A classic Chevy Blazer is usually a ticket to mud, lift kits and off-road bravado. This one has taken a very different fork in the road.
Heading to auction later this month, this radically reworked 1971 Blazer has been rebuilt as a low-slung, open-top showpiece, complete with supercharged V8 power and an estimate that brushes supercar territory.
Rather than chasing trail credibility, the build trades articulation for asphalt appeal. The result is a two-door convertible pickup that sits impossibly low, looks impossibly expensive and sounds like it should come with a warning label.
Built for the boulevard, not the bush
Underneath, nothing is original. The Blazer now rides on a bespoke chassis with adjustable AccuAir suspension, allowing it to drop close to the tarmac when parked. The stance is aggressive, deliberate and a long way removed from the rock-crawling image most Blazers wear proudly.
The exterior leans hard into visual theatre. The body is finished in Arancio California, an eye-searing orange borrowed from Lamborghini’s colour book, and paired with 22-inch rose gold and black wheels. Big Wilwood brakes sit behind them, ensuring the stopping power matches the intent.
Cadillac muscle, carefully concealed
Power comes from GM’s 6.2L supercharged LT4 V8, lifted straight from the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing. Output is a hefty 498kW, channelled through a 10-speed automatic transmission. Installing the engine was no simple swap, either, as the hood had to be reworked to make it all fit.
What stands out is the presentation. The engine bay is obsessively clean, with wiring hidden, reservoirs tucked away behind paint-matched panels and even the intake concealed. It’s less hot rod chaos, more high-end concept car.
Inside, it’s just as bold
The cabin mirrors the exterior’s ambition. A digital instrument cluster and large central infotainment screen bring modern functionality, while dark brown leather wraps the dashboard, seats and transmission tunnel. Colourful fabric accents add contrast, joined by an aftermarket steering wheel and a custom Alpine and JL Audio sound system.
Mecum Auctions expects the Blazer to sell for between US$325,000 and US$425,000 (around NZ$566,00 and NZ$741,000). That puts it in the same financial conversation as a new Ferrari 296 GTB, an eyebrow-raising comparison for a 55-year-old Chevy.
Still, the execution is hard to fault. This Blazer isn’t trying to please purists or conquer trails. It’s a statement build, engineered to stop traffic and start conversations, and, at this price, it probably will.
