FOX FACTORY SILVERADO
Fox Factory has become one of the most powerful brands in the world of off-roading, earning its reputation from building some of the best shocks in the world. Their products have been tested in the most extreme conditions with enormous success, having supported multiple championship winning teams in the Baja 1000, the Mint 400, the King of the Hammers, and many other off-road gauntlets.
In 2022, Fox looked to extend the face of ther brand by building a truck inspired by the race winning vehicles they helped support. Sporting major performance upgrades like a Whipple supercharger, wheel & tire upgrades, and all new suspension, the Fox Factory Silverado personifies the brand’s winning reputation into a complete 4-wheeled turn-key off-roading package.
DESIGN CONTRIBUTIONS:
OVERALL Exterior ConcepT
COMPONENT DETAIL IDEATION
Design review and critique
GIVING A TRUCK THE FACE OF AN OFF-ROADING GIANT
MISSION:
Develop an exterior concept that reflects the performance REPUTATION of Fox Factory over a Silverado Chassis.
The 4 design criteria
When evaluating goals, it became clear that the team wanted something that was well beyond a typical up-fitted truck. It needed to be something that could be the bedroom poster car for awesome pickup trucks, feel aspirational in its build, and ultimately make a statement about Fox Factory’s intentions as a brand.
To help guide discussions amongst the design team and project stakeholders, 4 design criteria were written out, helping to establish the storyline for the truck’s exterior development.
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The vehicle should look like it could have been produced by an OEM. Design lines should flow with the rest of the body and maintain some resemblance to the Chevrolet design language.
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In the same way that sports cars gain cues from various track-based race cars, the look of “performance” should be derived from off-road race vehicles that Fox Factory has supported.
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Fox Factory has a specific design language, which is derived from the machined look of many of its core products. Hard chamfers, angles, and perfect mathematical shapes define the look of Fox. This should be considered when designing the vehicle.
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The truck should be identifiable from a distance, so creating distinct elements that can distinguish the truck from similar products should be integrated into the design.
It’s one thing to assume the values of your target audience, but it’s another thing to experience the same excitement for what they love. To dive deep into the world of off-road racing culture, our team flew to San Diego to experience desert off-roading in Fox’s test mule truck, examine trophy trucks up-close, meet truck builders and drivers, and get the scoop on what makes the culture of desert racing unique. It’s an extreme lifestyle, one that is defined by the love of adrenaline, absurdly wild stories, and a sense of humor that is often times somewhat juvenile. This culture is colorful, loud, and brutally honest in every way possible (in a good way).
The trophy trucks themselves also reflect these values in their design. Every detail has a no B.S. attitude about it - purely functional and strong as hell for the sake of extreme performance, but also strangely cartoonish in proportion due to the punishment these vehicles take. Huge fenders, gigantic tires, massive exhaust, exposed hardware…there is nothing subtle about these machines.
INSPIRATION & CULTURE
Defining THE CONCEPTS
It’s one thing to assume the values of your target audience, but it’s another thing to experience the same excitement for what they love. To dive deep into the world of off-road racing culture, our team flew to San Diego to experience desert off-roading in Fox’s test mule truck, examine trophy trucks up-close, meet truck builders and drivers, and get the scoop on what makes the culture of desert racing unique. It’s an extreme lifestyle, one that is defined by the love of adrenaline, absurdly wild stories, and a sense of humor that is often times somewhat juvenile. This culture is colorful, loud, and brutally honest in every way possible (in a good way).
CONCEPT 1: Heritage
Legends of motorsport can often times be the catalyst for an automotive obsession as a child. When adulthood arrives, it can become the opportunity to own that one car you dreamed of growing up. The “Heritage” concept builds upon this idea by examining classic Baja race winners and turning them into a modern street legal truck. Larry Ragland’s 1997 Chevrolet became the primary inspiration, with iconic elements such as the rear wing and square body surfaces taking shape over a modern Silverado chassis.
CONCEPT 2: TOTAL TROPHY TRUCK
If old school was not the wave for the audience in question, then modern race vehicles might be the answer. With the “Full On T.T.” concept, the goal was to take as many signature features of a modern trophy truck as possible and cram them onto the Silverado framework. Bulging fenders, tube steel accents, and the signature “dogbone” sillouhette of modern racers define the key features of this concept. Hard edges and polygonal chamfered surfaces add a touch of tech flavor as a nod to the Fox Factory design language.
FINAL DESIGN
The final design became a tamer version of the “Full On T.T.” concept, smoothing out the faceted surfaces to better match the design language of the Silverado, and then refining the tube steel bumpers to something that better resembles an actual trophy truck’s space frame construction. The front fender vent and the flat-top rear fenders were added to the mix from the “Heritage” concept, creating a less outlandish design that eventually made it to production. Other design team members refined the details of this design, such as the hood vent, front and rear fender vents, chase rack, bumper details, and the light holsters around the headlights.
