Chevrolet News:Chevrolet SS Manual Now Up on Chevy's Site

[Drew Dowdell]

If you've been waiting for a row your own American Performance Sedan, the Chevrolet SS with 6-speed manual just arrived on Chevrolet's configuration site. Before you try saying "Charger Hellcat", Dodge has said that they won't be building a manual transmission version of that car.

In the SS, the 6-speed manual is a no cost option on a car with very few selectable options. In fact, the only other selectable factory options are a $900 sunroof and a $500 full size spare tire. The SS comes standard with leather, Chevrolet's MyLink with 8 inch screen, and Navigation.

Selecting the 6-speed manual also changes the rear axle ratio from 3.27 to 3.70, so acceleration from the 415 horsepower / 415 lb-ft torque 6.2 liter V8 should feel even brisker than the slushbox. The rear differential regardless of transmission is a limited slip edition.

Click to embiggen

If the manual transmission SS sounds like your cup of tea, you better grab one soon. On top of being a limited production model with only about 2,500 units built per year, production is probably not going to extend beyond 2017 when the Holden ceases manufacturing in Australia.

Hat tip to user Z-06

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[ZL-1]

Great! Too bad GM is killing its AUS RWD cars...

[roadwarrior]

A nice swan song, but sorry to see it go.  But I can't say that I've ever actually seen one on the road.

[G. David Felt]

Awesome Auto, Hope GM finds a decent replacement for this bad boy.

[roadwarrior]

Awesome Auto, Hope GM finds a decent replacement for this bad boy.

With GM's recent biz model, probably be a V8-powered Impala SS.

[Z-06]

Great! Too bad GM is killing its AUS RWD cars...

 

Sad indeed.

[Drew Dowdell]

Consolation prize, we have the guy who pushed hard for the last few versions, as a high end exec at GMNA.

[Paolino]

Wish I could afford it... I love this car.  Looks like fun but doesn't sacrifice comfort.

[hyperv6]

With just over 2300 sales last year and few more expected this years it is no wonder they are killing the car.

 

I am watching NASCAR and what Chevy approaches them with to replace this car. Will we get an Impala with AWD and TT V6 SS package. The XTS is going away and the driveline would fit. The key will be to package this at a price people will pay. You get to $50K there are a lot of other options.

[Drew Dowdell]

When is the XTS going away though?

Though as Ford and Toyota clearly demonstrate, the drive-line of the production car has little to do with what Nascar runs. 

[hyperv6]

Well there is no announced date but the XTS is limited on life as it was an old design carried over from the pre Chapter 11 plans and only was used to fill the show room till the Alpha and Omega arrived. Most of the work was done so they went with it. The fall back was to sell it as a Fleet and livery car too and not hurt sales of the newer models.  With rumors of Oshawa going away makes one wonder if they would relocate a car with little future at Cadillac. It is not a bad car but it is not what Cadillac is all about anymore.

 

As for the NASCAR ties. Mark Reuss has gone to major lengths with NASCAR to market RWD cars in a series that uses RWD cars in the race. Mark made major points to wait for the SS and Camaro to be ready to be in the series.  Now with the prospects of a SS Alpha dimming that could change. But It would be wise this summer to watch and see what GM presents to NASCAR for approval as it will lead us to more information on what they plan to do production.

 

Many of the answers are there at GM if you just know where and when to watch for them. Plant movements and what products they plan to race all lead to information long before it is made public.

GM may have to go to the Impala for NASCAR but that is not the policy they had when they went in with the present models. Mark had to get special approval for the SS to race before it hit the show rooms because he wanted RWD in the series.  He made a point we race what we build. While not totally stock at least the same wheels were being used as the stock car.

I think Ford and Toyota would have also made the same move if they had a RWD product to fill the need but they don't outside the Mustang in the Nationwise series.

 

A lot will change if GM leaves Canada. I think that they have had their fill of the CAW and are now testing them to see if they will work with them or work against them. GM has much more production availability here in the states where the UAW will negotiate for the work. The CAW can lose really big if they don't back down. They already are losing the next Nox, Terrain and Buick version, The Camaro and Regal. The impala can easily be moved too.

 

This is one of those big picture deals where you have to watch the whole playing field and yet many things still could change with a few simple agreements.

 

But the long and short of it is I do not see anything saving the XTS unless they leave it for fleet and Livery only. Even then how much money that can be made there may determine what happens and only GM knows that.

[hyperv6]

Drew this is what is in play.

 

The XTS is not what Cadillac is moving too so how long will it remain? Oshawa is at risk right now with the issues GM has had with the CAW. Canada is losing the new Nox, Terrain and Buick version along with the Camaro and Regal. I do not see the XTS remaining in Canada and will they go to the expense of moving a DOA car to another plant with the Impala? The only real future on the XTS is fleet and livery sales and even then how much are they making there will determine that.

 

As for NASCAR yes they can run a FWD but Mark Reuss has made it clear when the Camaro and SS were placed in the series they were going to race RWD as they sold RWD. Ford and Toyota could not do this since they have nothing to offer. Ford does use the Mustang in Nationwide but that is all.  Mark even had to fight with NASCAR for special permission to race a car not sold in dealers for most of a year which is not permitted.

I know he was wanting an Alpha SS replacement but the sluggish sales I think killed the business case. But I expect Buick may pick up the slack here with a RWD of their own in the same price segment. They are better suited in this price range to deal with it.

 

I am not sure what GM will run but when they go to NASCAR to get approval it will be our first place to see what their intentions are as testing makes it hard to hide.

 

GM also killed the sub Alpha coupe because the sluggish sales of the Subaru, Scion and Hyundai RWD coupes. This brought back the Turbo 4 Camaro that was talked against in the start.

 

With GM I have taught by those who can not always talk as to what to watch for and these are the things I am picking up. Often the answers are there you just have to look for the clues.

 

But as with anything things can change fast but you always have to keep the big picture in view to understand how one move leads to others.

[Drew Dowdell]

What you say makes me wonder a lot of things about Alpha that we were promised.  The big selling point for Alpha was that it was supposed to be very light and highly flexible, sizing up to the CTS or down to a sub-ATS coupe. And while not as inexpensive as Zeta due to the materials used, it would have been less expensive to build an Alpha Chevy sedan in the States than it is to build a Zeta sedan in AU at high labor rates / poor exchange rates / high shipping costs. 

 

So is there something about Alpha that wasn't quite up to what was promised that is preventing an Alpha Chevy sedan from being built in the US?  Or is it just that Buick might get one, plus Camaro, plus more Caddies, and there isn't the production capacity here for it (Springhill is full flex, no?)

 

As for livery XTS, those could be built at Kansas City... it's not like Lacrosse and Malibu are lighting up the sales charts at the moment.... even if they had to move Regal there too, KC could probably handle it all. 

[Cmicasa the Great]

[Cmicasa the Great]

As in if I were to purchase this car the modification done to this one from SEMA would be done within a few weeks of getting it. Absolutely underrated car, and truly has a presence in person. From driving a few I can tell U that it is one of the best handling larger cars in the business. The CTS and BMW 5 are possibly the only vehicle in its size category I can think of that finesse the road as well.

 

If U are disappointed by its demise.. go out and buy one.. and tell your friends to as well, because GM has absolutely no reason to put the effort in this segment for mainstream if the sales simply aren't there. Please don't give me "Dodge has a RWD mainstream sedan..." because they sell more to fleet than U kno..

[hyperv6]

The XTS could be moved but it all comes down to how many they expect to sell and how much money they would make on the. Also with the new effort at Cadillac to finally go all in and do it right is there really a need for a livery fleet car? 

The key to Cadillac's future and for it to live is to be a lower volume higher profit line. These  cars if done right would be the most profitable models outside a truck.  This is the same reason Lincoln was saved when so many at Ford wanted to Axe them. The only issue there is commitment on the level that GM is going. Will they do it or not.

 

As for the Alpha. I am not sure what is going on now. The firs issue is the SS is not selling well at all. Once you get to that price you have a lot more choices than just a Chevy. If they lower the price then it steps on the Malibu and Impala.  It is never going to be a high volume car either.

 

Now if it becomes the GNX with AWD and RWD at Buick it could if the price better and as Cadillac moves up and away not be in the way of the future models there.

 

As for Australia the issue there is it is such a small market that it may not be worth the hassle of importing them. I know it is still popular today but sales have been declining. Lets face it all of Holden sells less cars than just one model of Chevy here so you have to keep it in perspective. It all comes down to how much profit will it make and if it is not enough then they will pass. Also every other MFG there is moving to more efficient and smaller models for the most part.

There is just a lot of questions here and we will just have to wait to see what happens to rationalize it.

 

I also do not see all doom and gloom as often a end can bring even better things. Like the loss of the GM Performance Division was not a bad thing as all their people were integrated into the design level of these cars from the start. This is why even the base cars are now handling so much better and not even having to be a performance model that was enhanced.

[Camino LS6]

All the time I've been away from here, and GM is still doing the same old silliness.

 

More empty promises coming to light.