2014 Chevrolet SS Debuts in Daytona

In fact, the SS has more in common with the late G8 than you might first think. Like the old Pontiac, the Chevrolet SS is actually an import from Australia. It’s basically a re-body of the Holden Commodore with a few tweaks. Honestly, I think it looks kinda like an overstuffed Malibu. It’s not ugly. It’s not pretty. It’s “meh” looking. That’s might sound disparaging at first. It’s not. All that means is that the Chevy SS is a sleeper.

After all, this is coming from Australia, and we know how much they love their burnout sleds. The Commodore this car is based on is no different. Chevy’s stuck the same 6.2L V8 lump they’ve put in the Camaro SS under the hood of their new sedan. They’ve detuned it slightly to 415hp and 415 lb-ft of torque. Even de-tuned, that’s plenty of power to get the SS moving. The two cars share the same platform, so we should anticipate similar handling characteristics  The SS will weigh about  two tons. Then again, the Camaro isn’t exactly a lightweight either.

It might not be pretty but it is fast. It’ll do 0-60 in around 5 seconds, has 50/50 weight distribution and 3.27 final-drive ratio. Suspension wise, it has MacPherson struts up front and a multi-link setup in the rear. That might not be great news for drag racers, but this’ll make it a better handling car on the road (and the the track too, most likely).

This sounds awesome right? Well, there’s one caveat… It’s only coming with an autotragic transmission. I know. I too am weeping manly tears. Hopefully, they’ll put a stick in this thing eventually, but for now it’s a slushbox only affair.

Still, it’s 400+ hp sedan from Chevy. Those familiar with the G8 will probably feel comfortable with the SS. Honestly, I’m just glad to see GM bring a rear-wheel-drive sedan back to the states. The fact that it’s packing an LS is just icing on the cake.

via [MotorAuthority]