NFB: Drove the SSR Yesterday

[AmericanZ28]

We finally got an SSR at our dealer today, and I was one of the very few that got to drive it. My first impression was "this thing looks cool." A manager parked it in the bacl after test driving it, and another thing i noticed was the exhaust note! It has a real nice sounding exhaust! I drove it around to put into the showroom floor and although I didnt hammer it, I gave it enough gas to sample part of the torque this thing has, and it feels pretty strong. It reminds me alot about the Silverado's seat of the pants feel. The interior is really comfortable, but feels a little too cramped. Another thing is that the power window controls are in the center of the console, and I kept wanting to look for the switches on the doors, so that was definetly different. The headlights are projectors instead of reflectors and do a real good job of lighting the road. Our particular unit came with a convertible hardtop that tucks in behind the seats with the push of a buttom all thanks to a hidraulic system. Im not sure if all of them are like that though. Also, compared to a model of mine which has the mirrors mounted on the upper/outer part of the windshield, this one has them mounted on the doors and are exactly like those found on corvettes. When opening the doors, it becomes noticable that the doors are very heavy, contributing to the roadsters' 6050 lbs. weight. The rear bed cover pops open through a button on the keyless entry remote, and the tailgate can then be opened from a handle inside. And as im sure you all suspected, up went the infamous $10,000 dealer markup Furthermore, I thought Id share this with you guys. See ya....

[Joe 1320]

I saw a black one on the auto transport the other day. I have to say it looks better in person that in the photos. Definately looked good in Black.

[DWS'95Bird]

a friend of mine has one being built now.....gonna help him Zaino at delivery

I did not like the looks until I saw one in the showroom....fit and finsh were very good IMO.....

like you pointed out, very heavy......300 horses hooked to a 3.73 (I think).....I'll be interested to see how she drives

[JL8Jeff]

It's a nice concept vehicle that they managed to really build, but it's way overpriced(not including the dealer markup) for what it is. Now if they were to actually put the 6L or 8.1L into a standard cab pickup and market it as a true SS truck(like the 454SS) and price it decently, then they would have something to talk about. The Silverado SS is a joke and the SSR is overpriced. I know they had a 6L 6 speed standard cab SS concept on the Hot Rod Power Tour and they showed an 8.1L standard cab concept truck on My Classic Car when Dennis was visiting with John Moss. That truck had 630hp with the 8.1L and it wasn't supercharged! That's the kind of stuff GM needs to build.

[Joe 1320]

I think the SSR idea would be great if it weighed no more than 3200 lbs. It's biggest drawback is the hefty weight.

[Spades95formula]

hey , you should do that 24 hr test drive chevrolet dealers offer.
then you can really test it out

[Al 96 Ram Air T/A]

Explanation...

Originally posted by Joe 1320
I think the SSR idea would be great if it weighed no more than 3200 lbs. It's biggest drawback is the hefty weight.

I may have an explanation of why the SSR weighs what it does. I recently read an article in my local newspaper that discussed the Hummer Loophole. There's an old "loophole" in the books that allows buyers of vehicles classified as trucks that weigh at least 6000 lbs to deduct the price of their vehicle, 100%, from their gross income. The catch, the vehicle must be used for business. However, this is easy to get around. If you are a salesman, a real estate agent, own your own business, drive you vehicle to get to an from remote offices,etc. your covered. From what the article stated, buying an H2 for approximately $52,000 will allow you to recoup $17,000 in the first year in income tax breaks. The vehicle can then be depreciated yearly. In essence, the $52,000 vehicle is cheaper than a $35,000 SUV. I've heard recently that Buick is looking into building an SUV that weighs just over 6000 lb to exploit this loophole. An added bonus, of course, is the vehicle is not used in calculating a brands fleet gas mileage, so they can sell the vehicle without worrying about its awful 10 mpg rating. Sneaky, huh?

[aoury@alum.mit.edu]

Curb weight is 4760 lbs, not 6000lbs.

The GVM is probably 6000lbs i.e. you can load the car up until the whole thing weighs 6000lbs. However, sitting there in the driveway, it is "only" 4760lbs.

You're all right though. It could stand to either a) lose some weight, or b) gain some HP.

As for more HP, stay tuned...

[JL8Jeff]

It needs to lose weight, gain power and lose some of the sticker price. But even then it wouldn't really matter to me because I would never buy a new car that costs over $20K! I just realized that I have more in Camaro parts in my spare bedroom than I have in my 91 SS454 pickup and my 68 LT1 Camaro!