Chevrolet had teased off-road enthusiasts way back in November of 2014 with a potential desert-running Colorado ZR2. Flash forward to May of 2017, and the most off-road capable Chevy pickup is shipping out to customers.

The brand announced customers who placed early orders will begin receiving their Colorado ZR2s this May as they're loaded up from the Wentzville, Missouri, where they are assembled. One special truck is part of the first batch. The Red Hot crew cab Colorado ZR2 seen here will soon arrive at Chad Hall's garage of Hall Racing. From there, the Colorado ZR2 will do what it does best: get dirty.

2017 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 launch photos

2017 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 launch photos

Hall Racing will upgrade and modify the 2017 Colorado ZR2 to make its competition debut at the "Best in the Desert" series this August. Hall didn't mention what kind of modifications will be in store but did say the racing team is already a huge fan of the truck's capability. “The Colorado ZR2 really caught our attention with its built-in versatility and the high-speed, off-road potential of the Multimatic DSSV dampers,” Hall said. “We love the ground clearance, ride stability, departure and breakover angles of the ZR2, and the inherent light weight and maneuverability of its midsize package. It should be a great platform for us to build an off-road desert-racing truck.”

Electronic locking differentials at the front and rear, plus an AutoTrac transfer case are also standard equipment for the Colorado ZR2. This particular truck gets the 3.6-liter V-6 engine and 8-speed automatic transmission. A 2.8-liter turbodiesel 4-cylinder engine is also offered.

2017 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2, 2016 Los Angeles auto show

2017 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2, 2016 Los Angeles auto show

Following the Colorado ZR2's racing debut at the Best in the Desert series, the truck will still play an important role for Chevrolet. It will become a development vehicle for a handful of Chevrolet Performance parts that engineers have cooking, ranging from customization pieces to parts that add performance.

But, that's still some time off. For now, the 2017 Colorado is on sale nationwide with a starting price of $40,995, which includes the $940 destination fee.