2013 Chevrolet SS

[invisiblewar]

There hasn't been an issue with the SS badging in the last 50 years, there wont be now.

[kwik!gti]

Another car that nobody on TCL will buy but will claim they will or would. GM save yourself the waste of time bringing this over. Nobody cares.

[Biff Beltsander]

Love the fact there's a left over G8 steering wheel with Pontiac logo used for the test car.

[kingrukus]

This car is too long in the tooth to sell good here. I predict sales flop. Rebadging the G8 was a good idea, oh I dunno...4 years ago?

[Turbio!]

This car is too long in the tooth to sell good here. I predict sales flop. Rebadging the G8 was a good idea, oh I dunno...4 years ago?

This is the new generation, homey.

[invisiblewar]

I really don't get why everyone is flaming this car already. We don't know much yet. Chill out.

[deftonesfan867]

It's officially official: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/05/17/h...rth-america-o/

Calling it "Holden's worst kept secret," a report in Australia's Drive indicates that the General Motors antipodean brand will announce "very soon" that it will be exporting "thousands of Commodores to the U.S. from 2013." Or, put another way, we will be getting thousands of Chevrolet SS Performance sedans – the Pontiac G8 in a previous life – starting next year.

The report says Holden is divulging the news earlier than planned because leaks just about everywhere, including OnStar, as well as trade-publication reports and speculation about GM's 2013 NASCAR entrant, have got everyone looking southward for confirmation of the answer we already (almost) know.

Drive says our rear-wheel drive Chevrolet will get a revised take on the VF-model Commodore that has an aluminum hood to make it lighter and less aggressive wheel arches to make it more slippery. No hard numbers are attached to the export rumors, but it is expected to number "much fewer than the 50,000-odd" units that were predicted for the Pontiac G8 program.

The scintillating line for bitter enthusiasts still chafing over the confirmed-then-cancelled G8 ST Ute corn tease is that the exports "could also expand to involve ute and sportwagon variants." Drive didn't, but we will emphasize the word "could," since we've been here before. However, that does jive with a report in Car and Driver indicating the same thing. Holden's announcement could be made as soon as later today right now – see below for update.

*UPDATE: Well that didn't take long. General Motors has officially confirmed that the new Holden-derived sedan will be called simply Chevrolet SS. The SS will race in NASCAR beginning with the 2013 Daytona 500 and will appear in showrooms in 2014. GM isn't getting into specifics, but says "The much anticipated Australian-built car will benefit from significant technology advances which enhance overall performance." As to additional bodystyles like a wagon or pickup, well, GM isn't saying. See more in the official press release added below, and click on the image above to get a look at GM's newest racer all camo'd up.

[AKADriver]

Another car that nobody on TCL will buy but will claim they will or would. GM save yourself the waste of time bringing this over. Nobody cares.

Why do you care that other people like it? And if I like the car, why should I care who buys it?

Out of all the cars in the market, they can be arranged in a pyramid, like this:

1. Cars I would buy, and are actually in the market for (zero or very few models at any point in time)

2. Cars I like, and would buy if I were in the market for, but I'm just not right now (a slightly larger number of cars, of which this is one)

3. Cars I like, might recommend, but wouldn't likely buy (a pretty large group of cars)

4. Cars I don't like, wouldn't likely recommend (most cars)

The existence of the second and third groups seems to bother you. Why?

[invisiblewar]

I don't know how I'll afford it but if the ute gets brought over, I will have it.

[PlatinumGLS]

Another car that nobody on TCL will buy but will claim they will or would. GM save yourself the waste of time bringing this over. Nobody cares.

Save yourself the waste of time posting. Nobody cares.

[kingrukus]

This is the new generation, homey.

Ah okay, from the pics posted so far it seems pretty much the same as the old G8. Interested to see what the changes will be from the G8.

[Chris_V]

Another car that nobody on TCL will buy but will claim they will or would. GM save yourself the waste of time bringing this over. Nobody cares.

We can like cars, recommend cars, and want to see them on the market without having to buy them. If I bought every car I liked I'd have to have a warehouse to hold that collection you say is pointless to have because "you can't drive them all all the time." So stuff it moron.

[Swallow Doretti]

This is the new generation, homey.

Except the "new" generation is merely a facelift of the existing car. Powertrains are expected to be the same. Even doors, glass and roof are carrying over.

[kingrukus]

Except the "new" generation is merely a facelift of the existing car. Powertrains are expected to be the same. Even doors, glass and roof are carrying over.

Thats what I figured. If that is the case, this car is very long in the tooth. Why the heck did it take them so long to rebadge the G8? I personally think it will be detrimental to this car's success.

[Swallow Doretti]

Thats what I figured. If that is the case, this car is very long in the tooth. Why the heck did it take them so long to rebadge the G8? I personally think it will be detrimental to this car's success.

Put simply, GM had bigger fish to fry--and didn't have the budget to launch this car until now. 2013 provides a better opportunity, since the only other scheduled Chevy launch is (I believe) the new Impala, which won't get the marketing budget that was given to either the Cruze or the new Malibu.

[Turbio!]

Except the "new" generation is merely a facelift of the existing car. Powertrains are expected to be the same. Even doors, glass and roof are carrying over.

Hrm? I thought this was going to be all new and based on the ATS platform, along with the next Camaro and other RWD GM cars.

[Air and water do mix]

Hrm? I thought this was going to be all new and based on the ATS platform, along with the next Camaro and other RWD GM cars.

Whether it is or not, a refresh can do a whole lot of good. The G8 was a new platform when launched and really isn't that long in the tooth. Assuming it's a good refresh, this car could be a standout. Look at the Ford Fusion gen 1 and 1.5 for how this can be done well. Hell, how much did the VW MkV and MkVI change? Fundamentally it's the same car, but it's quite an improvement while saving money to put into the MQB chassis. I think a generation of refinement makes an already good car excellent, which is likely the case with this.

[Chapel]

here's the thing that I don't get with the SS nomenclature:
what do you call the lukewarm ones?

[GTRaavv]

Hrm? I thought this was going to be all new and based on the ATS platform, along with the next Camaro and other RWD GM cars.

The rumors about the SS have been mixed up in many reports. A lot of articles confused the MCE with the all-new model due in a couple of years. We are getting the MCE first, and hopefully the redesigned model when it comes out a few years later. Could make for a short model run for the first generation SS. But I think reports are now claiming that the new Commodore will not be Alpha-based but will ride on a Zeta II platform, while Cadillac will get its own exclusive large RWD platform dubbed Omega.

[Air and water do mix]

here's the thing that I don't get with the SS nomenclature:
what do you call the lukewarm ones?

... And will the V6 get a manual, unlike the G8?

I'm not a sedan guy, but that would be tempting with the Camaro's V6 drivetrain.

[Juiced6]

would love the 6.0L with a 6 speed

procharger will handle the rest

[AKADriver]

Put simply, GM had bigger fish to fry--and didn't have the budget to launch this car until now. 2013 provides a better opportunity, since the only other scheduled Chevy launch is (I believe) the new Impala, which won't get the marketing budget that was given to either the Cruze or the new Malibu.

I believe part of it also was the simple fact that they wanted to restyle the car before slapping on a Chevy badge, and the Holden wasn't due for its refresh until now.

Are the powertrains really completely unchanged? Up against the Taurus and new Charger it seems suicidal to not offer the direct-injection version of the V6. That was one of the biggest oversights of the G8 to me... there was practically no fuel economy benefit to the V6. This car with the fuel economy of the base Camaro would be a more appealing package.

[Woodski]

Colored in what I could see, styling wise on the front.

The photo they used made the drivers side headlight area invisible, so I couldnt find it.

[Turbio!]

The rumors about the SS have been mixed up in many reports. A lot of articles confused the MCE with the all-new model due in a couple of years. We are getting the MCE first, and hopefully the redesigned model when it comes out a few years later. Could make for a short model run for the first generation SS. But I think reports are now claiming that the new Commodore will not be Alpha-based but will ride on a Zeta II platform, while Cadillac will get its own exclusive large RWD platform dubbed Omega.

Gracias. Between the two of us, there's usually a pretty accurate prognostication about what's coming out in the next few years.

[Ghost85]

That's what I was wondering. Chevelle would be great!

You could go into a dealer and peruse the Chevelle, Corvette, Malbu, Impala and Camaro. Now there just needs to be a new Nova. Hmmmmm, next generation Cruze perhaps? Nah, it's doing too well to mess with the naming structure.

This would work perfectly.

[whitejeep1989]

The rumors about the SS have been mixed up in many reports. A lot of articles confused the MCE with the all-new model due in a couple of years. We are getting the MCE first, and hopefully the redesigned model when it comes out a few years later. Could make for a short model run for the first generation SS. But I think reports are now claiming that the new Commodore will not be Alpha-based but will ride on a Zeta II platform, while Cadillac will get its own exclusive large RWD platform dubbed Omega.

Car and Driver has reported that the SS will be a very short lived model, because production is set to move to N. America in 2015.5. Correcting my earlier statement, Chevy SS will move to Zeta 2 in 2015.5, not Alpha.

From C&D:

New Stuff: Two RWD Platforms On the Way

Today’s Zeta will morph into the lighter and even more flexible Zeta II for 2015, at which point the Camaro will move onto the Alpha component set also used by Cadillac’s ATS and next-gen CTS. Before that happens, though, Chevy will sell a pair of Zeta-based cars. Actually, the first of these is already on sale—if you’re a state, county, or municipal government that’s allowed to purchase imported products. (Many departments have rules that prevent them from purchasing vehicles not assembled in America.) The vehicle is the Chevrolet Caprice PPV.

The second vehicle, of course, is the most interesting. Perhaps as a way to justify future North American production of its cop car, perhaps simply because Chevy “gets it,” a civilized, civilian take on the PPV joins the model lineup next year. Wearing the SuperSport badge, the car will initially ride on the current Zeta platform and be offered exclusively as a four-door sedan. The SuperSport name and styling also will be applied to the 2013 Chevrolet NASCAR entry. The launch powerplant for the roadgoing car is expected to be the Camaro SS’s 6.2-liter V-8, pumping out something on the high side of 415 hp. A version of GM’s latest 3.6-liter V-6 will be added after the launch for the weaker of heart; we’d expect this engine to produce at least 320 hp. The SuperSport and the Caprice PPV will then migrate to the Zeta II platform in time for the 2015.5 model year. When this happens, full production will shift to North America, thereby delivering a much larger market for the cop version. In addition to the SuperSport sedan, a cropped-rear-overhang sport wagon and a Ute pickup are being considered for the North American market.

Zeta II also will be used for two Chinese-market Buicks starting in late 2014, and one or both of these cars could arrive in North American showrooms if it’s determined that brand needs large rear-drive cars. Conspicuously absent from the Zeta II plans is anything from Cadillac. That’s another story—and another platform.

[Dr. Woo]

The rumors about the SS have been mixed up in many reports. A lot of articles confused the MCE with the all-new model due in a couple of years. We are getting the MCE first, and hopefully the redesigned model when it comes out a few years later. Could make for a short model run for the first generation SS. But I think reports are now claiming that the new Commodore will not be Alpha-based but will ride on a Zeta II platform, while Cadillac will get its own exclusive large RWD platform dubbed Omega.

After the money and R&D Holden sank into developing Zeta, I'd be honestly shocked if they threw it away for another GM platform instead.

Holden was offered the Sigma (CTS) platform but it was too expensive for the Commodore's market segment. Keep in mind that this car is essentially the Chevy Impala of Australia – cheap and big, sees copious amounts of fleet duty, and is Oz's taxi of choice. This is all readily apparent when you drive a G8. Corners were cut in the interest of saving cash.

Like I said, with the Commodore quickly losing its top sales position, Holden needs to do something pretty bold with this next car.

[Air and water do mix]

This would work perfectly.
*pic of 130R

Yes. Yes it would.

[GTRaavv]

Gracias. Between the two of us, there's usually a pretty accurate prognostication about what's coming out in the next few years.

Well 5 years worth of internet speculation about this car has led to some crazy ass "media" reports. Toyota is probably going "and yall biatched about how long it took to get the FR-S to market yo!" And we still have 2 years before it gets here...who knows what will change by then.

Car and Driver has reported that the SS will be a very short lived model, because production is set to move to N. America in 2015. At that point, the SS will join Camaro/ATS/CTS on Alpha.

Yeah I saw that, but I would think that GM would want to continue to spread the cost of the Zeta platform around, especially since they are going to update it. Maybe they will move production to the USA where they could churn out a RWD Buick as well.

[whitejeep1989]

Another car that nobody on TCL will buy but will claim they will or would. GM save yourself the waste of time bringing this over. Nobody cares.

It now seems conceivable that Pontiac was the wrong brand to sell the G8. There were rumors of the brand's demise almost as soon as the G8 launched. On top of that, Pontiac had pretty much degenerated into a manufacturer of unloved bulbous (yet hard) interiored sedans. Other than the Solstice, nothing else in Pontiac's line-up seemed like a credible family relation to the G8. The Chevy SS will be born into a much more enthusiast oriented family, with a larger dealer network. The NASCAR tie-in will be ridiculously priceless in promoting the car.

[curvedinfinity]

It now seems conceivable that Pontiac was the wrong brand to sell the G8. There were rumors of the brand's demise almost as soon as the G8 launched. On top of that, Pontiac had pretty much degenerated into a manufacturer of unloved bulbous (yet hard) interiored sedans. Other than the Solstice, nothing else in Pontiac's line-up seemed like a credible family relation to the G8. The Chevy SS will be born into a much more enthusiast oriented family, with a larger dealer network. The NASCAR tie-in will be ridiculously priceless in promoting the car.

Good point about NASCAR. -- NASCAR single handedly sold so many floppy, pokey monte carlos that it isn't even funny. With a real performance car inside the showroom, its going to be awesome for Chevy's image in middle america.

[invisiblewar]

[3 Money Pits]

I don't know how I'll afford it but if the ute gets brought over, I will have it.

Problem is, I guarantee if GM brings it over, they'll try to market it like a Blackwood or SSR. Big engine, lots of leather, automatic, and a $35k+ price to match. A "niche truck"

And they'll sell... A dozen.

Why TF they can't bring over (or build here) one with a V6 or turbo 4, market it as THE OMG KING OF MPGEEES IN TRUCKS, and sell it starting at $25k or so?

Also, before the inevitable happens... These utes are REAL trucks. The current gen has a higher payload capacity than an F150, and can tow almost as much. This is NOT comparable to a Baja.

[Swallow Doretti]

Are the powertrains really completely unchanged? Up against the Taurus and new Charger it seems suicidal to not offer the direct-injection version of the V6. That was one of the biggest oversights of the G8 to me... there was practically no fuel economy benefit to the V6. This car with the fuel economy of the base Camaro would be a more appealing package.

I think it's 50:50, at best. Considering the shortened lifespan, GM may decide not to switch out the motor until the full redesign goes into effect.

[nickthaskater]

This; A million times this!