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Should Chevrolet continue the SS for another generation?

It is no shocker to say that Chevy kinda messed up with the SS. Now before everyone gets their facts and figures out, lets be real. The SS probably shouldn't have happened in the first place. Chevy hardly promoted the car when it released. It quietly came to our shores (the SS is really a Holden VF Commodore). It was the same with the Pontiac G8 before GM axed the brand. With the G8 however, it got more attention due to the heavy marketing Pontiac did with the car despite the low sales numbers. The SS fills the void of a performance sedan for Chevrolet mainly because there isn't a Impala SS sedan anymore. The SS also shares the same platform with the Chevrolet Caprice PPV, a fleet vehicle only available for your local police station since again the Impala doesn't fill that void any longer. But should the SS continue on in a future life? My answer: No! It was great for Chevy to do this little experiment, and I am sure they learned a lot from releasing the SS and the Caprice as well. But why not take the essence of both of those vehicles and combine them into a new next generation Impala. The Impala SS can return once again in a proper way, and a PPV version of the Impala can go into production. Kinda like what Ford and Dodge did with their performance and police versions of the Taurus and Charger. There really isn't a need to have 2 extra models in the line up when the Impala can fill all 3 voids. With the Holden VF Commodore going out of production in 2017, the Chevrolet SS may not be around much longer. There are rumors that the Commodore will live on in a new global vehicle, so if that is true it could mean the end of the RWD V8 sedans from Australia. But Chevrolet could continue the formula of the SS in the Impala, and it may turn out to be very successful for them. Image Credit: Chevrolet Chevrolet open road

The Chevrolet Camaro 1LE returns with V6 or V8 power

The Chevy Camaro's performance variants are legendary, and enthusiasts have long lusted after the Z/28 and ZL1. But there's a lesser-known model that shouldn't be overlooked: the 1LE. It's Camaro code for performance on the track. The 2017 Camaro 1LE debuts this week at the Chicago Auto Show and goes on sale late this year. The 1LE package will be offered for the first time on V6 Camaros, as well as the traditional V8-powered SS. The cars have upgraded suspensions, better brakes, aerodynamic treatments that create more downforce, and improved cooling features. The goal is simple: faster laps. "This is all grip and handling and cooling," said Todd Christensen, Camaro marketing manager. It's an enthusiast special, transforming your basic Camaro into a more capable track machine. The 335-horsepower V6 and 455-hp V8 are unchanged (and only come with six-speed manual gearboxes), because the focus is on improving the Camaro's reflexes. That means different things, depending on the engine choice. Here's how they break down. V6 1LE The V6's 1LE package is based on the LT trim and it pilfers the best chassis pieces from the V8 model, including the FE3 suspension with stabilizer bars. It also has a mechanical limited slip differential (3.27 ratio) and four-piston Brembo brake calipers in front. The fuel system is also borrowed from the SS, and it all rolls on 20-inch forged aluminum wheels wrapped in Goodyear Eagle F1 rubber measuring 245/40R20 in front and 275/35R20 in back. Christensen says Chevy added the 1LE pack for the V6 because customers actively wanted it, and for a reasonable price (we hear the 1LE will cost about the same as the fifth gen's $3,500 option) they can transform their V6 into a car that's as track capable as the SS. While it's giving up 120 hp, a V6 Camaro 1LE will also be more than 200 pounds lighter than the eight-cylinder 1LE. Chevy noticed the customer interest for a V6 1LE and will study offering the pack on Camaros with the turbocharged four-cylinder engine. Consider the V6 a test case. "I'm anxious to get some customer feedback [from the V6]," Christensen said. SS 1LE Even though it's heavier, the SS 1LE offers a lot of goodies that make it three seconds faster than a normal SS, according to Chevy's testing at Willow Springs Raceway in the California desert. The spotlight features in the SS are Magnetic Ride Control for the FE4 suspension and electronic-slip differential (3.73 ratio).

2015 Green Car Of The Year finalists announced, run alt-fuel gamut

The 2015 edition of the Green Car of the Year award is following right in the footsteps of previous years with a variety of alt-fuel powertrains making the just-announced finalists list. You've got your plug-in vehicle (the BMW i3), your compressed natural gas (the Chevy Impala Bi-Fuel), your high-efficiency diesel (the Audi A3 TDI), your 40+ mile-per-gallon gas engine (the Honda Fit) and, finally, a car that can do a little bit of everything (the VW Golf). The Golf is available – at least in some parts of the US – with three different powertrains: a 2.0-liter diesel, a gasoline engine and all-electric drive. The Impala can burn either natural gas or gasoline in its 3.6-liter engine. The A3 is an efficiency champ, able to get 73.5 mpg on some European tests. The i3 can be a pure electric vehicle or come with a short range extending engine. And the Fit brings 41 miles to the gallon in a practical, affordable package. The GCOY award is announced every year at the Los Angeles Auto Show by Green Car Journal. The committee doesn't just take the fuel-saving technology into account, but also a vehicle's "availability to the mass market." Last year, the Honda Accord Hybrid/Plug-In Hybrid won top honors, following up on wins from the Ford Fusion models (plug-in hybrid and hybrid) for 2013, the Honda Civic Natural Gas for 2012 and the Chevrolet Volt for 2011. FINALISTS ANNOUNCED FOR 2015 "GREEN CAR OF THE YEAR"" Green Car Journal to Reveal Winner of 10th Annual Award at LA Auto Show" Press & Trade Days, November 20 LOS ANGELES, CA (October 21, 2014) – Green Car Journal has announced its five finalists for the magazine's high-profile 2015 Green Car of the Year® program. The 2015 models include the Audi A3 TDI, BMW i3, Chevrolet Impala Bi-Fuel, Honda Fit, and VW Golf. The Green Car of the Year® award, an honor widely recognized as the auto industry's most important environmental accolade, celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. An increasing number of vehicle models are considered for the Green Car of the Year® program each year, a reflection of the auto industry's expanding efforts in offering new vehicles with higher efficiency and improved environmental impact. Green Car Journal has been honoring the most important "green" vehicles every year at the LA Auto Show, since its inaugural award announced at the show in 2005.