Mark Reuss To Pilot 2014 Chevrolet SS During Daytona 500 As Honorary Pace Car Driver
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Along with being the official Chevrolet nameplate of NASCAR, the Chevy SS will also be the official pace car for the 55th annual Daytona 500. And this year, it will be none other than GM North America President Mark Reuss who will be behind its wheel.
It’s the first time Reuss has been given the prestige of driving an honorary pace car. The Chevrolet SS will officially hit the U.S. market in the fourth quarter of 2013.
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That should boost really give NASCAR and Chevy a boost among 18-24 year olds. 🙂
Ugh. I really need a way to edit my posts.
I may have said this before, but that functionality is coming. There are several steps we need to take before we implement it, however. Should be in the “months” timeframe.
Cool. I can use it.
Now the question ,what’s the price range of this ss going to be?
Mark Reuss , really enjoyed your introducing the Chevy SS at Daytona . You will get lots of flack from the purists about a sedan model , no manual shift etc , but this model ,BMW look a like , will give you the biggest volume in the marketplace . GM doesn’t need any more niche products , nor do the factory workers workers who produce them , as their job security may be on the line for more failed/limited production products . Once this car takes off , which it will then, expand it into a coupe , suggest for the rear window corner , use the same treatment as given the 2014 Impala . Then perhaps add a non SS model to include say a wagon with turbo V6 . The V6 addition plus optional AWD would allow you to remove about 2 to 3 inches off the front end and shaving off maybe a couple of hundred pounds structural weight . Leave the cabin the same size as it is ! How about calling it the Chevy 7 series , only fitting as BMW has the 3 and the 5 series . This performance model would certainly fit a higher number and , of course , seven is a lucky number !
Any sales targets given for this?
Rocky , everything in this auto business is about volume . The top three selling cars and they are sedans last year in America are , Camry , Accord , Altima and in 4th place is Fusion . Wheelbases run from 107 inches to 112 inches . Over a million Americans can’t be wrong , nor are the companies who are selling them WHAT THEY WANT TO BUY ! These sales raise Brand Awareness and the top three are foreign products ! GM has been slipping here and its Brand Awareness / Sales percentage of the total marketplace is the lowest its been for many years . In Canada here , GM has fallen to third place behind Chrysler . The hot looking Cadillacs , Camaros and other niche products will help profile GM , but the volume , brand awareness ones are the family style sedans , SUV’s , compacts (what most people are buying now ! ). Reuss was right in getting this BMW look a like sedan to the market , now lets see how GM grows the product . If they don’t , and sales don’t get out of low volumes , I see his stock in the company diminish big time , there’s a lot of money and his rep riding on this model , its straight out of his home turf , Australia .
Mark Reuss was born & grew-up in suburban Detroit, so not sure how Australia is his “home turf”???
I like the Chevy SS, and will really consider buying one. I liked the Pontiac G8 version previously, and I think the SS will be even better. It will not be a huge volume seller, but it will become recognized as a halo car for Chevrolet, which is a good thing.
And Ray Lewis will be waving the green flag. There’s an image.
This is an image builder for Chevy, and a good one at that. They need this, and need it to succeed. I hope it does.
Bill , apologies , his home isn’t Australia , he was VP of engineering there and ran GM Holden from 2008 to 2009 , then returned the the USA and took over a Pres. Mark comes from a distinguished family , his father Lloyd was GM Pres. 1990 to 1992 . Mark also is a director on the GM Asia Strategy Board and GM’s huge success in Asia is no doubt influenced by their decisions . In the past he also ran the GM performance division . He’s the man for the job and I expect he and his team give Gm the direction it needs . I hope my comments didn’t suggest otherwise . JC
Put deposit on mine last June first in line i hope and anxious to pick colors and any options.Wife car and see wants it sooner than later. Shes driving 2 SS Camaro since lady took the front end off her Pontiac G8GT 2 years ago. I’m hoping for a tad more horse power and torque.
Wonder if Reuss has a UTE in his garage? Like that color on the Pace Car. Is that a factory color or pace car only?
It would be great if GM/Chevrolet offered a new 7-speed manual in it as well. I wonder if there will be a limited run of the Pace Car Edition just as they did with (say) the 1969 Camaro that was in orange and white. The blue and white Pace Car that was unveiled at Daytona would be a great collectable. I haven’t seen any engine specs yet, but I presume it will be a de-tuned 6.2L Corvette LT1? Does anyone know?
The SS will have a 415hp LS3/6-spd. auto. No mention of offering a “bolt action” version. As far as a pace car version, seems highly unlikely they would offer one simply because of timing? These cars will be 2014 models and not be available until approx. October, by then Nascar season will almost be over. Remember these will be limited production, most seem to think somewhere around 10K per year availability? That’s not very many units to go around.
@LFX323HP thanks for the engine info. I was just reading MotorTrend magazine and read that it was the LS3 engine. That’s good HP and I presume the torque will be around 360-400 as well. You’re right about the Pace Car. I hadn’t thought about the timing, but all know at least 1 exists. Rick Hendrick will probably add it to his (mostly Corvette) Chevy collection.