Let’s go over the basics. Holden began building the fourth-generation, Zeta-platform Commodore in 2006. Quickly after that, the glorious Pontiac G8 (specifically the rip-snortin’ GXP variant complete with a manual transmission) came to America in 2008. But bankruptcy forced GM to kill Pontiac in 2010. Worse, bankruptcy meant there was no G8 ST, a Pontiac version of the Maloo, aka Ute, aka El Camino. All hope was not lost, however, as a shortened two-door version of the Commodore came from the land Down Under with a Chevy badge on its snout in 2010. You and I and that dude with the AC/DC patch on his denim vest knew it as the fifth-generation Camaro. And while the new 2016 Camaro has replaced the previous one, Zeta ain’t dead yet. In 2014 Chevrolet began selling the SS here in America. Its half-life is short, however, as it’s going away in 2017 when GM shutters the Holden factory.
Here’s why: The Chevy SS is the car everyone says they want. The iconic LS3 sits under the hood. If you’re not in the know, that’s the General’s ubiquitous naturally aspirated, 6.2-liter small-block V-8, and in SS tune it makes a square 415 horsepower and 415 lb-ft of torque. These days, 415 hp might sound like a healthy riding lawnmower, but it’s plenty of power. Especially because you can now opt to send every last pony to just the rear wheels via an honest-to-goodness six-speed manual. Having complete control over the engine makes a little bit of power feel like a lot and a good amount of power feel absolutely excellent. I was going back and forth between this SS and an automatic Dodge Charger Hellcat, and the SS didn’t feel all that down on power unless I was hammering away. If 415 hp simply isn’t enough gumption for you, is there an engine on the planet with more mods available than the LS3? Kinda doubt it. To recap: naturally aspirated V-8, manual transmission, rear-wheel drive.
The proof, it is said, is in the pudding. Check out the numbers. Zero to 60 happens in a mere 4.8 seconds, and the quarter mile is overcome in 13.2 seconds at 109.2 mph. Those are solid performance numbers, especially for a 3,906-pound four-door sedan. Is the automatic even quicker? Dunno. Haven’t driven it. Haven’t even planned on driving it. Whichever one you pick, the SS comes complete with Delphi’s third-gen magnetic dampers. As a result, the SS can pull 0.95 g on the skidpad. Pretty dang great, huh? Also, go ahead and name another brand-new RWD four-door sedan with a V-8 and a manual. I’ll wait.
To me, that’s the point. BMW no longer makes a non-M 5 Series with a V-8 and a manual. Audi has the RS5 with a V-8 and three pedals, but it’s smaller, only two doors, and AWD. AMG never offered a manual E-Class. Jaguar? No. Caddy? Lexus? Infiniti? No, no, and no. Which brings us back to the M5. The Chevrolet is better. No, really. Consider that the previous generation E60 M5 was a better driver’s car than the current one, and despite the E60’s sweet V-10, the previous-generation M5, the E39, drove even better. Funny enough, that M5 hit 60 mph in 4.5 seconds, ran the quarter mile in 13.1 seconds at 106.8 mph, and weighed more or less the same. Does the Chevy SS make a driver happier than an E39 M5? Future “Head 2 Head!” That said, the current M5 is nearly 4,400 pounds, and the Chevy is way more fun. As far as midsize sedans go, the SS represents rarified air. Especially if you like driving.
2015 Chevrolet SS
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BASE PRICE
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$48,040
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PRICE AS TESTED
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$46,740
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VEHICLE LAYOUT
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Front-engine, RWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan
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ENGINE
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6.2L/415-hp/415-lb-ft SOHC 16-valve V-8
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TRANSMISSION
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6-speed manual
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CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST)
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3,906 lb (52/48%)
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WHEELBASE
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114.8 in
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LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT
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195.5 x 74.7 x 57.9 in
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0-60 MPH
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4.8 sec
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QUARTER MILE
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13.2 sec @ 109.2 mph
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BRAKING, 60-0 MPH
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110 ft
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LATERAL ACCELERATION
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0.95 g (avg)
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MT FIGURE EIGHT
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25.0 sec @ 0.77 g (avg)
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REAL MPG, CITY/HWY/COMB
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17.6/24.9/20.3 mpg
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EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON
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15/21/17 mpg
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ENERGY CONS., CITY/HWY
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225/160 kW-hrs/100 miles
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CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB
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1.13 lb/mile
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