Super Sport Roadster
The Chevy SSR is hard to define… at a glance, it looks like a futuristic concept pick-up and yet when you study the specs, it could well be a high-performance hotrod. But it’s the sort of vehicle that GM believes will sell like hotcakes simply because of the emotive looks.
The SSR began life as a concept for motorshows, something to get visitors all excited. It was a model which the designers wanted to do simply to provide a modern, even futuristic interpretation of the American truck, hence the sleek lines. The process of designing the SSRE was brisk – just seven weeks for the first sketch to the first full-sized model, thanks to the use of CAD tools.
Response was beyond expectations and both dealers and the public wanted to buy one. It was so strong that GM management made the decision to turn the concept into a reality. And the brief to the engineers was to retain as much of the design as possible; typically, when a concept model is turned into a production model, production and engineering constraints mean it loses some of its exciting aspects (especially the looks).
With the SSR, the head-turning looks have been retained in the production model which will go on sale next year. In fact, so significant is this new model that GM has an elaborate program to progressively introduce it to the public.
Early next year, the first 25 units to be available for sale will be presented as a ‘Signature Series’. Production of the Signature Series SSRs started this month and will continue through April 2003.
These ‘pedigree’ units will be used in a variety of high-profile launch activities and many will be part of themed events created specifically around the SSR. Each vehicle will embark on a unique journey, and along the way, Chevrolet representatives will collect memorabilia, photographs, autographs, news clippings and other keepsakes that connect to the journey. These collectibles will create a “pedigree” specific to each SSR, and will be placed in a special scrapbook that will be auctioned off with each vehicle at the end of its road trip.
“We developed the Signature Series vehicles and program concept as a creative way to introduce the new Chevy SSR to as many people as possible,” said Russ Clark, marketing director for Chevy’s mid-size trucks. “Each SSR will have its own unique adventure – a pedigree of sorts – that could never be duplicated.”
Signaling the start of SSR saleable production, the Signature Series vehicles will carry vehicle identification numbers (VINs) 000001 through 000025 (automotive collectors often seek out low numbers).
All 25 of the Chevy SSR Signature Series vehicles will be identical in appearance and content. In addition, they will feature content not available on any other 2003 SSR model such as ultraviolet paint, silver stitching on the black leather-wrapped steering wheel and seats, and a body-coloured engine cover with silver insert.
A highlight of SSR’s design is a unique power-operated retractable hardtop that stores vertically in a compartment between the passenger and rear storage compartments. The frame and chassis are similar in design to Chevy’s mid-size TrailBlazer family of SUVs.
All exterior panels are of stamped steel though they appear to be otherwise with their curvaceous lines. Power comes from a new aluminium block version of GM’s Vortec 5.3-litre small-block V8 and drives the rear wheels through a 4-speed automatic transmission. 19-inch front and 20-inch rear wheels and tyres give it the sporty street machine appearance.
