With its typical oversized American sedan proportions, standard 5.7L LT1 V8, the seventh-generation Chevy Impala SS is the type of vehicle that only Detroit could have concocted. That’s why we were surprised to learn that a popular automotive YouTuber based out of Germany had managed to track down one of these seldom-seen Chevys in Europe to film a video at the daunting Nurburgring Nordschleife in Germany.
The YouTuber in question, Misha Charoudin, is well-known among internet car circles for his interesting and entertaining videos, which usually entail taking sports and supercars out for hot laps on the 12.9-mile Nordschleife. Charoudin’s friend from Russia paid him a visit in his Chevy Impala SS last year, so naturally, the pair decided to take the big American four-door out on the daunting 27-turn German circuit to see how it’d fare.
As expected, Charoudin is impressed by the power on offer from the 5.7L LT1 V8 in the Chevy Impala SS, but found the suspension to be a bit soft and floaty for the Nurburgring. The flat-bottomed leather seats also meant Charoudin and his passenger were sliding back and forth throughout the lap, with the pair jokingly suggesting they install some racing buckets in the car next time. The braking performance also leaves something to be desired, but even modern-day sports cars with high performance braking systems can struggle with brake fade on this hugely demanding track.
Obviously, the Chevy Impala SS was never meant to be driven hard on a complex and technical race track such as this, but it’s rather funny to see Charoudin and his Russian comrade try it anyways. Check out the video embedded below to see this heavy Chevy like you’ve never seen it before.
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Comments
TURN OFF THE SOUND TO WATCH THE VIDEO. HE GIGLES LIKE A GIRL THROUGH THE WHOLE VIDEO. ANYWAY, IT’S NOT A POLICE VERSION BECUASE THE POLICE BRAKES WERE FROM THE PICKUP TRUCKS AND VANS AND THEY WILL HANDLE THOSE SPEEDS. WE BOUGHT A FEW USED POLICE CARS AND THE DIFFERENCE IN THE TRANSMISSIONS BETWEEN THE REGULAR PRODUCTION MODEL AND THE POLICE VERSION WAS THE DIFFERENT TORQUE CONVERTOR RATIO. THE RATIO WAS 2.5 TO ONE IN THE POLICE VERSION COMPARED TO 2 TO ONE IN THE REGULAR PRODUCTION MODELS. WE BOUGHT MOSTLY NEW VERSIONS WITH THE SMALLER 305 CUBE V8. WE RAN ALL OF THEM ON PROPANE BECAUSE IT DIDN’T WEAR OUT THE ENGINE AND IT WAS ABOUT 45 PERCENT OF THE COST OF GASOLINE.
Can truly say, ‘They don’t make ’em like they used to’. So sad.
The interior is awful. I’m glad they don’t make them like that anymore. As far as large sedans go, I have a feeling they will come back as electrics. What’s old will be new again.
The car in the video is not a SS police version of the car. the car in the video is a regular Impala SS that anyone could have bought in the day. You should take a Cadillac CT5V instead. It will blow the doors off everything.