The $10,000 V8 Truck That’s Flying Under the Radar

If you’ve been hunting for a used pickup with a V8 engine, you already know the struggle. New trucks with eight cylinders are vanishing from showrooms, and the used market is painfully expensive. But there’s a forgotten gem from the recession era that delivers that V8 rumble, real towing capability, and a price tag that won’t make you wince.

We’re talking about the Chevrolet Colorado V8, a midsize muscle truck that barely happened.

General Motors stumbled into this truck by accident. 3-liter small-block V8s. Rather than let them gather dust, engineers dropped the 300-horsepower engine into the Colorado and GMC Canyon. 7 seconds. MotorTrend found it cornered as well as a Mazda3. And with a tow rating up to 6,000 pounds, it wasn’t just a novelty, it was a legit workhorse.

GM only built these trucks from 2009 to 2012, and estimates suggest fewer than 4,000 were made. Just 1,109 came with the desirable lowered suspension. Today, you can find high-mileage examples for as little as $8,000 on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace. Even clean, lower-mileage trucks have been selling for around $14,000 to $17,000 at auction.

That’s a steal for a V8 pickup with an LS-family engine, one of the most affordable and mod-friendly powerplants in the aftermarket world. If you can find one, you’re getting a rare piece of truck history that still earns its keep.