When navigating the world with a grin on their faces, drivers of performance cars must always beware of sleepers. If drag racing wins counted as some form of currency, the stock-looking, big muscle-packing builds would be the infamous pirate ships. Of course, there are your normal sleepers and then there’s the 2,500 horsepower GMC Sierra Nelson Racing Engines (NRE) has built, which will have most folks swearing they’re dealing with a regular work truck.
Nothing, and I do mean nothing, will give the stellar power of this ex-generation Sierra 1500 away, at least on a visual level. The monster turbos of the Nelson-built Big Block Chevy V8 providing the motivation are neatly tucked behind the front bumper, while even the wheels and tires appear to be normal for this type of vehicle—this rare 1975 Dodge Big Horn semi rocks 3,000 hp, but it’s got a pair of dually-gifted axles at the rear!
Of course, that last point is also why, once anybody with a driving license becomes aware of the horsepower party under the hood, this GMC will instill fear even when standing still—how can this poor machine even comprehend the concept of traction when its 2XX-section rear tires have to deal with the combined power of a Bugatti Chiron and a Veyron?
Handling? Well, one of the photos released by the Californian-based specialist takes us under the vehicle. And, if we manage to look past the craftsmanship example that are those oval exhaust pipes spinning the twin 8863 turbos, we notice the independent front suspension appears to feature a stock or stock-like configuration.
It’s a 632 V8, built by NRE
Then there’s the rear axle, which has to handle all that combustion might on its own. And, if you’d like some extra fuel on this fire, the Regular Cab configuration might be ideal from a weight standpoint, but the short wheelbase doesn’t exactly add stability to this TT BBC truck.
Oh, and as you’ll notice in the second video below, that 632 ci (10.3L) V8, which is built by Nelson rather than coming in the form of Chevy’s recent ZZ632 crate engine, is louder than hell. No, really, listen until the end—you won’t regret it.
Fortunately, though, this Sierra’s ultimate sleeper job means that none of the above are as relevant as they might seem. Apparently, sometimes it’s all about the status.
After all, with Nelson Racing Engines, providing the firepower for the SSC Tuatara, which still holds the 282.9 mph record for the world’s fastest production car, the specialist is well aware of what a velocity-addicted machine needs. However, this truck most likely fulfills the specific dream of a customer whom we can only applaud for the eccentricity.
There are two such trucks!
For now, the details on the build are limited, even though the engine builder has promised a YouTube video on the topic, which should land in the coming months.
Meanwhile, though, the company has given us some food for thought, letting it slip (check out the image gallery) it’s building two of these GMC Sierras, with the second unit coming in white, at least for now.
