Retro Chevy SS Review Reminds Us of the Sedan Glory Days: Track Time Tuesday
Chevy SS was one of the last great performance sedans of our time, as Jason Cammisa reminds us.
There was a time, not terribly long ago, when we had our choice of high-performance sedans to choose from. A time when single guys would grow up, start a family, and trade in the Camaro or Corvette for something a bit more practical. These times weren’t exactly ancient either, as it was just around five years ago when the Chevy SS – a true performance sedan – last roamed this earth, so there are plenty of nice ones still available via the used car market. Fair warning, however – this retro Chevy SS review from veteran automotive journalist Jason Cammisa will make you want to go out and buy one.
Cammisa begins by reminiscing about the E39 BMW M5 representing the perfect blend of luxury and performance before he segues into the meat and potatoes of this review, and that is the fact that the Chevy SS is a fine American example of a performance sedan, too. Or, at least somewhat Australian, as the SS was based on the long-running Holden VF Commodore.
Under the hood, GM’s 6.2-liter LS3 V8 produces 415 horsepower and 415 pound-feet of torque, which is nothing crazy, but it’s also quite satisfying in a time when everything is running smaller-displacement, forced-induction motors that are getting increasingly complicated. “I think the industry has shown us that when they keep putting all this new tech in these cars and making them faster and faster they get less fun,” Cammisa notes. “This thing is far more fun than any 600 horsepower German sedan.”
The Chevy SS was special for a number of reasons as well, including the fact that it cost half of what a new M5 or M6 did at that time, plus it was the only manual transmission-equipped V8-powered sedan on sale in America back then. With big brakes and a revised suspension, the sedan also stopped and handled quite well for its size, with some cushy ride quality to boot.
Perhaps most importantly, however, the Chevy SS is a real hoot to drive, even if it isn’t the fastest sedan on the planet. “Randy and I couldn’t stop giggling and laughing,” Cammisa said. “This is like the real-deal sport sedan, this is like a new Camaro with rear doors. It has that perfect blend of speed, handling, and involvement, but like all good times, it’s got to come to an end. This is an immensely sad thought because you are looking at one of the best four-door driver’s cars of our time, even if it does look like a Malibu.”
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