GM's Reuss Talks 2014 Chevrolet SS Sedan - Motor Trend

[KingElvis]

It's really looking like we will get a RWD offering in the 30 something range from buick that will be a full range model. With all of the overlap that could happen with alpha I still wish they would move production of Zeta to the US and keep it around for the SS and commercial use.

I was thinking recently GM could use a rwd 'soft roader' or quasi wagon like the Dodge Durango. Zeta would be needed for this because Alpha's probably not meant to stretch much beyond 115"wb.

[steve333]

Dumb name. Dumb dumb dumb dumb

[Rick_VT]

Hope the 1lt makes it in the SS

Thats really going to depend on when the Corvette goes on sale, since its the one to debut the new engine, if SS is on sale before then it most likely wont unless GM changes their mind about Corvette debuting new V8.

[SeetheUSA]

Methinks GM is planning on charging quite a pretty penny for this car.

[SeetheUSA]

Dumb name. Dumb dumb dumb dumb

You're preaching to the choir. Whoever decided on it should have been fired yesterday.

[GMOwner]

GM is carving too many niches in Chevy... From the Corvette, Camaro, and now SS I think they are going back to their old ways again...

[Slideways]

This sentence right here is why the name "SS" for a GM vehicle is utterly absurd.

You make it sound like there never were any RWD V6 SS cars. That is not the case.

Actually that statement is perfect for why the name is SS since it's V8 only. If they were bringing a V6, then the SS name wouldn't make sense.

Except for the fact that more often than not, SS was an appearance package and not a performance package.

GM is carving too many niches in Chevy... From the Corvette, Camaro, and now SS I think they are going back to their old ways again...

Yeah, heaven forbid Chevrolet make several RWD cars. Remember when they did that in the '60s? Wow, what terrible decade for Chevrolet. There was Impala, Chevelle, Camaro, El Camino, Corvette, Nova, Corvair. . . how was the consumer supposed to choose?
/sarcasm

[Orbit Orange]

but Reuss says GM will have the ability to ramp up production if demand warrants. "We can make as many as people want. And that's really a great way to run kind of a business with this car," Reuss said.

OK Reuss and GM...

If you say this is filling a niche, and you can make as many as people want. BRING OVER THE UTE AND OFFER IT ON SALE HERE AS WELL. JUST EFFING DO IT. NO EXCUSES.

[schmallz]

You make it sound like there never were any RWD V6 SS cars. That is not the case.

Yeah, that 3.9L Malibu SS was a BEAST.

Except for the fact that more often than not, SS was an appearance package and not a performance package.

That is simply not true.

[bballr4567]

The SS name is so they wont have to make any new badges for it. Just take the SS off the Commordore and there you go. lol

[FanOfDurant]

It isnt for the masses who would like a sub $40,000 RWD V8 or V6 sedan which is where a Chevelle would come in.

Outside of the 55-57 Bel Air's and a few select Old Corvette's, the Chevelle is the most sought after car in Chevrolet's history now. One of the serious high dollar collector cars. The name alone IF it were attached to a proper looking car worthy of the badge would bring Chevrolet all the money they want out of the car. I'd pay more money for a modern day Chevelle than I would for any car in existence. Of course, it would have to be 2 doors and somewhat retro for me. Not that a 4 door wouldn't sell also... I'd guess that's why this car won't get the name. IMO, it doesn't look like a Chevelle. I do agree SS sucks though. At least call it Super Sport if anything. SS alone is a trim/sports package.

[pic18]

The SS name is so they wont have to make any new badges for it. Just take the SS off the Commordore and there you go. lol

I really think the only difference between this car and the Holden version will be the bowtie badges. I think everything else will be identical. The already make a Commodore SS.

[BBDOS CV8]

Lots of supposition in this thread, and a lot of it is incorrect. Having heard Mike Devereux talk about the car directly and also talked to Holden product and development people, I can tell you several things.

Firstly, GM is well aware of the competition:

I took this pic driving out of the gate at Port Melbourne last week. Complete with 'Left Hand Drive Evaluation Vehicle' stickers. They aren't mugs. The current VE-based HSV GTS with LS3 is marginally straightlined in comparison tests here by the SRT-8, but totally puts the wood on it in braking and cornering (not surprising as it's lighter with better weight distribution and MRC).

So, given that the SS should like all VF-based cars be lighter by anywhere from 150-250lb (which will mean 300-400lb lighter than the Charger/300), even with an LS3, it should have no trouble reeling in the SRT-8, which not only has the aerodynamics of a block of flats, but the weight, too!

Holden will get the LT1 whenever GM Powertrain supplants the LS3 with it. Holden has had DI V8 mules for years, a development engineer intimated to me, when he said 'they're awesome'. Both HSV and the GTO got the LS2 virtually the earliest opportunity it was released (August 2004 for HSV for VZ, Nov for 2005 GTO), and HSV I think actually got the LS3 before Corvette - only because the model years panned out that way. GM does not restrict Holden in this regard.

It is probably a surprise to some, but this month Holden has delivered it's 6,000th PPV to the States. The good thing about the PPV, and SS programs, is they are overflow from Elizabeth. Currently Elizabeth is running around 400 cars a day, one shift split between Cruze and Commodore. If need be, they could go back to two shifts. If they don't build any, it will mean no overtime. If they do take off, it may mean they well and truly have capability to build 20-30,000 of either - or both. Elizbeth has a two-shift capability of 160-170K cars and it's currently making around 80-90K.

It is anticipated the Commodore will make a comeback of sorts: large cars will probably never rule the market here again, and it is unlikely to be No 1 for years on end as it has been. But even six years old, with limited updating it is still the fifth biggest selling car - and I know many people who are hanging out for VF. So numbers will increase. The high dollar is hurting Holden in domestic sales as well as exports. Economists are telling us that will continue, now that the $Aud has joined the official list of reserve currencies, and is no longer tied to boom/bust commodity prices. But, we are also ushering in an era of extremely low interest with an official rate tipped to be less than 2% in a year. But official growth is still 3.5% and productivity is rising, unemployment is 5% so prospects are good.

The thought that there will be an Alpha based replacement for SS and PPV in 2016 is fanciful and based on nothing but a wishful thinking. Alpha as it stands will not support vehicles in the size class of PPV - or they wouldn't be creating Omega for large Cadillacs (which like Alpha) which will use derivatives of Zeta-type componentry.

The reason for the PPV and SS is that they are effectively 'free' cars as they come off an existing line planned and designed to build them - now. Camaro cost $500M to get to job 1, only about $150M of which was R&D because it sat straight on top of Zeta for which engineering was complete. Apart from creating the body and interior, the rest was mostly straight tooling. To turn ATS/CTS Alpha, which is narrower and much more lightly-constructed for weight purposes into a real SS or larger PPV-szied sedan, you'd be looking at $1b, easy, by the time you were ready to roll for a car at retail Chevrolet prices. And Camaro won't necessarily help with this - as it is reportedly we are told shrinking to BMW 3-sized, maybe even Code 130 and based on a four cylinder.

Whereas, all that work is done already in Holden's universe. VF is going to be around until 2020ish. By then, there may be no V8 passenger vehicles anywhere - who knows? Either way, why blow all that money when for probably tens of $mil you can have a product for which all the work is done? Now GM is aligning product all around the world, and Holden is not only integrated in the mix but actively contributing to it you will see much more cohesion between it's products and GM US - i.e. MyLink. I think G8 and GXP demonstrated Holden is more than capable of delivering product that will satisfy. Holden has learnt an enormous amount about being an exporter to the US from GTO, G8 and PPV - they now have some 90,000 vehicles in North America. Add what they sold in South America and that would be well into six figures of LHD sales - not even counting Middle East, which is that many or more again.

GM spent the money on Federalising the G8, and it wasn't wasted. The PPV program cost very little in auto industry terms - probably a couple $mil. Compared to what Ford and DC spent, almost nothing because Holden already does much of this work for Australian police sales. It's a parts bin special - and all the parts were pretty much there already.

At it's height, Caprice sales in the Middle East were 20,000 per annum, or nearly ten times the domestic rate. The Middle East sales paid for the $135m development cost of the Caprice on top of VE, many times over - peanuts for a fullsize sedan able to be favourably compared to German cars costing three times as much; considering they sold that many cars for 4-5 years - only curtailed by GFC, and they are back there now. GM Brazil is also taking batches of Commodores again - small numbers, but consistent.

That's why the US got it, because between G8, LHD sales in he Arab states and South America, GM got a multi-continent car off one set of engineering costs. Holden are no dummies when it comes to adapting, and VE was made from day one to be sold anywhere.

[pic18]

I'd pay more money for a modern day Chevelle than I would for any car in existence.

I think this way too. I've accepted the 4 door Charger. I want a modern day Chevelle badly.

[T'Cal]

There's a lot of extreme nitpicking and using unfounded/unsubstantiated/blanket statements going on around here...as usual. Wah, wah, wah!

I'd prefer that this car be called Impala or Chevelle SS but that's not gonna happen. We're going to get the zeta-based fullsized V8 powered sports sedan WITH STICK that a huge contingency of GMI members have been collectively whining for. Me, I'm going to hope they get the package right on the whole. I can't wait to see it in production trim and read about its performance. I'll read the comparos in the magazines and I'll consider the posts from people who actually have the car rather than a bunch of nay-sayers who have done nothing more than sit in it at an auto show. I'll test drive it along with the Charger/Challenger R/T and Taurus SHO, and then I'll decide with my checkbook.