By JOHN D. STOLL


An Ohio dealer snatched the first Chevrolet SSR sold to the public thanks to an online e-Bay auction.
General Motors placed the second SSR to be built for sale on e-Bay, promising the proceeds would go to a Society of Automotive Engineers Foundation scholarship program. Bob McDorman of Bob McDorman Chevrolet in Canal Winchester, Ohio, placed a bid of $137,850 two minutes before the auction closed, therefore securing himself the collector’s edition pickup hot rod. Bidding for the vehicle began at $50,000 in April.

The No. 2 SSR is part of a 25-vehicle collection of “Signature Series” SSRs, all of which include personalized features and color schemes that will not be available on standard editions. The No. 1 SSR will remain GM property as a display vehicle. GM has not released details on pricing for the remaining 23 vehicles, however it has said all of them will be auctioned. The SAE edition included signatures of top GM executives etched into a commemorative badge. Other Signature Series include a Chevy Racing edition, a Street Art edition and a Rock & Roll Tour edition.

Production of the standard SSR begins this summer. The vehicle comes with a $41,995 base price, including destination.

 

No way I'm paying that much money that a truck :shakehd:

 

same here

 

$42k???? No thanks!

 

hmmmm for $42K... a slow truck or a vette.... :

 

Garunteing it now, that thing is gonna be a failer of utmost proportions...no one is gonna pay that for that thing...i meen, its not even a powerful truck, the thing cant realy tow anything, and its not even 4WD....what a mistake this is gonna be.

 

Some old farts will think its cool and will buy it

 

hell people buy the pt cruiser

 

Exactly! They buy them because it makes them feel younger.
When I get old Im not buying cars to feel youndger, Im just going
to pick up stripers

 

WHY?!?!?! Bring back the F-body please. This car is junk.

 

PT crusier is like 18k though....this isnt

 

i think its a cool truck but a lil too expensive, for 30k i think it would do well.

 

i'd pay no more than 20k for that useless thing. What the fock are they thinking?

 

VW was coming out with a truck that look just like this, werent they? I think i saw some pics of a purple one that was combertible too??

 

The problem with this thing is that it's only going to appeal to the hot-rod lovin baby boomers with $41k disposible income just lying around and looking for a Sunday driver. Right there, you've nuked your potential car buying audience down to such a tiny market that Chevy is going to have a difficult time selling enough to make money.

Not only that, but consider the specs. 4760 pounds and only 290 hp/ 325 lbs ft coming out of their 5.7L V8. So not only is it eccentrically styled and overpriced, but it's going to be slow as shit.

So lets sum up:
-Weird looking
-Overweight and Slow
-Overpriced

Looks like a real winner to me folks. Look what happened to Ford with their T-bird which is cut after MY05. Or Chrysler with the Prowler? You'd think people would learn from other's mistakes.

 

The inmates must have been running the asylum when they came up with this thing!! They have got to be kidding!!

 

I miss my Camaro SS... and this is the replacement!! What a disgrace!

 

I saw one of these things on the road yesterday. I dunno what Chevrolet is thinking.:shakehd:

Maybe they're going after the aging clientele that buys V Twin Harleys and things that are retro? It all seems like a marketing dead end to me. This vehicle may even be more pointless than the Plymouth Prowler. Looks like GM is signing on to the "retro" fad about five to ten years to late.

NEW YORK TIMES: BEHIND THE WHEEL
February 13, 2004

2004 Chevrolet SSR: What Will It Haul? Your Ego

By NORMAN MAYERSOHN






If all that mattered in choosing a wristwatch was its ability to track minutes and hours with reasonable accuracy, a Timex would be the equal of a Rolex. But factors beyond basic utility - style, pride of ownership or whatever you want to call it - influence buyers, too, motivating them to spend thousands of dollars on fine mechanical timepieces that are also investments in precious metal and in self-esteem.

If you hold dear the belief that spending money on anything beyond pure function is a wasteful indulgence - if, in short, you're a Timex sort of consumer - you will probably never get the point of the Chevrolet SSR. Reading further will provide no compelling logic to justify buying a vehicle that looks a great deal like a pickup truck but is certainly not as utilitarian.

But if you figure that there is more to choosing a vehicle than cold, hard reason, more than tallying cup holders, luggage capacity and warranty terms, then the SSR could tug at your heartstrings.

There is no denying that the SSR is a bundle of asterisks and footnotes, a two-seat convertible built on the chassis of a sport utility. Despite the V-8 engine growling under the hood, it is not the tool for towing your bass boat to the bayou. Truth be told, the SSR has about as much in common with genuine trucks as Donald J. Trump has with real job recruiters.

But that doesn't mean you might not want to own it.

The initials in the model name stand for super sport roadster, and a quick review of the specifications lends credence to the label: a 300-horsepower aluminum V-8, rear-wheel drive, huge wheels (19 inches in the front and 20 at the rear) and disc brakes all around. The impression is reinforced by the rumble of the exhaust when the engine starts, and the SSR's hunkered-down stance over wide tires gives it the "don't mess with me" appearance of a body builder.

The SSR's look is, of course, on loan from Chevrolet's past, specifically the first generation of the company's pickups to be redesigned after World War II. The SSR clearly recalls the Advance Design Chevys introduced in the late 1940's, but in such an exaggerated way that it manages to be modern at the same time. No matter: the SSR is not an entry in an authenticity contest, but a shape that stands on its own. It is a custom hot rod, not a Franklin Mint reproduction.

The cab has curves in all the right places, but a close look reveals some illusion. The bulging fenders have distinct shoulders, rather than the continuous curves of the original, and the cargo bed ends at the back of the fenders rather than extending beyond them. Then there are the complete departures, like a hard shell covering the cargo bed and a top that retracts ingeniously, becoming a stack of metal that snuggles behind the cabin.

Though the flip-up bed cover is mostly cosmetic (and not altogether waterproof on my test vehicle) the designers recognized that some provision for doing without it would be a good thing. An accessory kit, consisting of a storage bag and a wall rack, enables owners to remove and store the cover to make use of the bed. But not a lot of use: the cargo capacity is 23.7 cubic feet, closer to the trunk space of a large sedan than a midsize pickup, so owners won't be carrying 4-by-8 sheets of plywood.

For all the marvels of the exterior styling, the interior comes as a disappointment, as if it were done by designers who were never allowed to see what they were working inside. The dashboard is resolutely General Motors, a plain of textured plastic that could have been smooth and body-colored (like the console) to continue the nostalgia theme.

Some touches are just right, like the chrome door-lock buttons, but the modern radio controls are out of character - how much effort would it have taken to design a 50's-style faceplate? The door panels and the jet-age shifter for the automatic transmission, while snappy-looking, are also out of place.

To justify building the SSR, Chevrolet had to use as many parts as possible from existing models. The SSR's ladder frame, a shortened version of the one used in the TrailBlazer sport utility, is welded from hydroformed steel rails, which are stiffer than stamped rails would have been. The body panels are steel, not the plastic commonly used for low-volume models.

The downside to this brawny structure is that age-old enemy of performance: excess weight. The SSR weighs more than 4,700 pounds, a statistic that challenges the whole premise of the name super sport.

Accelerating from a stop and trying to squirt through traffic require too much effort from the engine. The SSR is not slow - Car and Driver magazine timed 0-60 acceleration at a respectable 7.0 seconds - but it is not as quick as you expect 300 horsepower to feel. The weight penalty is felt at the gas pump, too, with an E.P.A. city/highway rating of 15/19.

The other side of the coin is that the structure is not nearly as stiff as it ought to be for all that weight. Chassis flex is evident; when crossing bumps you can see and feel pieces moving in opposite directions - even more so with the top lowered. Though the tires grip tenaciously and the suspension soaks up bumps adroitly, there's a wallowing sensation below and a mushy feeling at the brake pedal.

Having witnessed the debut of the original SSR design study at the 2000 Detroit auto show, and knowing how much is usually lost along the road to production, I was not optimistic when I picked up my test vehicle in Manhattan. All cynicism melted, though, when the doors of the parking garage swung back to reveal the brilliant red SSR.

Wherever I drove it, youngsters on bikes flocked to it. Once, a man of retirement age stopped to take a look, commented that it needed running boards, and then reminisced about his Z28 Camaro of 30 years ago.

Parked, it accumulated nose grease on the side windows, evidence of curious onlookers peeking inside.

Used as intended - as a boulevard cruiser - the SSR's shortcomings might barely be noticed. With the top lowered it is an ego-boosting pleasure, even at highway speeds. The cabin is remarkably pleasant; the stereo is excellent. Some tire noise intrudes, but the experience is no hardship. Comfortable seats help you forget how narrow the cabin is.

With the SSR, Chevrolet has again nailed the recipe for apple pie and hot dog Americana as surely as a glossy magazine ad for faded jeans. It would seem the perfect weekend hot rod (and one with a factory warranty, at that) to park between the Corvette and the Harley.

Chevrolet intends to find garages for 12,000 or so SSR's this year, a goal that ought to be attainable even given the $41,995 base price, though that may involve some cannibalization of its own customers. Early sales data collected by the Power Information Network shows that the highest percentage of trade-in models were Corvettes, at 15 percent of SSR sales.

Recent introductions of nostalgic auto designs have reached sales plateaus in a few years, so it is logical to assume that the SSR will enjoy some time in the limelight before it moves from center stage, as the T-Bird, the PT Cruiser and the Volkswagen New Beetle already have. Until then, the SSR will be a hoot to ogle, wash and even drive, and an indulgence with a dash of practical function. But buyers should not consider the SSR, like other revival efforts, an investment-grade addition to their portfolios.

INSIDE TRACK: More warm rod than hot rod, but still the coolest cruiser with a factory warranty.

 

I can see charging 40 for a limited hotrod truck, but this thing has no guts, you can get an srt ram for the price. Rediculous.

 

that thing is the most hideous vehicle on the market.

lightningman....

1/4 - 11.801
MPH - 117.15

 

This thing may have gone over well was it not for the high price. I'm predicting a failure as well.

 

i saw a yellow one driving around georgetown a month back

 

I saw a yellow one in Reston, VA about a week ago. I honestly thought they were around $20k like the PT Cruiser until I read this thread and started looking at the prices

 

Ive seen them driving by the dealer and then i saw a red one with the top down drive by me on teh road last week. The idea is cool, but i dont find it to be an overly attractive truck, i think it could have been sleeker.

Eh, i dont know, i dont dislike it, buut i aint shelling out 40k either. Id rather have a prowler.

 

yes only old rish f*cks like them 2 of my nieghbors have them (60+) and they only drive them on nice days and one even has a vette also who knows but my parents and all their friends love them

 

that is gay

 

 

worth every penny

 

Next time you think about buying chevy, remember that they got rid of the camaro for this overpriced POS.

 

New Products Strengthen GM Brands For 2005 - - Source: GM


The SSR also gets the 6.0L V-8, giving it a new dose of power to match its outrageous looks.

 

This must be the LS2 cos of the reference above about the LS2 in the C6.

Wow! GM is fixing all the broken things (even the small ones), every chance they get! That's the attitude. Now keep at it and get even better.

 

Actually it is the LS2. Below it reads:


"The 2005 Corvette features the new 6.0L V-8 LS2 engine based on GM's Gen IV small-block family. Rated at 400 horsepower (298 kw) and 400 lb.-ft. of torque (542 Nm), the LS2 is the most powerful standard small-block engine ever offered in Corvette. In '05, the new LS2 also becomes the standard engine for the Pontiac GTO and Chevrolet SSR. "

 

interesting, but that doesn't make the ssr all the more desirable

as one magazine put it, its not quite a truck to haul stuff, can only seat 2 but doesnt have as much performance as other cars that cost that much (corvette really)

basically its a car/truck for someone who has ~$40k to blow on something different

id rather get a corvette

 

Ive sat in an SSR and its actually pretty comfy. Not my choice for a 1st car, maybe not even 2nd, but if you got money to blow for something of this nature then its a pretty cool ride.

My only beef is no manual tranny...

 

That car seems like such a waste, especially for that kind of money.

 

How's the SSR selling?

 

I disagree with the first part of your post but I agree with the second.

Yes the SSR is "a car/truck for someone who has ~$40k to blow on something different" but the only thing wrong with it was the fact that the engine power was not sufficient (mainly due to its weight). Now the LS2 adds 100HP and that will make a big difference. This thing will now be in the low 6s for the 60 and that's more like it.

 

THe SSR is not built for volume selling. It's an brand-image car. So GM does not care to make money off of.

 

ls2 nice

 

Yup, luckily that is being addressed for the 05 model.