The Chevy SS is SERIOUSLY rare!
This Australian-built performance sedan was always destined to appeal to a slim audience: those seeking Camaro or Corvette powertrains, plus four doors and rear-drive. A stick or automatic is nearly the only spec choice to make for this everything-standard flagship for Chevrolet — and a three-lap blast of the Autobahn Country Club racetrack showed the purity and fun of driving such a macho-man sedan.
This test car seen in the video above is the 2015 model, lacking the (virtually imperceptible) nose/grille revamps for the 2016 model year, as well as the updated infotainment and dual-mode exhaust coming on the 2016 model.
Even on a day that also included laps of the new 2016 CTS-V, ATS-V and Hellcat Challenger, the SS held its own out there. Huge torque, heavy steering inputs with a quick rack, plus a bodyhugging drive position. Heated/cooled race seats and suede wraps to the touch-points do make a fairly upmarket impression at the wheel, but the core appeal of the SS will always be its performance chops.
This test car’s biggest weakness, in our book, is not really its lack of power versus competitors. 415 ponies and torques come on strong, and are always a tap away from full deployment. This was in stark contrast to the ESP-flashing Caddies out on the same track. Limited-slip diff, Brembo brakes, forged 19s, auxiliary oil and trans coolers, plus magnetic ride control all around? As standard! The SS really makes a great case for itself as a smile-maker that can also haul around four giant dudes in comfort. The sprint and in-gear power feels deep and full on the manual car thanks to its aggressive 3.70 axle ratio versus the still-quick six-speed automatic at 3.27.
Just a $900 optional moonroof on the window sticker, taking the total to $47,640 as delivered.
Among the rare few, this car is an all-star for bringing a four-door V8 with rear-drive to the Chevrolet range. Its value seems questionable based on its very old-Impala-like nose, even with standard HIDs and LEDs up front and LEDs in back. There is still a strong sense of old GM about the look and feel of the SS. But also, the best SS-badged Chevy in decades. You’ll forgive its low-rent looks behind the wheel because the SS is such a balanced, easy-to-hoon vehicle that takes FUN seriously.
2015 Chevrolet SS Review
Tom Burkart is the founder and managing editor of Car-Revs-Daily.com, an innovative and rapidly-expanding automotive news magazine.
He holds a Journalism JBA degree from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Tom currently resides in Charleston, South Carolina with his two amazing dogs, Drake and Tank.
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