In the world of pickups, the most popular configuration is the full-size truck. Models belonging to this sub-segment include the Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado, and Ram 1500. The midsize sub-segment sits just below the larger trucks, including rigs such as the Toyota Tacoma, Honda Ridgeline, and others.
The popularity of midsize trucks has soared over the last decade or so. The Chevrolet Colorado and the Ford Ranger nameplates returned to take advantage of the newfound popularity, as both monikers briefly retired during the 2010s.
Before the Colorado went away for a while, Chevy decided to give it a send-off that few knew about. Beginning three years before its initial retirement, the Colorado was available with a V8 shared with the Hummer H3. An eight-cylinder engine in a truck as small as the Colorado sounds asinine, or awesome, depending on how you look at it. Regardless, it happened, and here’s what the little eight-pot truck was all about.
When A Hummer And A Pickup Love Each Other Very Much…
2011 Chevrolet Colorado V8 painted in blue with black interiorBring A Trailer
Chevrolet Colorado V8 Key Points
- Introduced in 2009
- Featured a 5.3-liter V8
- Just under 5,000 examples produced over three years
- Related to the Hummer H3
The Chevrolet Colorado hit the market just over 20 years ago. Prior to its introduction, the Chevrolet S-10 filled this role in the brand’s lineup for decades. According to General Motors, Chevy decided to phase out the S-10 name in order to move their compact pickup truck into the modern day. The automaker already completed a similar transition with its full-size Silverado pickups by renaming them from the old C/K Series models.
2011 Chevrolet Colorado V8 painted in blue with black interiorBring A Trailer
When the Colorado hit the market for the 2005 model year, the truck had its work cut out for it. The model needed to make a name for itself in a market dominated by already-famous names like the Ford Ranger and the Toyota Tacoma. Sales were strong off the bat, and the decision to switch from the old S-10 namesake to the new and shiny Colorado moniker seemed to be successful. At the time, the Colorado shared a platform and some other aspects with the Hummer H3, itself being released in 2006.
2011 Chevrolet Colorado V8 painted in blue with black interiorBring A Trailer
The Colorado carried the usual sort of features buyers expected from a compact pickup truck at the time. There was a choice of small engines and a standard five-speed manual transmission, with an optional automatic. While the Colorado sold approximately 128,000 units during its first full model year, sales began to drop steeply. Chevy managed to shift just 24,642 of them in 2010. A small sales resurrection happened for the 2011 and 2012 model years. However, deliveries never rebounded to the levels of the early model years.
Related
Chevrolet Colorado Generations: Key Updates Across All Model Years
Chevy’s Colorado has become more tailored to the US market in its latest incarnation, taking the fight to the similarly redesigned Tacoma and Ranger.
Where Does That V8 Come From?
2011 Chevrolet Colorado V8 painted in blue with black interiorBring A Trailer
Just a few years after the H3’s introduction, orders came down from GM’s top brass to ax the model, along with the entirety of Hummer. The move consolidated GM’s brands following a declaration of bankruptcy. However, the decision resulted in a surplus of 5.3-liter V8s ready for the Hummer H3. The simplest solution was to fit some Chevrolet Colorado pickups with the mill. It was a win-win situation because GM got rid of these powerplants, while Chevy could charge more for a V8-equipped Colorado.
The V8 Colorado’s Specs & Features
2011 Chevrolet Colorado V8 painted in blue with black interiorBring A Trailer
This engine belonged to GM’s famous LS small-block engine family and has the internal designation “LH8” for 2009 and “LH9” for the 2010, 2011, and 2012 model years. The LH8 contains no special tech, such as active fuel management (AFM) or variable valve timing. The LH9 added flex-fuel compatibility and variable valve timing to the powerplant.
Chevy only offered the V8 Colorado with an automatic gearbox. All of them came in the top-spec 3LT trim. Plus, four-wheel drive was the sole available layout.
We’ll lay out the V8 Colorado’s detailed engine and performance specs in the table below. We’ll utilize the final 2012 model year as our basis:
Engine Details
5.3L LH9 NA V8
Horsepower
300 hp
Torque
320 lb-ft
0-60 MPH Time
6.9 seconds
Quarter Mile Time @ MPH
15.2 seconds @ 90.6 mph
Max Towing Capacity
6,000 lbs
Curb Weight
4,310–4,476 lbs
*Specs courtesy of General Motors and MotorTrend testing
Features
2011 Chevrolet Colorado V8 painted in blue with black interiorBring A Trailer
Seeing as the V8-equipped Colorados were in 3LT trim, pretty much every option was included as standard. Of course, the usual kit you’d expect came as standard, such as electric windows, air conditioning, and a powered driver’s seat. Other options included a tachometer, sliding rear window, and an upgraded stereo. The cab configurations offered were either an extended cab or crew cab, with no option to downgrade to a single cab. A Bluetooth system was present, along with a pair of 12-volt power outlets, as well.
Want One? Here’s How Much You’ll Have To Shell Out
2011 Chevrolet Colorado V8 painted in blue with black interiorBring A Trailer
Of course, having the option to own one of the only V8-powered compact pickup trucks produced in the 2000s is an attractive prospect, especially if you don’t want to spring for a Dodge Dakota. Partially because the Colorado V8s came solely with that top-spec 3LT trim, they can still fetch a pretty penny. However, its average used price isn’t as astronomical as you may suspect. We flesh out the V8-powered Colorado’s used market pricing from 2009 to 2012 in a table below:
2009
2010
2011
2012
Current Average Used Price
$8,244
$9,400
$10,014
$10,367
As is the case with certain limited-production models, it’s important to point something out before you go head-long into buying one. Because only a few thousand examples of the V8-equipped Colorado were produced, pricing can vary widely. While the prices above outline Kelley Blue Book’s average pricing, there are several examples that have sold for well over $20,000 on auction sites and through private sales, many of which boasted low mileage.
Suffice it to say, the V8-powered Colorado, while relatively obscure, still garners quite a lot of attention when up for sale. The best strategy is to hang back and wait for a decent example to come up. Research them because this isn’t the sort of truck you should buy on the same day that you get a hankering for one. Unless, of course, luck is on your side. However, regardless of how long you wait, having the opportunity to own a V8-equipped Chevrolet Colorado is an exciting thought.
The LS Tuning Gateway
GM LS V8 engineGeneral Motors
Beyond its factory specs, the real value of the V8 Colorado lies in its limitless potential. The Gen IV small-block architecture is arguably the most supported engine platform in automotive history. For enthusiasts, this truck represents a “factory LS swap” where the difficult work—wiring, mounting, and cooling—is already sorted. While the stock 300 horsepower was respectable for its era, a simple camshaft upgrade and a free-flowing exhaust can easily push this “bargain” past the 400-horsepower mark. This makes it a far more cost-effective performance project than attempting to bypass the complex, encrypted ECUs found in 2026-model pickups.
The Street Truck Renaissance
2025 Ford F-150 Lobo heroJared Rosenholtz/CarBuzz/Valnet
We are also witnessing a massive cultural pivot in the truck community. After a decade where “overlanding” and lifted off-roaders like the ZR2 dominated the scene, the “Street Truck” aesthetic is seeing a roaring resurgence with models like the Maverick and F-150 Lobo. The ZQ8-equipped Colorado, with its factory-lowered stance and tighter steering rack, is the perfect antidote to the oversized, heavy trucks of today. By pairing the truck’s light curb weight with modern performance coilovers and staggered alloys, owners are creating nimble, “hot-hatch” style pickups. In a world of 6,000-pound EVs, this lightweight V8 platform is a refreshing reminder of what pure, rear-wheel-drive performance used to feel like.
Sources: General Motors, Chevrolet, TheDrive.com, MotorTrend
