As a true child of the 1980s, the old "SS" badged cars still don't register with me like they should. For me, an SS is still an '83-88 Monte Carlo or a '94-96 Impala. When I was coming up, most surviving Chevelles were still bondo-and-primer project cars.

If I had to play a random word association game, my first response to "Chevrolet performance" would be "Corvette." Maybe its because the Corvette never lost its mystique in the darkest days of the '70s and '80s.

Anyway, it doesn't bother me that Chevrolet is dead set on slapping an SS badge on just about ever product these days.

 

I definantly don't like to think of the '04 ImpalaSS with a S/C V6 and 240hp. Same goes for the Monte SS. Come on Chevy this is a disgrace to the "SS" name. When is Bod Lutz going to get to work with the Chevy name plate and bring back performance back to Chevy?

What I do think of is the '94-'96 ImpalaSS. It would be nice to have a Mid-East CapriceSS with the 350hp LS1

 

looks like the overwhelming concensus is that when we think of SS, we think of something OLD, i.e. 60s-70s, and very little RECENT, i.e. 90s-00s.

GM has their work cut out for them if they're going to try to bring out a full SS line to be worthy of the moniker. for better or worse, SS has grown to be something of a legend, an awe-inspiring thing. This better not be a watering-down campaign beyond what we've already seen, or a lot of people will be pissed, including myself.

gt

 

RWD V8.....



Nothing else should get the tag..

 

Every time this subject comes up, I say this, but it never seems to stick. Both the Impala SS and the Nova SS were originally available with 6 cylinder engines. The early Nova SS was six cylinder only. The original SS package was a trim package, not a performance package.

1963 Nova SS: Special SS trim and wheel covers, bucket seats, special instrumentation, deluxe steering wheel. 120 horses and a blistering 0-60 in 15.9 seconds, 1/4 mile in 21.0.

Impala SS six cylinders are much more rare but they do exist.

While I know we'd all prefer to have a RWD, V8 powered Impala SS back, I would wager that the 2003 Impala SS will have performance numbers that will top most SS cars of the 60s.

 

I don't think the S/C 2004 Impala and Monte SS will discrace the SS name ( but they should have the option of a manual )

The only car I can think of that didn't have a right to be called an SS is the N/A 3800 Monte Carlos, which now makes me wonder... what will they call the non-supercharged Monte Carlos that were SSs before??????????

 

That's a good question.

I assume one of three scenarios:

1) There is no N/A 3800 available anymore.

2) The 3800 will replace the 3400 as the engine in the LS base car.

3) The S/C'd SS is actually called the "Monte Carlo Supercharged SS" ... which could mean the standard SS would remain, and you'd have 3 levels:

a) LS (3400)
b) SS (3800)
c) Supercharged SS (S/C 3800)

 

In Aus the SS is the V8 car...they have a S for the Supercharged 3.8 V6.

And a FWD car is not a sports car...

Make the SS mean something special...I think its stupid you have trucks with a SS badge, and FWD V6's it makes the SS name mean nothing.

 

I think the term "SS" has devolved from SUPERsport to SEMI-Sport.

Can you even get any of the SS's with a Manual? Is that supercharged SS monte carlo significantly faster than your basic vanilla V6 accord? Is the SS truck sporting 50HP less than the lightning? Okay... I'll stop there...

 

It's scenario 3. At the Kansas City Auto Show they had a Monte Carlo Supercharged SS and it had "Supercharged SS" badges instead of "Monte Carlo SS"

 

Yes. I saw that too at the Cleveland Auto Show... I don't know that they are still going to offer the plain N/A "Monte Carlo SS" or not...

That's why I figured on three possible scenarios.

 

From what I've heard they will offer both. Sort of like the difference between Grand Prix GT and GTP models on the 97-2003.

 

OK, I can see that happening...