Xtremely Cool

Until this year, you could never have used the words extreme and S10 in the same sentence. The S10 has always been Chevy's little mini-truck workhorse, shining as a diminutive version of Chevy's fullsize trucks. Since 1982, the S10 has always just been there.

Enter Chevy's Jon Moss and his experimental team of engineers and stylists who like nothing better than to tweak the Bow Tie lineup with their own version of typical production cars and trucks. Moss is most famous for his original Impala SS concept car that became a production reality, albeit a short one. Moss and his band of merrymakers have produced several different concepts lately, with the S10 Xtreme as the next idea that stuck to the wall.

Those of us who emphasize the hot in hot rodder will be disappointed that the Xtreme S10 pushes only the styling envelope, rather than the performance, but the styling does make the lack of power easier to take. While the hot trend is to slam your roller into the weeds, Chevy did a great job of delivering on the look without sacrificing anyone's kidneys to a jounce-per-ounce quiver-fest. The bottom line is a truck that looks lower and offers full suspension travel and decent ride quality while still garnering praise from the boulevard cruising crowd.

Chevy calls this new-for-'99 option the Xtreme Sport Appearance Package. It's available in both the standard and extended cab, as well as Fleetside or Sportside, which we tested. Other options in the package include air conditioning, a tachometer, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, full ground effects, a cool front air dam, and foglights.

Functional equipment options include either a four-speed automatic overdrive or a five-speed gearbox. The updates to the suspension included in the ZQ8 Sport Package are larger front and rear sway bars and two-stage multileaf rear springs. Chevy also dropped the ride height by a solid two inches and included larger diameter shock absorbers over the stock suspension. The Xtreme also got its own dedicated 16x8-inch cast-aluminum wheels mounting generous P235/55R16 Goodyear Eagle SA tires.

The entire combination makes for a very responsive package when subjected to our late-night blasts down Mulholland Drive. The 15,0:1 steering is quick and the large tires offer great traction in both wet and dry conditions. Obviously, a set of slightly larger 50-series tires mounted on the 8-inch wheels would not only improve response time but help lower the truck even further.

Obviously, the Xtreme is banking on sizzle to sell the steak, since the drivetrain is mainstream S10. Options under the hood are limited to a couple of Vortec V-6s, either the 175 hp at 4,300 with 240 lb-ft of torque or the only slightly more powerful L35 with 180 ponies and 245 lb-ft of torque. Our Xtreme was fitted with the imperceptibly more powerful L35 and the five-speed with a deep 3.49:1 First gear. This gets the truck moving smartly, but borders on being a nuisance in traffic. Bopping down the freeway with a 3.08 rear gear and a 0.78 Overdrive seems almost perfect, keeping the engine noise to a minimum so you can hear more of the optional AM/FM/CD player when it's cranked up on Eric Clapton.

We don't suggest choosing off 5.0 Mustangs with the Xtreme, unless you enjoy being soundly trounced; this cruiser is more of a lover than a fighter. We didn't bother to drag test the truck because, frankly, it didn't feel all that fast. Even with a five-speed and a pro behind the wheel, low 15s at almost 89 mph is all you can expect out of this little scooter. If style is your game and a monochromatic mini-pickup fits your image, you might want to check out this Moss-inspired cruiser. It's not fast, but it is Xtremely cool. CHP