Posted on 04/22/2003 9:05:55 PM PDT by Pokey78
Edited on 04/23/2004 12:05:30 AM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]
Horsepower and martial valor couldn't have come at a better time.
The French semiologist Roland Barthes once said he considered cars "almost the exact equivalent of the great Gothic cathedrals
(Excerpt) Read more at opinionjournal.com ...
Well, what's wrong with it? If that's not muscle, what do you want? Educate me, I'm ignorant of such things.
Mine was something like this in racing green and leather interior, 351 Cleveland 4 barrel and could fly!
LOL, agreed. I never rode in a '70 but the one opportunity I took for riding in a '67 changed me completely. The power in that car and the size of the car itself for some reason reminded me of the '63-'64 Cobras
Not ignorant at all -- comparing the Corvette with the classic "muscle car" is like comparing the cutting power of a sword with a broadaxe. Both cut, but the lighter faster sword (i.e., the Corvette) has a level of finesse; the broadaxe cuts with sheer power.
The engines in the muscle cars are throatier, louder and far more powerful in a head-to-head competition than the lighter Corvette (and other similar cars).
I used to have a friend from Tokyo who went to college in Chicago. When he moved here (mid 80's), he bought a Buick Grand National (one of GM's last true muscle cars). When his mother (a quiet, reserved woman) came to visit, all she saw was a Buick Regal. She had no clue. That is until people challenged her to race more than once at stop lights...
Haven't heard yet. Here's the text from the Canadian Driver article on the SS from their January issue:
January 5, 2003
Exciting Chevy SS concept!
Detroit, Michigan - GM unveiled a sleek new Chevrolet SS concept car on Sunday which the company calls, "a modern interpretation of Chevrolet's Super Sport heritage." A four-door family sedan that looks like a sports car, the SS packs rear-wheel drive, a high-technology version of GM's small-block V-8, and high-performance suspension and brakes.
The Chevy SS is a product of GM Design's Los Angeles studio. The design is fluid with a short front overhang, long dash-to-axle and wide, muscular fenders providing an aggressive stance. Powerful wheel arches house 21-inch front and 22-inch rear aluminum wheels with BF Goodrich performance tires. The package also includes side gills, sporty round taillamps, through-fascia dual exhaust and a brushed stainless steel panel surrounding the taillamps.
Underneath the hood is the latest evolution of Chevy's race-proven small-block V-8. The car's longitudinal all-aluminum 6.0-litre V-8 engine pumps 430 horsepower and 430 lbs.-ft. of torque. The engine is paired with a Hydra-Matic 4L65-E four-speed, rear-wheel-drive, electronically controlled automatic transmission. It also could be equipped with the fuel-saving Displacement on Demand technology, debuting on somein 2004 on some 2005 GM models, which shuts down half of the cylinders during most driving conditions and automatically and seamlessly reactivates them for more demanding conditions, such as brisk acceleration or load hauling.
The SS features sophisticated low-arm SLA suspension and independent rear suspension for high-performance driving. The chassis features driver-adjustable shocks to change the damping ratio. The SS driver can tune the chassis for a softer setting during the week and dial in more performance for track days on the weekend.
"The great Chevy rear-wheel-drive V-8 vehicles are deeply embedded into the American psyche," said Nesbitt. "With their power and speed, these cars gave Americans a sense of freedom and rebellion against the ordinary, at a price tag that many could afford. The Chevy SS truly is mobile entertainment for performance enthusiasts of all generations."
Basic bottom line reality: A Honda Civic or Accord, an Acura, or a Dodge neon with a 135 - 160 hp motor will easily go as fast as it's possible to go in all but a few places in America today while getting 35 mpg and still feeling tight and new after 150,000 miles.
I've heard that the new turbocharged Neon is lightning fast, and handles well too.
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