As Chevrolet’s first V-8, rear-wheel-drive performance sedan since 1996, the new Chevrolet SS is designed to deliver performance on the street and on the track. The 2014 Chevrolet SS will debut this weekend at the Daytona International Speedway as the SS racecar makes its NASCAR debut during the Daytona 500.

“The Chevrolet brand was largely built on the strength of rear-drive performance sedans, yet it's been 17 years since we've offered one,” said Mark Reuss, president of General Motors North America. “The all-new Chevrolet SS fills that void and fills it better than any other vehicle in the brand’s rich history. The comfort, convenience, spaciousness and V-8 power make the SS a total performance package unlike any other on the road today.”

The Chevrolet SS benefits from the proven, race-tested, global rear-wheel drive architecture that is the foundation for the Camaro, Caprice Police Patrol Vehicle and Holden’s VF Commodore.

The Chevrolet SS is powered by the LS3 Chevrolet V-8, expected to deliver 415 horsepower and 415 lb-ft of torque. Also used in the 2013 Chevrolet Corvette, the LS3 displaces 6.2 liters, more than the 5.5-liter V-8 powering the Chevrolet SS NASCAR competitors.

The LS3 is married to a six-speed automatic transmission, which can be shifted manually using TAPshift paddles mounted on the steering wheel. With an aggressive 3.27 final-drive ratio, the Chevrolet SS accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in about five seconds – making it one of the quickest sedans on the market.

To ensure that it turns and stops as well as it accelerates; the Chevrolet SS also features a sport-tuned chassis, including:

MacPherson strut front and multilink independent rear suspension geometry
Electronic power steering system, optimized for sport driving
Standard Brembo brakes, with ventilated, 355-mm rotors and two-piece, four-piston front calipers
Forged aluminum wheels, wrapped in ultra-high-performance Bridgestone tires: 19 x 8.5 inch wheels with 245/40ZR19 tires in front; 19 x 9.0 inch wheels with 275/35ZR19 tires rear

Handling is also improved by a near 50/50 weight distribution, and a low center of gravity – made possible in part by the aluminum hood and rear deck lid that are 30 percent lighter than traditional steel panels.

“Our goal was to create a car that delivers incredible grip and handling balance while cornering, while still being comfortable to drive on the road,” said David Leone, executive chief engineer GM global programs. “The perfect weight balance and lower center of gravity were a big part of that goal because it enabled the team to tune for a more comfortable highway ride without sacrificing handling or driver confidence while cornering at the limits.”

Similarly, the design of the SS blends performance cues and premium details.

“From every angle, the Chevrolet SS says power and performance,” said John Cafaro design director Chevrolet passenger cars and small crossovers. “The combination of an aggressive rear-wheel drive stance and body-side attitude with the right balance of detail and refinement inside and out are the perfect home for Chevrolet’s V-8 performance package.”

The staggered front and rear wheels, which are pushed out to the corners, enhance the sporting, muscular stance of the SS. Up front, the aluminum hood features a subtle “power bulge” hinting at the power of the engine underneath. At the rear, the tapered, tear-drop shape contributes to improved aerodynamic performance. Premium cues include jewel-like chrome accents, standard high-intensity discharge headlamps and light-emitting diode daytime running lights.

The spacious interior of the SS will comfortably accommodate five adults, with 42 inches of front legroom, and 39 inches of rear legroom. Leather seating surfaces are standard, as are eight-way power adjustable front bucket seats with additional side bolstering that hug the driver and front passenger in tight-handling situations. The SS emblem is prominently stitched onto the soft-touch instrument panel which features two types of chrome finishes – a satin gloss and a bright chrome. At night, the interior is illuminated by ice blue ambient lighting.

An integrated center stack includes infotainment, climate and other vehicle controls. The Chevrolet SS also offers a long list of technology features as standard equipment including:

*Color, in-dashboard touch screen that supports Chevrolet MyLink and the next-generation navigation system
*Bose® Nine-speaker premium sound system
*Color heads-up display
*Push-button start
*StabiliTrak Electronic Stability Control
*Forward Collision Alert
*Lane Departure Warning
*Side Blind Zone Alert
*Rear-vision camera Rear Cross Traffic Alert

The SS is also the first Chevrolet to offer Automatic Parking Assist, which provides hands-free parking help. This efficient ‘hands-free’ parking assistant uses the ultrasonic sensing system to detect the width and depth of either parallel or reverse right-angle parking spaces. While the driver controls the throttle, transmission, and brake, the Automatic Parking Assist controls the steering inputs necessary to neatly park the Chevrolet SS.

The 2014 Chevrolet SS will be available in the fourth quarter of 2013, with prices set closer to the on-sale date. When it arrives in showrooms, the SS will join the Corvette and Camaro, whose combined sales have made Chevrolet America’s favorite performance brand for the last two years.

When we drove Chevy's Spark EV last year, we thought to ourselves, “Four hundred lb.-ft.? In one of the tiniest econoboxes on American roads? Yes! Please! Yes!”

Holden's Commodore -- now represented on the NASCAR grid as the Chevy SS -- is significantly larger than the Spark. EV Engineering's small fleet of converted Commodore electrics mete out a paltry 295 lb.-ft. If there's a group of people who love American-style cars even more than Americans, it's the Australians. We can't imagine that EV Engineering was particularly thrilled that GM is out-torquing them with a mere Spark.

Thankfully, a mad professor in Melbourne by the name of David Jahshan has come up with a solution that delivers 2,065 lb.-ft. of sweet, sweet twist. Take that, Warren Johnson!

Jahshan and his startup, Axiflux, have been working on the motor design for four years, according to Australia's GoAuto. Utilizing microcontrollers whose price has fallen dramatically due to their use in plasma TVs, the motor shaves 79 pounds off the weight of EV Engineering's current unit and is actually small enough to fit in the Commodore's differential pumpkin.

Jahshan suggests that there's nothing particularly exotic about the motor and that it'll be simple and affordable to construct. What's more, the embedded microcontrollers do away with the need for a power inverter, saving weight and further reducing packaging complexity. That said, the microcontrollers' real party trick is the ability to shut down sectors of the motor when they're not needed; think Cadillac's V8-6-4, only electric.

Our favorite fact about the Axiflux motor is that it puts out just 201 hp, giving it a nearly 10:1 torque-to-horsepower ratio. And you thought diesel dyno sheets looked funny.