It's the
turn of the
21st century, and
Chrysler's PT Cruiser is selling like
hotcakes in the
United States -- its
vintage style along with modern conveniences have made it one of the most desirable
American cars ever. So, what else can other
automakers do besides jump on the
bandwagon? The newly produced
SSR, first shown at the
2000 North American International
Motor Show in
Detroit, is
GM-owned
Chevrolet's foray into the
old-school, imitating a
40's-era roadster/
coupe... sort of.
The SSR is actually some kind of strange hybrid of car and truck (ute, anyone?) which uses a retractable hardtop similar to various Mercedes-Benz cabriolets like the CLK 320. Unlike the PT Cruiser, which is little more than a glorified station wagon, the SSR has a very respectable amount of power for any era, reminiscent of the days when gasoline was abundant and cheap -- its Vortec 5300 (5.3-liter aluminum-block V8) engine produces 290 horsepower and 325 lbs. ft. of torque, sent to the rear wheels by way of a TORSEN traction differential and an electronic four-speed HydraMatic 4L60-E transmission with overdrive (the same can be found in such cars as the Camaro, Corvette, and various Cadillacs).
It is currently still in the concept stage, but GM plans to begin mass sale by summer 2003.