Chevrolet Impala has more go than show

Back by popular demand ...

The Impala SS sedan returns to the Chevrolet stable this fall after too long an absence.

In the 1990s, Chevy sold a full-size sedan called Caprice, an ugly, bulbous machine that became the car of choice of taxi fleets because hardly anyone else would set foot in it.

Then, in order to instill some life into the car, Chevrolet turned Jon Moss, who tinkered with performance cars, loose on Caprice.

In 1961, Chevy had introduced its first Impala SS, or Super Sport. By 1969 it had sold nearly 1 million copies of the high-performance model, which included a 409-cubic-inch V-8 version immortalized by the Beach Boys. Over the years a variety of Chevys carried an SS badge to signify they weren’t run-of-the-mill cars.

Moss remembered the magic formula and came up with an Impala SS rendition of Caprice that he unveiled at the 1992 Specialty Equipment Market Assn. show, where those who sell parts and accessories to customize, personalize and individualize run-of-the-mill cars gather each year.

The Impala SS was a hit, and in 1994 Chevy began producing the car. Baby boomers eager to relive misspent youth devoted to cars sought out the limited-edition SS.

The rear-wheel-drive sedan, available initially in any color as long as it was black, was powered by a 5.7-liter, 260-horsepower V-8 and came with a performance-tuned suspension for sports car handling.

“We sold about 6,000 units in ’94 and then added green and cherry in ’95 and sold about 20,000 cars, and in ’96 sold about 42,000,” Chevy General Manager Kurt Ritter said.

Chevy dropped the Impala SS after the ’96 model run because it stopped producing the Caprice. Enthusiasts have been asking for its return ever since.

It returns this fall as an ‘04, though as a front-wheel-drive sedan powered by a 3.8-liter supercharged V-6 that will deliver 240 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque at 3,600 rpm for off-the-line sprints. It will be teamed with a four-speed automatic transmission.

“You’ll notice the torque, but this isn’t meant to be a zero-to-60-mph-in-six-seconds high-performance Corvette, as it is an affordable car with credible performance and exceptional handling,” Ritter said.

And the ’04 SS models aren’t meant to be limited-edition numbers aimed at collectors who will put them up on blocks and wait for appreciation to set in, as many did with those ‘94-’96 models, Ritter said.

“The intent is to give people products they can have fun with, cars with more go than show, yet not exotics that they can only dream of ever owning,” he said.

Chevrolet is working with the GM Performance Division to develop SS versions of existing vehicles that will emphasize acceleration and handling. First up is the 2003 Silverado SS extended-cab short-bed pickup, available in the first quarter of this year.

Other SS versions will be added “when they make sense,” Ritter said. “We aren’t going to have a Venture SS minivan or a Suburban SS sport utility, for example.”

The ’04 Impala SS will be available in any color as long as it is black. It will feature a performance-tuned suspension, high-performance speed-rated radial tires with 17-inch diamond-cut cast aluminum wheels, bright stainless-steel dual exhaust tips, fog lamps, a six-gauge cluster, including a supercharger boost gauge, and SS badging.

It also will offer variable-rate power rack-and-pinion steering, electronic traction control, large-diameter four-wheel disc power-assisted brakes with anti-lock and race-inspired cooling ducts, stiffer spring rates front and rear, and lowered body height in back to help reduce body roll in cornering.

To set the SS apart from other Impalas, the monochromatic black theme will include body-colored moldings, deck-lid spoiler and fog lamps integrated into the front fascia.

Chevy also offers a Monte Carlo SS coupe powered by a 3.8-liter, 200-horsepower V-6. With the return of the Impala SS, the Monte Carlo SS also gets a performance boost for ’04 from the same 240-horsepower supercharged version of the 3.8-liter V-6.

And it gets a new performance suspension, 17-inch radials, spoiler, full perimeter ground effects, stainless-steel exhaust tips, fog lamps and six-gauge instrument cluster as well as electronic traction control and large-diameter four-wheel disc brakes with ABS.

Unlike the Impala SS, the Monte Carlo SS will be offered in eight colors.