Top Gear has crossed the pond to bring us a show called American Tuned. This installment delivers a skillfully modified Chevrolet Trailblazer SS. What began in a citizen’s garage has morphed into a beautiful smoke machine. Join host Rob Dahm for a closer look at this exceptional SUV.

This build started with a bone stock 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer SS. Under the hood was a weary 5.3-liter LS3 V8 and the drivetrain was all-wheel drive. First, the engine came out for a major refresh. Weak points were strengthened, and key components were replaced with upgraded hardware. Thirsty for more power, Thomas opted to go with a massive (88-millimeter) turbocharger and intercooler setup. The intake manifold was upgraded with a Holley Hi-Ram and a performance camshaft was installed. With all the bells and whistles, the Trailblazer was dropping 1,000hp on the pavement (at 22 psi of boost).

But wait, Thomas found the all-wheel drive platform cumbersome and heavy. He pulled the driveline out of a Chevy Tahoe (including the heavy-duty 4L80E automatic transmission) and implanted it into the Trailblazer.

With meticulous attention to detail, Thomas has built himself a great car that you can drive everyday and take to the track on weekends. The Trailblazer SS is often called the Corvette of SUVs. This entry takes that comparison to the extreme.

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