 concept truck offers a sneak peek at the possible future of a new two-door Tahoe. The K5 features an open-air rear cargo bed with removeable carbon-fibre top. Though it appears to have two doors, the K5 has an additional two rear door panels which open out to the rear by almost 180 degrees to allow access to the two rear seats. The rear split folding seats fold down flat to provide a (carpeted) load floor that is six feet long from the tailgate to the front seatbacks. The K5 has more aggressive styling than the Tahoe, with such features as fender flares, aggressive lower body cladding, nickel-coloured grille with a 'milled' Chevy bow-tie emblem, and 18 inch five-spoke Budnik wheels on P285/60R-18 inch Goodyear Eagle tires. Powered by a modified version of GM's Vortec 6.0 litre V8 engines which develops 440 horsepower at 5700 rpm and 450 lb-ft of torque at 4700 rpm, the engine is mated to a four-speed automatic transmission. Since it has a shorter wheelbase than the four-door Tahoe, I found the K5's ride choppier, but the turning circle is tighter. The powerful 440 horsepower V8 has lots of torque which translates into rear wheelspin when the road is wet, as it was on the day I test-drove it. Like the Silverado SS, the K5 is loud, and a considerable amount of vibration enters the cabin – I had to keep reminding myself that this is a one-off concept vehicle that's not quite ready for production. The attractive interior, which is finished in grey and trimmed with graphite leather and 'carbon fiber' trim is similar to the Avalanche's interior. Without the rear canopy, the rear passengers are exposed to the Sun or rain, as the case may be, and there's nowhere to store the canopy when you're not using it – the K5 would be a great vehicle if you live in San Diego, but in Vancouver you'd be afraid to leave the canopy at home!
