We were excited to announce when Bob Lutz confirmed that GM was working on a higher-performance version of the Corvette. The announcement finally vindicated all those spy shots of a suped-up Corvette test mule, dubbed the "Blue Devil", that was caught undergoing developmental testing for so long. And it gave fans of American muscle something to look forward to in the wake of the new 600-horsepower Dodge Viper.
Now reports are surfacing that the highly-anticipated 600-hp Super-Vette, which is what we called it in the absence of anything more official, will wear the Corvette SS badge. You may recall that after the storied SuperSport badge got diluted with less than SuperSporty products, Chevrolet promised it would only use the name for cars that truly deserved it. We think it's safe to say that the upcoming Corvette SS will be a fitting resurrection of the badge, don't you?
The Corvette SS, which will be known internally as GMX245-SSC (GMX245 is the product code for the C6-generation Corvette), is tipped to make its debut at next year's Detroit show. Some of us here at Autoblog will be cryogenically freezing ourselves until then, we're that stoked.
[Source: Winding Road]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
SSBR @ Feb 20th 2007 2:19PM
Corvette "SS"? Is that the best they could come up with? Sigh....
http://www.rolesor.com
Yayaja @ Feb 20th 2007 2:23PM
Moniker's should get more impressive and elaborate as the trim increases. SS is NOT more impressive then Z06, not by a long shot. And I'm sorry, once a moniker's been through what the SS has been through, it is all but beyond rescue. Drop it like so much dead weight, GM.
Michael Karesh @ Feb 20th 2007 2:26PM
I have no problem what so ever with "Corvette SS." If anything, it'll help restore lustre to the SS sub-brand.
I'm just not sure how Base - Z06 - SS works as a logical arragemnet. Base-SS(instead of Z06)-SSR/SSX/etc. would have made more sense. But since the Z06 has been out of the bag for some time, I wouldn't expect them to rename it.
Frankly, though, they could call it just about anything.
John Crouse @ Feb 20th 2007 2:39PM
what no stingray??
jamey @ Feb 20th 2007 2:43PM
I like it and think the progression makes sense. Just like the camaro was base-Z28-SS the corvette should be base-Z06-SS
Kowell @ Feb 20th 2007 2:58PM
Ah please.... GM diluted the SS badge to a point where is has no meaning left in it...
pd @ Feb 20th 2007 3:10PM
Kowell your right, should have gone with Stingray. Anyway i'm guessing OVER 650 h.p.
CoffeeJones @ Feb 20th 2007 3:33PM
2. Moniker's should get more impressive and elaborate as the trim increases.
Subaru WRX STi spec C TYPE RA-R
Now THAT's how it's done!
http://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/08/rallylicious-subaru-wrx-sti-spec-c-type-ra-r/
Non-Bizarro Adam @ Feb 20th 2007 3:44PM
I agree with Jamey. The Camaro always was Base - Z28 - SS, at least in terms of power, so it would make sense to do the same with the Corvette. Plus, in keeping with that idea from the late 60s Camaros, they could put a little more luxury in them as well. The SS Camaros were not the thinly veiled race cars that the original 302 Z28s were, much like the new Z06s. With a $100,000 price tag, they are going to have to make it a lot nicer to live with, not just stupid fast.
Talis @ Feb 20th 2007 3:50PM
ok, well all of you have it wrong. "SS" was always used as a trim option--not a ture preformance enhancment. What has happened, is when people restore a '61 Impala SS, they yank out the I-6 and put in a crate motor 409.
Also, the orginal progression of the Camaro was base, RS, Z28. The SS option could only be added to RS or Z28 cars but could be added to EITHER RS or Z28.
I will also agree with those of you who said it should have been called Sting-ray. I hyphenated it because I am not sure if I would call this new supper Corvette Sitng Ray, or Sringray. I am sure you will all remember that the first Sting Ray was too words and later in 1969, the name was brought back as Stingray (one word).
Anywho, the point is that SS was made into a performance badge only by its fans and performance nuts.
Talis @ Feb 20th 2007 3:52PM
To prove my point, simply walk into a book store and pick up a book about chevys.
You know, books... those things with pages and ink.
skaz @ Feb 20th 2007 4:04PM
Talis: That only became true in the mid-late 70s. SS was frequently the trim package that you HAD to purchase to get the big engines.
Deezee @ Feb 20th 2007 4:11PM
I think its a good move to name it the SS. Simply because the other chevy models can leach off it and use it for their performance versions. Keeping things consistent. The car will be impressive no matter what they call it.
Jim @ Feb 20th 2007 4:20PM
If you really want to know what Winding Road is all about, I just made the following comment on their page over there:
"Reilly,
If you're going to rip off information from another website, as you done here, at least cite the source you are plagiarizing;
http://www.digitalcorvettes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=71392
You guys obviously don't have a single industry inside source to save your lives so maybe you better stick to driving Corvettes with tape and cardboard on them. It seems to be what you do best. If you had even a remote clue, you'd know Corvette SS program has been a go for quite a while now and that engineering has been going on for at least 1.5 years.
You guys are pathetic and sad."
The comment was promptly deleted from the page (by Reilly himself, I'm sure) and ALL commenting on the page was closed. He then added some links, albeit incorrect links, as citations to his "story."
It's fine that automotive journalism is trending more towards online than print these days, but some of these online guys are just pathetic hacks.
jg @ Feb 20th 2007 5:03PM
I don't like Corvette SS. Its a Corvette, there shouldn't be anything non-SS about even the basest base model. You should only put SS on cars that are sleepers, that look like regular cars but will actually dust you.
Fabulo @ Feb 20th 2007 5:03PM
I always thought the SS trim was in really bad taste. But that certainly is due to my Euro origins.
SS unequivocally evoques the Nazis in my mind. SS for
Schutzstaffel, here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS
Besides that, what does it matter what they call it? It'll be the 600 bhp Corvette.
Everybody wants to have more power, but when someone asks why not making it lighter, everyone raises an eyebrow and says "Why?"
Clay @ Feb 20th 2007 5:10PM
I think that it would do good for the SS brand. I love the logo and the image (swaggering SS), but there have been some diluted products. The only really worthy ones are the Cobalt SS S'Charged, mabey the Silverado, and (believe it or not) the TrailBlazer SS (trust me, I have one). The TBSS is a great sleeper, but it would be nice to get some pizazz back to SS.
NoNameDenton @ Feb 20th 2007 5:22PM
I guess it is time to start find ways to get money to be able to afford one of these cars since the price tag is supposed to be $100,000
Felix @ Feb 20th 2007 5:22PM
Bah! leave the alphanumerics to the Japanese and the Europeans. It should be called "awsome-kick-ass-version" After all if i'm paying 100K for a car that looks exactly like one costing 45K, it had better have a chrome "kick-ass-version" badge somewhere in plain sight.
Chris @ Feb 20th 2007 5:30PM
@Fabulo:
The Z06 is already lighter than the base model, and the new SS is supposed to be even lighter than that. Some speculate it will even come in under 3000lbs. I doubt it, but I bet it will shed a few pounds at any rate.