Media Post: The Unexpected Firsts in the Motor Trend Awards

Chevrolet Silverado 

It’s that time of year again, when we get to hear all sorts of fantastic information about new cars from our friends at Motor Trend. This year, Chevy swept the 2016 Motor Trend awards, taking home two Golden Calipers for Car and Truck of the Year.

2016 Truck of the Year Winner is…  

Last year, Chevy took the title of truck of the year, making a go at imagining, engineering, and crafting the best truck out there. And it worked! But how did it get back into the race a year later? How could Chevy perform this same miracle feat for a second year in a row, and — perhaps more importantly — how could they, for two years in a row, win?

One factor was the engine. The Chevy Colorado simply has a very powerful engine. In a truck, that’s especially important, and it clearly served the Chevy Colorado well.

Another factor was how it drove — despite being about the same size (and heavier) than its competitor the Tacoma, the Colorado is designed to feel like it’s lighter and more agile when driven. Ultimately, the Tacoma felt like the future of trucks, while the Colorado was just, well, a truck.

Historically, a Motor Trend award precedes a lift in sales for the winning truck. If sales of the Chevy Colorado continue trending upward, drivers will look for unique ways to make their trucks stand out from the crowd. Aftermarket upgrades like body kits, custom paint jobs and hydraulic lift kits are on the top of the 2016 shopping list. For drivers looking to replace a cracked or damaged rim, factory replica wheels offer a similar look for about 70 percent off of dealer pricing. To avoid being stuck with low-quality knock-off parts, ask if the auto part or accessory you’re buying meets the same rigorous testing and certification standards as OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) parts.

Chevrolet Camaro

And 2016 Car of the Year Honor goes to…  

The Chevrolet Camaro! This was a very unexpected result. Camaros have a lot of stigma to overcome, but in this case the sheer wonder of the machine won the day. The good folks at Motor Trend would have said, if asked beforehand, that the Camaro stood not a chance on earth of winning the award. In fact, they were surprised that it had even made it as a finalist. And yet, here we all are. A surprising and satisfying result.

Angus Mackenzie, on of these judges, had the privilege of driving all of the finalist cars, and just happened to drive the BMW entry (which was clearly the better of the two) immediately after he had driven the Camaro. He was so surprised by the difference that he had to drive them again to make sure he wasn’t imagining things, and it turned out that he wasn’t! Apparently, the handling and power on the Chevy was just better than that of the BMW.

Good job, underdog!

Surprise, Surprise

There’s nothing to make an awards ceremony exciting like having an upset. There’s nothing quite like the shock — and then thrill — of seeing the underdog unexpectedly come through, or of seeing something that you hadn’t even imagined happening. So keep your eye on the Motor Trend awards this coming year. Who knows what might happen?