2014 Chevrolet SS: Suck On This, CAFE
Here’s our first look at the Chevrolet SS. Silly moniker aside, it looks like a home run.
My biggest fear with the car – that GM would add too much crap and excess detailing, ala the Corvette C7 – has been alleviated. The design looks clean and businesslike. I might be inclined to swap out the Monte Carlo SS-looking rims for something else, but I wouldn’t be embarassed to valet park an SS anywhere.
The one misstep is that Chevrolet didn’t offer a 6-speed manual with the 415 horsepower LS3. I’m sure it would have been easy to find a transmission, though cost issues relating to model mix may play a part here. I’m sure the take rate would be higher than it would be for a traditional sedan, but the 94-96 Impala SS didn’t offer a stick and it scarcely bothered the thousands of buyers who snapped up the entire run. The SRT 300C and Charger, the chief rivals of the SS, don’t offer a stick either.
Now all that’s left is a Jack Baruth track test.
More by Derek Kreindler
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@robertryan- i saw that. they are great looking cars! coming to oz was like going to fantasyland with all the commodores of all shapes, of course, i thought of them like pontiac g8s! reminded me of growing up in lansing where oldsmobile held 25% of the market. @big al- it is an interesting piece, though the author's conclusion is flawed by the fact that the higher price in AU is primarily, if not entirely due to taxation. i can't tell you what the build cost is, but it is not a valid assumption that a price $10,000 less in America means it is being sold at a loss. In all likelyhood, it is at least breakeven and adds volume at the holden plant, reducing the manufacturing costs for all commodores. Seems like a win-win for AU economy and US buyers.
Should read: Here’s our first look at the Chevrolet SS. Silly moniker aside, it looks just like a Holden Caprice.