 Just in case you missed it,...  Just in case you missed it, the SSR (which stands for Super Sport Roadster) concept vehicle debuted at the 2000 Detroit Auto Show. Its retro/modern styling, convertible roof and 6.0-liter V-8 driving the rear wheels wowed all that saw it. Demands for a production version began immediately after its unveiling. |
 Apparently the General was...  Apparently the General was listening, because last August, GM President and CEO Richard Wagoner, Jr., announced that customers will be able to "buy this vehicle" beginning in 2003. Some feared that a production SSR would resemble the innovative concept truck in name only. But according to Wagoner, we'll be able to buy an SSR that will retain the concept's, "...open-air sports car feel, retractable hardtop, storage and flexibility," in addition to its V-8/rear-drive powertrain. Whew! |
 We recently spoke with a high-level...  We recently spoke with a high-level GM source associated with the SSR program, and he shed some light on the truck's development. One of the biggest questions about the vehicle concerned it size. The concept truck (seen here at the 2001 Los Angeles Auto Show) sat on a chassis that was obviously smaller than Chevy's current fullsize pickup. Did this mean the SSR would be an S-10 variant? If so, would there be room for a V-8, or would GM hamstring the SSR with a six-banger? |
 Our insider source told us...  Our insider source told us the SSR would be built on the GMT 360 frame, which is the platform developed for the all-new Chevy TrailBlazer/GMC Envoy/Olds Bravada SUV triplets. This is good news for a lot of reasons. The ladder frame has hydroformed side rails and eight crossmembers to give the SUVs "best-in-class" structural stiffness. This will no doubt benefit the SSR's handling and hauling abilities. |
 More important, the source...  More important, the source told us that using the GMT 360 frame would allow room for a "V-8 in the 5.3-liter Vortec family." He wouldn't confirm or deny the use of any particular engine; only that the SSR would have V-8 power. We hope GM has the huevos to keep the Vortec 6000 in the SSR. With 300 horses and 360 lb-ft of torque, it would spank the 5.9-equipped Dodge Dakota R/T (shown), which puts out 250 horses and 345 lb-ft. However, even the 6.0 would require some major tuning to top the revised-for-2001 Ford SVT Lightning pickup. Its 5.4 now churns out 380 hp and 450 lb-ft of torque. All the more reason for Chevy to keep the 6.0 and not weenie out with 5.3. C'mon, GMgo for it. |
 Comparisons between the SSR...  Comparisons between the SSR and Dakota don't stop at the engines. Their overall dimensions will probably be alike as well. At 113 inches, the GMT 360's wheelbase is nearly identical to the Dakota regular cab's 111.9-inch wheelbase. The regular-cab Dakota's overall length is 195.8 inches, while the TrailBlazer is 191.6 inches long. The SSR may be a tad longer than the SUV, given its bed overhang, but even an extra few inches would still keep it Dakota sized. |
 Chances are good the SSR will...  Chances are good the SSR will retain the SUV's double-A-arm front suspension setup with coil springs over Bilstein shock absorbers. (Note that the photo is of a TrailBlazer 4x4; the SSR won't have front half-shafts.) We're not sure what GM will do in the rear. Since the SSR has been promoted as having a "sports car" nature, the SUV's five-link/coil-spring/solid axle suspension may be retained and tuned for better road handling. But if someone inside GM is stuck on the notion that the SSR is a "truck," it may wind up with leaf springs. Nooooo! |
 That was all we could squeeze...  That was all we could squeeze out of our source-at least for now. When more details about the SSR come to light we'll share them with you. So stay tuned. |
If you've been watching the auto show circuit over the past few years, you know it's not a real Hot Rod-friendly place. Almost all of the OE maker's concept vehicles are SUVs, car-SUV hybrids, or weird, egg-shaped sedans powered by strange, underachieving powerplants. Take heart, however, because the few bright spots on the Hot Rod horizon truly shine. Ford's Forty Nine concept and Mercury's Marauder, unveiled at this year's Detroit Auto Show, represent a welcome trend that blends custom- and muscle-car heritage with technologically advanced engineering.
Ford wasn't first with this idea, though. Last year, Chevrolet shocked just about everybody when it unveiled the SSR concept pickup, a retro-styled, V-8 powered roadster that immediately set hearts a-pounding in the hot rodding community. Now this was something we could relate to: curvaceous fenders, gobs of horsepower, fat tires to grab the pavement, wind-in-your-hair excitement, and a cargo bed to boot. It looked all the world like the second coming of the El Camino SS, only better.
Chevrolet's track record of bringing exciting concept vehicles to reality isn't as good as Chrysler's, but it happened once before with the Impala SS. Apparently it's going to happen again, as GM has confirmed plans to build and sell the SSR. While it won't go on sale until sometime in 2003, we got our hands on some hot insider scoop on how the pickup is taking shape, from a high-level source within GM. (We cant reveal our sources, though, because lives are stakemost important, that of the SSR.) To find out what we've dug up so far, check out the captions at right, and don't forget to Click Here for our online opinion poll on the SSR.