[psece]

Originally Posted by unkillsam

SS has no cachet?

So let's disect your analysis.

1. SS has no cachet for Chevy.

Answer, I guarantee you that every Joe Blow associates SS with Chevy and also the SS badge with the mind-blowing performance attitude of the 60's.

2. 10 more HP = SS badge.

Answer, When has this been the case? Even the non-supercharged SS Cobalt model for 2006-2007 made 15+ more horsepower then the base model. Now all things being equal, the Cobalt base model already had class leading HP and in 2005, Honda had a 160 HP Civic Si, so a 170 HP SS model is appropriate.

3. Impala SS is a joke.

Answer, Impala SS is a joke, but only because of the lack of attention to detail, especially on the interior. HP is not the problem. Acura gives Type-S badges to 300 hp FWD cars all the time. For the fuel-economy that it get's, the Impala SS is perfectly acceptable. Remember, the 1996 Impala only had 260 HP and was much slower then today's FWD Impala.

4. SSR didn't have enough power.

Answer, It made 305 hp. for 1 year. The rest of the time it made 395 hp. Since when is that not enought. That is basically the same as the base model corvette. Is that not enough for you?

5. And the list goes on..............

Answer, what list? Chevy has always made the SS model the top performance machine of a particular lineup. Historically, has the SS always been the top performer in the segment? The answer is no. In fact, real world numbers indicate that the Z28 was right up there, if not better then the SS models in the Camaro line. Faster in a straight line? Yes.

Just because the Impala SS, a sub $30,000 car is slower then a car costing $10,000 or more then it does not meen that all SS cars are lacking.

Simalary, just because GM choose to use the SS badge on a souped up 4 cylinder car does not mean Chevy lost cachet.

All SS should mean is that nothing in the segment can come close to the performance of it. There should only be one car with the SS emblem with in the type. So the Cobalt SS should only be the 260HP version. They shouldn't have a 2.4 liter, 175 horsepower version. It should be just like the old days where it is a package option. There were plenty of old Malibu's and Chevelle's ordered with the suspension, tire and brake setup from the SS versions. They have become collectors now because of the uniqueness of the car.