SS Corvette
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 19,030
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From: Maumelle Arkansas
St. Jude Donor '13-'14-'15-'16-'17
SS Corvette
The first Chevy to carry the SS designation was a special magnesium bodied factory Corvette racer in 1957. It shattered the Sebring race track record but factory racing was dropped and the SS logo has not been on a Corvette since.
It's been on Impalas, Trailblazers, Camaros, Silverados, ect ect but not the Corvette.
Why not bring it back. GS, Z06, and ZR's are great designations, but who wouldn't like to have a 2011 C6 with SS badging.
Just the badging and a little HP tweak to a C6 LS3 would be enough to sell several based on how many GS's are selling now.
LJ
It's been on Impalas, Trailblazers, Camaros, Silverados, ect ect but not the Corvette.
Why not bring it back. GS, Z06, and ZR's are great designations, but who wouldn't like to have a 2011 C6 with SS badging.
Just the badging and a little HP tweak to a C6 LS3 would be enough to sell several based on how many GS's are selling now.
LJ
Team Owner
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 45,269
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From: Rochester, NY
Not a bad idea, but I would like to have more than a "Little" horsepower tweak. That being said I think a SS Corvette with the right performance enchancements, could be a winner. Not sure though if there is room in the current line-up with the C6, GS, Z06 and ZR1. I would think something would have to be dropped.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 1999
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From: Swansea IL
Tom
Goon Squad King of Battle
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St. Jude Donor '08 thru '23
come out with the SS in the final year of C6 production to sell cars.
Make it a Z06 but with a removeable top and optional Auto trans.
ZR1 > SS > Z06 > GS > Base
Make it a Z06 but with a removeable top and optional Auto trans.
ZR1 > SS > Z06 > GS > Base
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2007
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From: Maumelle Arkansas
St. Jude Donor '13-'14-'15-'16-'17
Z06 and ZR1 buyers would be lined up to trade.
You should be head of Corvette marketing.
LJ
Life Time NCM #2196
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From: Converse TX
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 1999
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From: Springfield MO
The first Chevy to carry the SS designation was a special magnesium bodied factory Corvette racer in 1957. It shattered the Sebring race track record but factory racing was dropped and the SS logo has not been on a Corvette since.
It's been on Impalas, Trailblazers, Camaros, Silverados, ect ect but not the Corvette.
Why not bring it back. GS, Z06, and ZR's are great designations, but who wouldn't like to have a 2011 C6 with SS badging.
Just the badging and a little HP tweak to a C6 LS3 would be enough to sell several based on how many GS's are selling now.
LJ
It's been on Impalas, Trailblazers, Camaros, Silverados, ect ect but not the Corvette.
Why not bring it back. GS, Z06, and ZR's are great designations, but who wouldn't like to have a 2011 C6 with SS badging.
Just the badging and a little HP tweak to a C6 LS3 would be enough to sell several based on how many GS's are selling now.
LJ
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 8,022
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From: Stafford VA, home of our wolf den. No house break ins to date.
naaah. They have so many SS's now, even the Cobalt... its below the Corvette... keep the vette unique... the SS thing has gone way too far......Trail Blazers.. etc.
And what is an "SS"? Its a "super sport" edition of a base model...... the corvette is already a super sports car... no offense.. but ss'n the vette is degrading it.
And what is an "SS"? Its a "super sport" edition of a base model...... the corvette is already a super sports car... no offense.. but ss'n the vette is degrading it.
_"SCOTT"_
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 6,870
Likes: 53
From: South Florida
1. Who really cares about a removable top?
2. Who would ever buy an automatic Vette????...
3. Who cares about an SS badge, isn't a Z51 badge good enough?
J/K...
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 2,673
Likes: 9
From: Upstate New York
Yet another model? In the end we will end up with Base, S, SS, LS, LX, GS, GSX, Z06, Z06 limited edition, Z06 Special Edition, and ZR1. I wish they had 2 models - Targa and Convertible with everything else an option on those 2.
If you want to tweak something to promote sales, do it to an existing model.
If you want to tweak something to promote sales, do it to an existing model.
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2006
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From: Wilmington NC
Your opinion is good for you and that's fine for you, my opinion is for me and that's fine also.
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2006
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From: Lexington TN. Retired Navy
naaah. They have so many SS's now, even the Cobalt... its below the Corvette... keep the vette unique... the SS thing has gone way too far......Trail Blazers.. etc.
And what is an "SS"? Its a "super sport" edition of a base model...... the corvette is already a super sports car... no offense.. but ss'n the vette is degrading it.
And what is an "SS"? Its a "super sport" edition of a base model...... the corvette is already a super sports car... no offense.. but ss'n the vette is degrading it.
In fact, I agreed with him before I even read his post 
Besides, we don't need no stinking badges man... 
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 5,835
Likes: 6
Why not? Because lately it's been overused and put on vehicles that are pretty ho hum...I mean like SUVs.....
Back in the late 60s to put SS on a vette would put it in the same territory as the Camaro, El Camino, Impala, Caprice, and Nova.
The reason SS has never been on a vette is that it's the wrong association.
Back in the late 60s to put SS on a vette would put it in the same territory as the Camaro, El Camino, Impala, Caprice, and Nova.
The reason SS has never been on a vette is that it's the wrong association.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 5,835
Likes: 6
The SS Camaro was , in fact, better than the non SS. It had beefy rear leaf springs and better shocks. But mostly SS in that car or any other like, for example, the Nova, meant a big engine and little else.
RS was even worse and generally speaking was just some stripes and badges. In the Camaro it meant you got vacuum actuated hidden headlights. As they say today wooooo hoooooo.
Big deal. Putting SS on the C6 or C7 would be cheapening it considerably.
Just my opinion. I was there.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 5,606
Likes: 88
From: Sammamish WA
The first Chevy to carry the SS designation was a special magnesium bodied factory Corvette racer in 1957. It shattered the Sebring race track record but factory racing was dropped and the SS logo has not been on a Corvette since.
It's been on Impalas, Trailblazers, Camaros, Silverados, ect ect but not the Corvette.
Why not bring it back.
It's been on Impalas, Trailblazers, Camaros, Silverados, ect ect but not the Corvette.
Why not bring it back.
No, I don't see any value in applying the SS moniker to any Corvette. Frankly, I think the further Corvette can distance itself from GM and Chevrolet, the more desirable and popular it will become.
BTW, are you sure the original SS was magnesium bodied? Are you perhaps confusting it with the earlier Mercedes 300SLR race cars that ran a couple of years earlier? John Fitch, you know, was involved in both programs. I certainly stand to be corrected....
Still, your idea is interesting... Might work actually.
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 19,030
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From: Maumelle Arkansas
St. Jude Donor '13-'14-'15-'16-'17
I think you may have already answered your own question. Although the SS designation is a hallowed term (at least between Chevy enthusiasts and a lot of skinheads in Idaho) I fear it's been overused and of no real value to further burnish the image of any Corvettes. It's worn out. It's old news. It used to be the corporate name of what eventually became Jaguar prior to the Great Patriotic War. Swallow Sidecars. Frankly, so is the GS appellation IMO, but at least it has some special meaning to those of us who love the competition history of Corvette. Well, even though the Gran (sic) Sport "label" had already been applied to at least one Alfa Romeo model, the 6C1750 in the late 20's.
No, I don't see any value in applying the SS moniker to any Corvette. Frankly, I think the further Corvette can distance itself from GM and Chevrolet, the more desirable and popular it will become.
BTW, are you sure the original SS was magnesium bodied? Are you perhaps confusting it with the earlier Mercedes 300SLR race cars that ran a couple of years earlier? John Fitch, you know, was involved in both programs. I certainly stand to be corrected....
Still, your idea is interesting... Might work actually.
No, I don't see any value in applying the SS moniker to any Corvette. Frankly, I think the further Corvette can distance itself from GM and Chevrolet, the more desirable and popular it will become.
BTW, are you sure the original SS was magnesium bodied? Are you perhaps confusting it with the earlier Mercedes 300SLR race cars that ran a couple of years earlier? John Fitch, you know, was involved in both programs. I certainly stand to be corrected....
Still, your idea is interesting... Might work actually.
LJ