My new car!
 

No, it's not a Corvette, but it is a Chevy. Many people have never heard of it. Most people think my car is in the shop and I'm driving a rental. Others think it's a Malibu. Chevrolet has stopped production of it, so if you don't hurry, you'll have to settle for a used one somewhere.

It's an SS. That's it. Not an Impala or a Chevelle, just SS. Made in Australia by GM's Holden brand, they slap the steering wheel on the left side and ship it over here as a Chevy. It stickers for about $46K and the only options available are automatic transmission, sunroof and spare tire. Yes, you get a full size spare on a matching wheel!

So what's the big deal? Well, Car and Driver likes it pretty well, and Sam Smith wrote about it in Road and Track recently. A lot of reviews (all them, actually) compare it to the BMW E39 M5. It's that good. The BMW E39 M5 (2000-2003) for those who don't know, was the absolute best car that BMW ever sold in this country. Period. But I digress.

It's got the LS3 from the C6 Corvette. A four door sedan with RWD and a six speed manual (or six speed automatic). Leather. Alcantara trim. Heated and cooled seats with memory. Navigation, lane departure warning, collision alert, blind spot monitoring. 415 HP with a limited slip differential. Standard. MRC, 14" Brembo brakes, sport exhaust, standard. All that stuff is standard. It gets lousy mileage, so you'll pay a gas guzzler tax. It has the same rotary switch that the Corvette has to switch from "Tour" to "Sport" mode, setting the exhaust to loud & burbling, and the suspension to firm. Standard. It's such a freakin' bargain... but Chevy never advertised it. If it wasn't for reading R&T and C/D, I'd have never known about it.

I traded in my BMW 6 series for this thing. I love it. Great, comfy smooth ride when I want, under-the-radar looks, and quiet. But when I want to let out my inner redneck, or play racer boy, it's all there.

It's not a Corvette and doesn't try to be. It seats five, has a trunk, is quiet, easy to get in and out of, and comfortable. It's powerful but it's heavy. No, it's not a looker, and this is a lousy photograph to boot. But I've already got a good looking sporty car. This is my daily. I like it.

100% sleeper car. Congrats, and I bet down the road these cars really hold their value when everything else will have turbocharged 4 cylinders....

I saw one in person at a Chevy dealership awhile back, and the black interior really looked nice with the suede trim.

and this has what to do with C7? :)

GM/Chevy really blew it on not advertising this car.

With such limited production numbers they probably could not justify. At least around my are the manual ones are very hard to find, they don't tend to sit on dealer lots very long. Especially when Chevy dealers were red tagging them.

It was really bad timing. I've been following the story of this car since it was first rumored to replace the Pontiac G8. GM needed a 4 door sedan with a V8 and RWD, the Holden car was it. Unfortunately, they knew that they were going to shut down Holden within 2 years of announcing the SS, so the question is then "why replace the G8 with a doomed model out of Australia?" and of course the reason is "because GM".

I also have a feeling that they didn't want it siphoning sales off of the Camaro, and admittedly it wouldn't have had a material impact on Camaro sales, but I know more than a few friends who want a 4 door Camaro because they have kids, and the SS would have been the perfect solution. Unfortunately, finding one was a bitch, and once people found out about the car, it was too late.

The G8/SS was FUBAR'd by GM, and the spike in oil price in '08/'09, right from the beginning. I've had a G8 GT as a daily driver for 9 years, best car I have owned so far (until I bought the Vette 2 years ago).

Nice car... I still have my 09 G8 GT... my wife drives it now and we I still love it...

I've sat in a few of them. Best description is a 4 door Gen5. If I had a need for a 4 door V8 I would have scooped one up. Cheap to mod too.

Chevy SS
 

I have one too it's a fantastastic car especially with the magnetic ride. Motor Trend calls it the worlds best sports sedan. Not a replacement for the Corvette though.
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...3a4b151a0c.jpg

Kinda looks like a Cruze :hide:

Only so much you can do with a larger sedan in terms of styling. A blacked out SS waved at me in my C7 the other day and I thought it looked pretty good. He had tinted windows, black wheels, etc. Looked and sounded pretty good. He also blacked out the bowtie emblems and toned down the chrome. Definitely looked better.

Nice!

Sweet ride.

I have two but they are slightly older versions


https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...0755f27bb7.jpg


https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...b29bb3d29a.jpg

I like mine too...Congratulations and love that NightFall Gray Metallic...

Bill

Good pickup. I'm a fan of the G8 and the SS.

good score....sharp!!! :cheers::cheers:

Same as what I got a few months ago. I was able to get in on the 20% off deal. Missed out on the manual though. Nightfall, sunroof, no spare here. 3500 miles so far and really enjoying it. :cheers:
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The G8 GT was a bit more aggressively styled...