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After months of testing in plain sight, but, in a camouflage paint job Chevrolet revealed its' 2013 SS in Las Vegas on Thursday.
Under the new NASCAR mandate OEM manufacturers such as GM, Ford and Toyota now are permitted to race cars which actually resemble the cars which names they bear.
Thus when General Motors unveils an all-new rear wheel drive V-8 Chevrolet SS performance sedan that will debut early next year it will look like the race car shown on Thursday.
“As a passionate race fan, the debut of the SS NASCAR race car is a genuinely exciting moment for me,” said GM North America President Mark Reuss. “With the SS, Chevrolet is delivering a true rear-wheel-drive NASCAR race car that is very closely linked to the performance sedan that will be available for sale, ensuring that our most loyal enthusiasts will have the opportunity to experience the same thrill every day on the open road that our race car drivers enjoy on the track on race day.”
The profile clearly shows the large wheel arches and the dramatic cove behind the front wheel here just like the production car. The exterior similarities between the SS race car and the production car are very, very car. There's a little bit of math representation of that. The blue line here on the slide is the race car; the green line is the production car. The cars match up extremely well.
The Chevrolet SS was actually derived from the Australian-built Holden Commodore.
Here's what selected drivers and crew chiefs are saying about the new Chevy:
Jimmie Johnson - No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports:
“It's been a huge effort, and the times that I have driven the 2013 Chevrolet SS race car, I've been very impressed. I'm excited for Chevrolet, and really for all the manufacturers to have such a cool looking race car. The cars look sharp; they look good; I think the fans are going to be excited to go to the showrooms and buy these vehicles. We have been able to work on them from an aero balance. I know that my friends at GM are awfully smart, and are going to give me a great car to go race with.”
Kevin Harvick - No. 29 Richard Childress Racing:
“I think it's one of the most important moves that NASCAR and the manufacturers have made in a very long time. Just for the fact that the cars on the race track will be very significant in looking like the cars on the showroom floor. I think from a manufacturer's standpoint it's probably the most important move that has happened in I don't even know how long, but a really long time. For the fans to have that relevance from the race track to the showroom is important.”
Tony Stewart - No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing:
“The new SS looks awesome. That's the great thing - it's back to looking like a production car again. It's a design that I really like. It's got the perfect blend of having a race car look, but a street car look at the same time; and that's hard to do. No matter what you're a fan of, you're going to be able to pick out your favorite brand of car and see it from the stands.”
Juan-Pablo Montoya, No. 42 Earnhardt Ganassi Racing:
“I think it looks amazing. From what I've seen, I did the photo shoot already with the car, the race car looks amazing. It looks great. I think it has a lot of personality. It looks like a proper Chevy that I think is great. Knowing that the street car is going to be close to that, I can't even wait for it.”
Chad Knaus, Crew Chief, No. 48 Chevrolet SS:
"We are very excited about the new ‘13 Chevy SS race car, and can't wait to get it on-track full-time next year. At Hendrick Motorsports, we have been involved in the development process and have worked closely with the Chevy engineers. There will be some challenges, but I enjoy a good challenge. I do think it will create good racing on the track. In typical Chevrolet fashion, it has high-qualify parts and is definitely a great looking car!”
Kenny Francis, Crew Chief, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports:
“I think the new race car will be an interesting new challenge. The rules are quite a bit different than what we have been working with lately. The aerodynamics are going to be a lot different. It's a lot cooler looking car compared to what we have now. Everybody is excited about that. It's going to present a unique opportunity and some challenges for everyone. We are just looking forward to it.”
Under the new NASCAR mandate OEM manufacturers such as GM, Ford and Toyota now are permitted to race cars which actually resemble the cars which names they bear.
Thus when General Motors unveils an all-new rear wheel drive V-8 Chevrolet SS performance sedan that will debut early next year it will look like the race car shown on Thursday.
“As a passionate race fan, the debut of the SS NASCAR race car is a genuinely exciting moment for me,” said GM North America President Mark Reuss. “With the SS, Chevrolet is delivering a true rear-wheel-drive NASCAR race car that is very closely linked to the performance sedan that will be available for sale, ensuring that our most loyal enthusiasts will have the opportunity to experience the same thrill every day on the open road that our race car drivers enjoy on the track on race day.”
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| Photo: Getty for NASCAR |
The profile clearly shows the large wheel arches and the dramatic cove behind the front wheel here just like the production car. The exterior similarities between the SS race car and the production car are very, very car. There's a little bit of math representation of that. The blue line here on the slide is the race car; the green line is the production car. The cars match up extremely well.
The Chevrolet SS was actually derived from the Australian-built Holden Commodore.
Here's what selected drivers and crew chiefs are saying about the new Chevy:
Jimmie Johnson - No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports:
“It's been a huge effort, and the times that I have driven the 2013 Chevrolet SS race car, I've been very impressed. I'm excited for Chevrolet, and really for all the manufacturers to have such a cool looking race car. The cars look sharp; they look good; I think the fans are going to be excited to go to the showrooms and buy these vehicles. We have been able to work on them from an aero balance. I know that my friends at GM are awfully smart, and are going to give me a great car to go race with.”
Kevin Harvick - No. 29 Richard Childress Racing:
“I think it's one of the most important moves that NASCAR and the manufacturers have made in a very long time. Just for the fact that the cars on the race track will be very significant in looking like the cars on the showroom floor. I think from a manufacturer's standpoint it's probably the most important move that has happened in I don't even know how long, but a really long time. For the fans to have that relevance from the race track to the showroom is important.”
Tony Stewart - No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing:
“The new SS looks awesome. That's the great thing - it's back to looking like a production car again. It's a design that I really like. It's got the perfect blend of having a race car look, but a street car look at the same time; and that's hard to do. No matter what you're a fan of, you're going to be able to pick out your favorite brand of car and see it from the stands.”
Juan-Pablo Montoya, No. 42 Earnhardt Ganassi Racing:
“I think it looks amazing. From what I've seen, I did the photo shoot already with the car, the race car looks amazing. It looks great. I think it has a lot of personality. It looks like a proper Chevy that I think is great. Knowing that the street car is going to be close to that, I can't even wait for it.”
Chad Knaus, Crew Chief, No. 48 Chevrolet SS:
"We are very excited about the new ‘13 Chevy SS race car, and can't wait to get it on-track full-time next year. At Hendrick Motorsports, we have been involved in the development process and have worked closely with the Chevy engineers. There will be some challenges, but I enjoy a good challenge. I do think it will create good racing on the track. In typical Chevrolet fashion, it has high-qualify parts and is definitely a great looking car!”
Kenny Francis, Crew Chief, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports:
“I think the new race car will be an interesting new challenge. The rules are quite a bit different than what we have been working with lately. The aerodynamics are going to be a lot different. It's a lot cooler looking car compared to what we have now. Everybody is excited about that. It's going to present a unique opportunity and some challenges for everyone. We are just looking forward to it.”