The Chevrolet SS is everything you could want in a performance sedan. It offers the hefty 6.2 LS3 V8 with 415 hp and 415 lb-ft of torque, and it comes standard with a manual transmission. These are the main reasons why Motor Trend says the 2016 SS is “the new benchmark sport sedan,” and we would have to whole-heartedly agree.
It’s not just that the SS has four doors, an American-sized V8, and a manual transmission, no sir, it’s the refinement too. With large four-piston Brembo brake calipers upfront, four-piston calipers in the rear, magnetic sport suspension, and a dual-mode exhaust accompanied by a marvelous sound, the SS checks just about every box on the list for a car we’d actually want to spend our hard-earned money on.
To put it simply, the SS has character – it’s the kind of car that keeps a smile on your face the entire time your behind the wheel. It even has an intake-resonance tube so that the driver can hear all sorts of arousing noises from under the hood. We could go on all day about how wonderful the SS really is, or you could watch Jason Cammisa cut it to about 14 minutes, and that’s counting track time with Randy Pobst at The Streets of Willow racetrack- so go ahead and click play.
Comments
SOHC v8 in the SS? Nope.
Dude what are you even talking about?
These small blocks with in block cams not over head cams have been walking all over dual overheads for 60+ years. Not sure where you’re coming from but that was a fairly ignorant statement.
@ ZQ8u and MRB. Watch the video at one minute and 20 seconds the specifications are there. SOHC V8. Are Mike and I the only people paying attention. Come on guys this ain’t high school starting Paying attention. Mike is clearly pointing out this mistake.
I am good enough to admit when wrong. I watched the video on a small screen the first time and missed Motortrend’s mistake. After reading your post and watching the video on a larger screen, it gave me a new interpretation for mike’s post. I get so used to reading comments bagging on the GM small block being a single cammer, push rods are old tech and on and on, that mike’s somewhat short post made me think he was one of the “It’s not modern enough, it doesn’t have DOHC’s so I’ll never give it chance crowd”. Again, my bad for the miss.
Surely the Chevrolet SS will go down as yet another legendary performance machine from General Motors! Now I feel even more sad for our brothers and sisters down under; they’ll soon see the Commodore transformed into a FWD/AWD, comfortable riding with average to slightly above average handling econobox!
However, there’s hope in the stellar Alpha chassis! Will we see the legend continue in the form of a potential Alpha/Omega based sedan?!….
This goes back to my feelings on new platform does not always equal better vehicle.
I think Randy Pobst was talking about previous generation Camaro Z28 & SS (Gen 5)
Too bad the front end isn’t sporty looking. The Impala has a meaner looking front end. But from all the reviews I have read this car is fun to drive and has alot of power.
So, what will GM do now? They will kill it. What is wrong with these people? What justifies these decisions?
Nothing is wrong they are in the business to build car people really buy not just cars people want.
The best way to keep cars like this alive is to buy them. Have you done your part?
Not trying to pick on you but you have to look at this with not just your heart but also you head and understand the business end of this. Unfortunately it takes the business end of this to keep companies alive as building with your heart only will lead to failure. Bob Lutz points out in his book Bean Counters clearly it takes both types of thinking and people to make a company successful.
Well this platform is at the end of it’s life and is a testament of the ability of what GM can do even with a platform developed under the stress of chapter 11.
The fact is they have gone as far as they can with this car with the old platform and the coming legislation. Add to that the dropping sales numbers for large sedans also did not help here and in Australia. Markets are changing and products too have to change.
I am not sure what will happen here but my hope is now that we have the larger Malibu we may see an Alpha sedan to compliment the Camaro and replace the Impala and SS in one move. The Alpha is only at the start of the development curve and the less wight will do things that the heavier Zeta could never achieve in shorter stopping and more MPG with less mass. As well it will handle better with less mass shifting.
But no firm word yet but the Impala’s time is also coming to an end and this is where you have to anticipate something GM has not shown us yet and will be a surprise like so many others of late.
I am hoping the global stance of GM today will make it possible to have a larger RWD sedan that can be sold globally. I hope they are making moves to make the Alpha update RHD and LHD. This way they can leverage sales out globally to give us a car we would love to see.
But if not you have to understand as much as we all want this car how many of us really own one? GM is in the business to build cars people buy not just want.
I hope that a move to Alpha would also give us a good V6 and turbo 4 to match the V8 option. This would price this car to more people that could afford it. Note anything with a V8 soon will be over $50k ir more to limit sales. It is the only way the MFG can slow sales but continue to offer the engine. When we get to the required 52 MPG it will require many smaller and hybrid cars to make it so even the limited sales can continue.
Again sorry for the reality but we are all going to face it soon. I hate to say it but I do not see many in Washington right or left removing the coming regs. Only the right may slow it down from going any higher.
Stop playing the Chapter 11 card. The current generation of pick up was an all new design with new tooling. It hit the market like a dead fish needing incentives out of the box. It wasn’t Chapter 11, it was a GM committee decision. How many SS have you seen on the road ? Not many. How many have you seen any at a dealership? Not many or if any. Some of these type cars are knee jerk market reaction. There was a big splash when they announced the SS and the NASCAR theme . Put this excellent SS in same GM extinct model bag as the G8 here today gone tomorrow.
Dcar you have to take all the facts into play here not cherry pick your own.
The lingering effects of the bankruptcy will be felt for at least another 5 years.
You do realize GM was way behind in product and that they used many patch together programs they pumped what little money they had left into them just so they had some new product. The XTS, Malibu Camaro even the trucks did not get all they wanted into them as they needed to fix so many things at once. They used these shelved programs as they liked to call them to buy time to get to the new platforms like the E2XX, D2XX, Alpha, Onega and other coming models.
Also they had the issues to deal with the stagnate Opel line and the failure to launch Chevy in Europe. This was only compounded by the fact the Zeta was pretty much at the end of it’s life and no matter how sweet some like to make the story the Zeta sales in Australia had been on a decline for years with the likes of Mazda and Toyota eating GM’s lunch with smaller FWD cars. Look at the numbers and it bears it out.
Investing in a Holden based only RWD car was a tough choice not to do it as it still has a cult following but with declining sales it just was going to not increase profits.
Now if they could do a Alpha and base it to where they can build it and ship it globally it may have a better shot at making money.
Right from the start they stated clearly there was no big expectations on sales here. It is clear this car just help leverage some of the extra production capacity for Holden and bought some time for Chevy to move on to plans they have not shown us yet.
The fact is they knew the Zeta was only going to be around a couple more years at intro. Al made that a very open secret.
This car also was not a committee decision as it was Mark Ruess that championed this car, you know the guy in charge of product development! It was more him than anyone.
Also I had a discuttion on this car with Al Oppenheiser a few years back when it was just rumored. He told me it was a go and that they just did not have the timing right. This turned out to be that they waited to do the new model on the last version on the Zeta. By this time the Zeta was killed and just waiting to play out time.
Actually here in Ohio I do see more SS than I have expected. Not an every day car but at least once a week and for as many as they sold that is about right. GM made it clear they expected 3K-8K a year at best and would only sell what the market demanded.
I expect a replacement here that will better fit the market on a new platform that was not around 3 years ago.
You have to get that GM had no new platforms coming out of chapter 11 none. It takes years to develop the platform and then it takes more years to adapt it to other models,
Now look at FCA. All they had for years were old models with some trim updates and interior material changes. That was it. Then they had no money for new platforms and used the easy way out with horrid Fiat family based platforms that failed to meet the markets demands outside the couple Jeep models.
There is even more of this that could be covered. You may like to simply make this a clear and cut case of just committee models but it is not. I have talked to some of the folks who do these cars and I hear first hand what they face. It is not as simple as you make it.
Now look at how many old platforms GM still has and are still working on changing. Also look at the old models that still need replaced.
Now keep in mind it is what you don’t know is coming that will surprise you and make better sense of why we had what we had.
FYI the trucks only stagnated in sales for a short while as GM held the line on price as Ram and Ford were slashing prices and putting major incentives on their trucks. The many GM fans just sat it out till the incentives came as that is what we all do anymore as we all know come November GM has a big sale on trucks every year and that is the time to buy.
So you may not like it but the Chapter 11 Card is the catalyst that set the past for new models and then new platforms. To be honest GM has done a hell of a lot getting things to where they are at so fast. Few could have done that. Also the money they are making and putting into more R&D and future product has many investment watchers impressed. They and Ford have been proactive in investment to new products and technology and that is what drives the future.
scott3 you’re from Ohio? Where?
Sadly not available in Canada… Solo tear..
If you want one just import it yourself. All GM models from 2001 to 2016 are ok to import. Go to RIV.CA for the info.
Thanks, will do some investigation.
toyota is TRASH
At this point with more and more people moving away from “cars” and into Trucks/CUV’s/SUV’s, GM would be better served to offer some type of performance Chevy truck or utility? I had an ’06 Trailblazer SS, was it flawed? Oh yes, but it was fun to drive, had very good utility and…………..it was attainable! A “new era” mid size utility (regardless if it is a Chevy or GMC) with 400hp/AWD/8 spd. auto has a chance to sell at $50-55K.
I’ve never seen one and I am told by my dealer in Canada, I never will.
Yes, very sad Don. One can hope we get a 4 door alpha Chevrolet car eventually.
GM needs to expand the CT6 platform. Why not a real Caprice and SS model? It would be nice to have a real large car. The Impala is a sweet car, imaging it with a twin turbo and all wheel drive like the XTS, but Chevy needs something larger.
They already expanded the ATS platform with the new Camaro.
I agree, but I also think that a Caprice or SS Sedan off of the Omega platform would put the price at $50k, which can be a tough sell for a Chevrolet.
Past the $50k price point Chevy really only sells the Suburban, Corvette, some Silverado HD’s, and a few fully loaded Camaro’s.
The V6 Camaro is most likely going to be the volume seller of the Camaro because it can have a decent amount of options and still be in the mid $30k range.