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I often hustle down northern Ohio\u2019s rural roads late at night on my way to Columbus, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course or my family home in West Virginia. The traffic is minimal. I can make good time. And the curvy roads \u2014 interrupted by long straightaways bordering flat farm fields \u2014 are a blast to drive. My motoring solitude is interrupted only by a paranoia of deer leaping in front of my car.<\/p>\n
But not this night.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m flying along in a 5,559-pound, Corvette V8-powered GMC Sierra Denali pickup. If I hit a deer it would likely vaporize.<\/p>\n
The Sierra Denali is a freak of nature. Like 6-foot-3, 250-pound Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller who, despite his bulk, can explode through a line and take down Cam Newton before he has time to scan his receivers. We\u2019re talking a 4.5-second, 40-yard dash. Maybe Miller should change his nickname from \u201cKarate Kid\u201d to \u201cSierra Denali.\u201d This pickup will go zero-60 mph in just 5.8 ticks.<\/p>\n
GMC likes to refer to the 6.2-liter, 420-horse Sierra as \u201cthe hot rod pickup.\u201d It\u2019s the only pickup available with General Motors\u2019 magnetic-ride shock technology. A quick primer on MagneRide: Developed by GM supplier Delphi, it mixes flecks of metal in the shock liquid. Run current through it and you can stiffen the suspension. It makes for a ride so road-hugging that Ferrari has adopted the technology. (Detroit? Maranello here. Can we, um, borrow your shocks for our 599 GTB?<\/em>).<\/p>\n MagneRide is available in a variety of GM products including the Corvette C7 and all-new Camaro, but it is transformative in big beasts like the Denali.<\/p>\n Combine it with the ferocious power of the \u2019Vette-derived, small-block V-8 and eight-speed tranny, and the pickup feels like a vehicle half its size.<\/p>\n Down Ohio\u2019s rural Route 68, I hurtle into tight sweepers, the big truck planting nicely into apexes. The steering feels grounded \u2014 like a sport coupe \u2014 as the nearly 3-ton beast actually rotates through the corner carrying momentum on exit. At which point I deploy the hammer: 393 cubes of piston jack-hammering the asphalt with 460 pound-feet of torque. The roar is addictive and I mash the pedal to take advantage of the truck\u2019s four-wheel-drive grip.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t get me wrong. Three-ton, leaf-sprung trucks still demand respect. With an empty bed, the hindquarters still flutter down the highway. Go too hard into a corner and the heavy front end will plow like a farm implement. But respect the big bull\u2019s physics and it\u2019s actually fun to drive.<\/p>\n Launching out of sweepers, I gained confidence to test the big truck\u2019s high-speed limits as I would push a 155-mph Camaro SS. Which is how I discovered that pickups are governed at 100 mph. Dang. Seems GM wants to keep 3-ton rhinos on a short leash.<\/p>\n Of course, for $60,765 you get a lot more than an engine on wheels. At more civilized speeds, the hunky Sierra will turn heads. GMC\u2019s sculpted \u201cBody by Jake\u201d exterior is the envy of the truck world. GMC\u2019s signature bold, square, wheel arches look like they were made in the Kronk Gym. This thing should have a weightlifter\u2019s belt tied around the middle. Is that car wax or body oil that made my Sierra glisten?<\/p>\n New for 2016, the muscled GMC\u2019s LED headlights glow with menace. The Denali\u2019s unique chrome mouth is Mike Tyson with a gold tooth.<\/p>\n The spectacle continues inside where the Denali is more comfortable than Boeing first class \u2014 and as well stocked. Heated seats, heated steering wheel, infotainment screen, Apple CarPlay, voice recognition, USB ports, wireless phone charger, 110-volt plug. Materials like stitched leather, aluminum trim and handsome wood inlays abound. The Denali\u2019s stalk shifter opens a console as big as a side table \u2014 and as useful, too, if you want to nibble on lunch on the way to an appointment. Store keys and change in the ribbed tray atop the console box \u2014 or an iPad inside it.<\/p>\n Back home in Detroit, I made the rounds with Pickup Bob, my neighborhood truck expert and construction company boss. Married to an F-150, he was nevertheless impressed with the GMC\u2019s style and muscle \u2014 though he wondered how practical an executive\u2019s truck this luxurious would be on a worksite where its club d\u00e9cor would quickly get muddied. Like the rugged, $100K Range Rover I recently reviewed, the Denali\u2019s luxury seems at odds with its utilitarian capabilities.<\/p>\n Consider this a pickup hot rod for enjoying the open road and hunting trips Up North rather than a dirt-hauling, throw-the-shovels-in-the-back, pull-stumps-out-of-the-ground backyard bruiser.<\/p>\n I\u2019m puzzled why motorhead mags don\u2019t spend more time on pickups\u2019 box capability. I mean, if a truck chooses not to put a roof over half its length, I want some detail on how good it is at carrying stuff. Big Three pickup interiors are similarly roomy, tech-savvy family rooms. But their beds are very different sandboxes.<\/p>\n Pickup Bob likes the GMC\u2019s corner step-up (shared with sibling Chevy Silverado) making for class-best accessibility. The standard eight tie-down points are handy, too \u2014 especially if you\u2019re strapping down an ATV (and loading ramps).<\/p>\n