The U.S. market Holden Commodore SS - The Chevrolet SS

[kscarbel2]

One of the car industry's best kept secrets, the high performance V-8 / 6-speed manual Holden Commodore SS will cheer you up on those challenging days.

http://m.caranddriver.com/reviews/2015-chevrolet-ss-manual-instrumented-test-review

http://www.autoblog.com/2015/07/27/2015-chevrolet-ss-review-video/

[mrsmackpaul]

yep they go like cut cat

[rsb502]

Lt-1? Um the vette doesn't have an LT-1 anymore does it? I kinda thought that ended with the LS-1 in '98.

[41chevy]

LT-1 still lives but the SS has an LS-3.

[Red Horse]

So what do you do when you wreck your SS/Police pkg next year and the Holden is out of production??

I am correct right? Holden is a dead duck next year as GM pulls out of Aussie production.

[Gmerrill0516]

Isn't that what a Pontiac G8 would have been...Kind of like what that sad attempt at a "GTO" was a few years back with 4 doors...Maybe it will kill Chevy like it did Pontiac...Whatever...YAWN....Do I sound bitter?

[Red Horse]

Isn't that what a Pontiac G8 would have been...Kind of like what that sad attempt at a "GTO" was a few years back with 4 doors...Maybe it will kill Chevy like it did Pontiac...Whatever...YAWN....Do I sound bitter?

I believe you are correct-same Holden roots. You have to wonder if GM learned anything when they went broke almost 10 years ago.

[kscarbel2]

2016 Chevrolet SS Review: Last of the Down Under Hot Rods

Car & Driver  /  July 14, 2016

Overview: The Chevrolet SS, on the surface, is among the most American of things: a big, comfy, rear-wheel-drive sedan powered by a burly small-block V-8. But it’s actually the latest—and almost certainly the last—in a line of powerful, rebadged imports from General Motors’ Australian subsidiary, Holden, which started with the 2004 Pontiac GTO and continued with the SS’s predecessor, the Pontiac G8. Known as the Holden Commodore in its home market, the SS shares some of its architecture with the previous-generation Chevrolet Camaro and is powered by a 415-hp 6.2-liter LS3 V-8 mated to either a six-speed automatic or a six-speed manual transmission. Although its official purpose is as a low-volume, aspirational car that gives Chevy’s SS NASCAR racer a legitimate connection to the street, the SS is much more than a token gesture to the left-turn crowd. The SS is a true sports sedan imbued with a beautifully balanced chassis, tactile steering, and loads of cornering grip (0.97 g) from its standard Bridgestone Potenza performance tires.

Manual-transmission cars like the one we drove for this review incur a $1000 gas-guzzler tax versus the standard automatic’s $1300 penalty; the EPA rates both versions at 14 mpg in the city, but opting for the manual grants the SS a 2-mpg boost on the highway to 22 mpg. Performance figures are similar regardless of transmission choice. The 2015 stick-shift model we tested reached 60 mph in 4.6 seconds and covered the quarter-mile in 13.0 at 111 mph, making it properly quick yet still slower in a straight line than the 485-hp Dodge Charger R/T Scat Pack. Front and rear Brembo brakes and a pleasantly firm brake pedal can arrest the near-two-ton SS from 70 mph in an impressive 159 feet.

What’s New: Introduced for 2014 with only the automatic gearbox, the SS possesses drivability and superior reflexes that allowed it to beat the more powerful Dodge Charger SRT8 392 in a comparison test. An update for 2015 added the manual transmission as a no-cost option, as well as standard driver-adjustable adaptive dampers. The SS looks a little less like a previous-generation Chevrolet Malibu on steroids for 2016, thanks to a revised front fascia with LED running lights, functional hood vents, and more tasteful 19-inch aluminum wheels that have dialed back on the bright-chrome look. Also new is the Slipstream Blue Metallic paint on our test car, as well as a dual-mode exhaust system that barks loudly upon startup. The small-block’s lumpy idle and full-throttle roar let anyone within earshot know the SS is not a normal family sedan.

Expect only modest trim changes for the 2017 model, which likely will be the SS’s last as Holden shutters its production operations at the end of next year. While the Commodore name should live on in Australia, Holden’s transition to an import-only lineup means it will likely adorn a rebadged version of the front-drive-based Opel Insignia developed in Europe. (Ford is similarly closing its Australian manufacturing facilities). There have been some rumblings that a next-gen SS might be built in America, but GM has offered no indication that there actually will be a rear-drive successor to the current car; if that’s the case, Cadillac’s high-end V models would be the only hot-rod four-doors in the General’s fleet going forward.

What We Like: A lot. The Chevy SS is one of the most underappreciated driver’s cars on the market, a lazy-day cruiser in the softest of its three drive modes (Tour, which slots below Sport and Track) yet equally at home on a challenging mountain road in its more aggressive settings. The ride quality can be firm, but the chassis’s overall poise is reminiscent of some of the great BMW M cars from the 1990s and 2000s. Despite some on-center vagueness, the electrically assisted power steering is precise and rich in feedback as the chassis loads up in corners. While the big Chevy is well equipped for the tire-smokin’ muscle-car thing, its understated appearance is welcome in heavy traffic, as are its quiet cabin, comfortable seats, and myriad amenities. Leather upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats, lane-departure warning, and much more are standard; besides transmission choice, the only options are paint color, a power sunroof ($900), and a full-size spare ($500) in place of the standard tire-inflation kit. And with a paltry 2895 sales in the U.S. last year, SS buyers are in an exclusive club.

What We Don’t Like: Mainly that GM’s intercontinental gem of a performance sedan will soon be gone forever and that more enthusiasts aren’t swayed by its greatness; numerous still-new 2015 models litter dealer lots. Plus, Chevy has yet to lend us an SS for our annual 10Best Cars event. There’s also too much chrome and bright metal trim, both inside and out, for some tastes. And the price—$48,870 to start—puts the SS out of reach of many potential buyers. Yet, despite the SS’s low-volume status, GM evidently feels some pressure from its lack of popularity: As of this writing, Chevrolet offers a 20 percent discount on 2016 models, which would make our test car a 415-hp steal at $39,096. Our advice? Grab one while you still can.

Verdict: The most underrated sports sedan in America.

Photo gallery - http://www.caranddriver.com/photo-gallery/2016-chevrolet-ss-quick-take-review

[mrsmackpaul]

I would like to give this a like but bugger me Holden is part of who we are still they tell me thats progress I say what a crock of shit these useless pricks running show wouldnt know their ass from their elbow clowns the lot of them sorry but thats the way I feel 

Wanna sell cars get back to making what people want and you will sell them like hot cakes or you can try and force them to buy something they dont want and piss and moan when nobody buys them

Heck we turn over more new cars than ever in Australia but the brains trust at GM wanna go broke or at least it looks that way to me 

Paul