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2016 Chevrolet SS Sedan: The New Benchmark Sport Sedan

12K views 119 replies 46 participants last post by  Z284ever 
#1 ·
2016 Chevrolet SS Sedan: The New Benchmark Sport Sedan

Enthusiasts still put the E39-chassis BMW M5 on a pedestal. It’s arguably the best sports sedan ever made, with the perfect mix of sport and luxury, refinement and involvement. The current M5 and M6 Gran Coupes are the only manual-transmission, rear-drive, V-8–powered sedans on the market—other than the oft-overlooked Chevrolet SS Sedan. With a 415hp LS3 small-block, six-speed manual transmission, and limited-slip diff, the Australia-built Chevy has all the right equipment. But does it have what it takes to unseat the benchmark E39? MOTOR TREND Senior Features Editor Jason Cammisa brings an M5 along to find out, and with the help of SCCA Hall of Fame racer Randy Pobst, we see if the SS can beat the M5 around The Streets of Willow racetrack. Prepare yourself for some great engine sounds, then sit back and enjoy this episode of Ignition, presented by Tire Rack.

 
#7 ·
Funny you would pop up on this thread Sal.
 
#20 ·
The fact that this car is THAT good, and only a few higher quality interior bit short of utter-greatness, only underscores the undying-thought that GM needs to turn the Corvette into a limited-portfolio brand, and make this vehicle (or the potential next generation of this product), it's first sedan.

The fact that they can offer this product at all is a miracle. The fact that they can nearly nip current BMW offerings in performance (for half the price at $47K), is almost unbelievable.

I could imagine that any successor product, with an additional $10K in materials and oil performance bits, and a unique look, would make a fine (and convincing) addition to an expanded Corvette lineup. What's more? They could sell the car for $70K, make a decent margin on it, and it would STILL be a performance bargain when compared to those other competitors.

...one can only dream...
 
#28 ·
Forgetting the E39 comparison, did anyone notice that the 2016's time is two seconds SLOWER than the 2014 SS' time? 1:27:24 for the 2016 and 1:25:71 for the 2014. Mind you now, the 2014 was A6 only, and the 2016 they drove was M6 and the 2016 has MRC. I still find that somewhat surprising...
 
#33 ·
I'm not understanding Sal's disappointment. M5 was $70k brand new in 2001 and the SS is $53k in 2016. m5s are over $100k now. It doesn't have anything to do with Chevy building a 2001 E39 in 2016( not that that's a bad thing) its that's its building a better car that will be way cheaper to own for $20k less 15 years later.
 
#43 ·
the E39-chassis BMW M5 was a great car. but BMW sold more 6 cylinder 5 series sedans than they did the M5. i wish GM offered a 6 cyl SS sedan of some sort for those that want a RWD sedan to drive every day and cant afford the M5 version
 
#45 ·
I would love to see a next generation version of this car with the award winning Alpha chassis, more expressive and less bland styling, a real name sitting behind those two letters and a less expensive V6 model in the 32K starting range. The new LT1 engine would be the icing on the cake along with some additional interior colors.
 
#72 ·
I find it funny that the people on SS forum are often saying how much people like the look of their cars. maybe it is bland but likable. There was absolutely no reason why the US couldn't have had a V6 version of the SS as it is made here as the Commodore. GM just didn't think it fitted in with their plans. If they continue with a vehicle called just SS then they should stop using SS as a package designator on Camaro.
 
#52 ·
Really would be surprised if the SS lives on past the current generation. The Pontiac G8 did poorly (some was timing bad economy when released, increase in gas prices and GM announcing Pontiac was going to cease as a brand) and the SS by all accounts is very low volume. You can still find 2015 models on Chevy's webpage. Add in the fact Holden will be shuttering their doors soon what would be the purpose? Possible halo car for Buick is perhaps but the Avista concept is much more appealing IMHO in terms of a halo car for Buick.
 
#64 ·
Interesting thread. And it's obvious that there's a huge gap between 'precise handling' and 'handling like a Chevy Express', so having handling low on your priorities list doesn't mean you want a poor handling car. This notion that Mercedes (or any luxury player) is making couches on wheels is silly.
 
#70 ·
And for those of us that DO find tight corners and switchbacks to carve, I'd argue that a poor-handling car is more entertaining to drive. Give me a crap car you need to wrestle through a corner in the hopes of not dying over a finely-honed skidpad machine any day... not knowing if you'll survive the next corner is the best thrill I can think of behind the wheel.
 
#78 ·
Little bit of a stretch.

Lol!

My ATS has already gone through three tires. I actually lost one recently on 4/20, and of course I had a huge presentation I had to do that morning that I was late for as a result...

Celebrating the Führer's birthday a little too vigorously?

I went through at least two tires until I swapped out the whole set for I wanna say Defenders. Been a long ass time.
 
#73 ·
handling is more than just loads of lateral grip (and the rubber band tires that deliver it). A fine handling car with talkative steering, easily modulated brakes, good balance and proper damping can be a ton of fun to run at 8/10 on the street, even on tires that can take a pothole or deal with actual weather. That's why so many enthusiast wax poetic about the Miata and older BMWs. They are actually fun to drive on real roads at speeds you might actually see without going immediately to jail.

That all said, people like me clearly ARE a niche -- even BMW seems to think so!

Ironically, Cadillac seems to be building cars to appeal to people like me. But on my list, great handling ranks high as does design. Luxury, on the other hand is way below the beanie babies for me. My ideal Miata would be the sports stuff only -- all fun, no frills. Clearly, I ain't no Caddy buyer!
 
#75 ·
I can't imagine owning a poor handling car. Even my 1974 Holden had uprated springs, shocks and anti roll bars. In fact, I would probably put handling feel slightly higher than the look of a car, in that if there were two cars I liked but one handled like blancmange and the other was awesome but was uglier, I would take the one that could handle.

All my cars handle well, not all of them are fast. I am also much more interested in circuit racing and rallying than I am in drag racing.
 
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#76 · (Edited)
I remember (when I were a lad) when RTS Holdens came out. Even with sick smog motors, they were a revelation. Holden never looked back, even things like the Gemini were fun to drive.

As a (ahem) former bike racer I like to hang it out, wet or dry. If I can't break the speed limit, at least I can take corners at speed....

I wouldn't own any car that didn't have some modicum of handling. Missus hates me driving her 118 - I bang it straight in sport, so it holds gears in straights and corners and the steering sharpens up nicely. Plus, locking out 7th and 8th and the overrev dropping through the box....

The new SV limited HSVs they've announced are a bit interesting with the 340Kw LS3, especially the track edition - sounds like it's most of the hardware of the GTS as far as brakes without the MRC (which I wouldn't have) and the big brakes with sharper handling. Don't know about not having the HSV buckets, though. I reckon these would be more of a collectors item then the LSAs which are a dime a dozen.
 
#86 ·
It's all a matter of personal feel and preference but in the end, ALL fwd cars suck, well, not really suck, but just don't offer the same to those of us who grew up driving rwd cars our whole lives. I read all these reviews on how the Honda or Mazda drive so much better than the others, but frankly, I can't tell a difference. Despite the accolades the Fusion gets for its handling, my experience was twitchy.

I guess my perception of "handling" is more to do with how well the car tracks down the road and whether constant steering inputs are required to keep the car straight, and its susceptibility to road irregularities.

In the end, the millions of today's drivers who've NEVER driven a rwd car will probably not notice what they haven't experienced. Thus their proclivity to worship the poor driving dynamics of fwd cars.
 
#96 ·
Of course, I never was a fan of the Chevy SS, but there are some reasons to give it consideration. Some of them having an old school V8 if you don't mind paying the gas guzzler tax. I'm sorry for the enthusiasts who hate to see this vehicle go, but the rear wheel drive sedan may be pretty much dead. Most people are investing in SUVs and Crossovers these days.
 
#100 ·
I can't discuss what is good handling because for me tossing a 1950's car on 4 inch wide tires around on sand roads down by the river is fun.

Tossing around an over-powered under dampened American V8 from the 70's on marginal one lane bitumen back roads is fun.

Tossing a fully custom race car with rose jointed suspension and slicks around on a sticky race track is fun.

In other words --- driving anything can bring out fun handling with the right state of mind. Part of the handling of a car is the act itself of exploring the limits at the extremes. Feeling how the suspension loads up and unloads, how weight transfers from side to side from acceleration to braking and then mix it all in with tire traction envelopes. It's all fun. The car does not exist on it's own, it also takes the man to get involved. That's why it's Man & Machine.

Even terrible handling can be incredible fun under the right circumstances. It can be an exciting challenge trying to feel the limits through a sloppy old worm and gear steering box. Almost as fun as using a light touch through a precision rack and pinion steering box on a 911 and letting the steering wheel move about, indeed letting the entire car wiggle about under you as older 911's are want to do at speed down a straight road.

But then you may learn more about sheer physics and polar momentum by tossing an original Mini Cooper through very tight apexes.... and have the rear of the Mini pivot and slide about a point near the center of the dashboard.

Or pull the body off a VW Beetle and replace it with a roll cage and huge nobby tires out back and then head for old river beds. Climb up and over 12 foot high earthen walls and feel what bump steer is really like when sliding sideways through clumps of weeds and shrubs under a canopy of gum trees...

So I can't really say what is good or bad handling.





;)
 
#103 ·
I like my manual trans SS. I like it a lot. You guys know what I did today? It was beautiful out, so I opened the windows and drove with my elbow on the window sill. Try that in a Camaro or Corvette.
 
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