Don't be deluded into viewing the SS as any kind of return to the golden days. Chevrolet doesn't plan to import more than 4000 of them annually from Australia. For 2013, the SS became Chevy's NASCAR model. Officially, Chevrolet hasn't decided what will follow. "Stay tuned," says Dave Leone, GM's executive chief engineer for global product platforms. Unofficially, it's hard to imagine this car becoming any more of a commercial success than the last two Holden-sourced imports, the Pontiac GTO and G8. To sell more, GM would have to consider relocating production to North America. It would also have to improve fuel economy -- think cylinder deactivation and a transmission with more than six speeds -- so as not to adversely impact the company's CAFE standing. Those things cost money that Chevy would probably rather use to, say, improve its all-important compact and mid-size cars. We get all that. And yet the 2014 Chevrolet SS still haunts us as a reminder of a time when Chevry built powerful, charismatic sedans for the masses.

Rain Supreme: SS meets SRT8 in a precipitous battle of modern-day muscle.

First place: 2014 Chevrolet SS

Highs:
Excellent handling balance, refined interior, great looks, an LS3 V-8.

Lows:
Limited availability, can be mistaken for a Malibu, no manual offered.

Verdict:
The gifted offspring of a BMW M5 and a Chevy Camaro SS.

Second place: 2013 Dodge Charger SRT8 392

Highs:
A Hemi V-8, classic Mopar ’tude, user-friendly controls.

Lows:
Brutal ride, feels massive, muted steering, can get expensive.

Verdict:
A retro powerhouse proudly short on grace.

The Wolverine From Down Under Drops Its Claws

The levels of road and wind noise are more in keeping with the car’s mass-market roots, but the shocks are (mercifully) softened from their Aussie-market Commodore SS V-series Redline spec to better cushion Michigan’s frost-heaved potholes while still offering laudable sport-sedan body-motion control. We’d love to try the magnetic setup top-spec HSV Gen-F GTS models get in Oz, but Leone cautions against expecting the Chevy SS to get that car’s hotter supercharged LSA engine, or the Z/28’s LS7, or even the current Corvette’s more efficient but pricier LT1, any of which would bolt in easily. “We are enthused and excited about the car, but we’re not planning on dropping in three new engines.”

That’s in part because while the car is not capacity constrained, Chevy can’t really afford to sell tens of thousands of SSs when each one gets socked with a $1300 gas-guzzler tax (rated 14/21 mpg, it’s even thirstier than a five-speed Charger SRT8). This sad CAFE reality means there’s less incentive to stir the pot with new variants. But to those rear-drive Impala SS enthusiasts overdue for a new car to tune, tweak, and bracket-race (and make big, smoky burnouts in such as the one our art department insisted we snap, though that’s no longer this car’s principle raison d’etre), Leone assures, “We will support the car in accessories. Holden has a reasonable aftermarket portfolio, and a lot of Camaro equipment will bolt on.”

The least-impressive element of the car is styling that lacks the movie-star appeal of its Mopar rivals. But please, Chevy, if addressing this, don't add any adamantium flourishes.

Pricey Performance from Down Under

The Verdict

It’s not like the SS was ever intended to be a high seller. But little promotion, an attractive in-house rival and forgetful styling have only made the road to success more difficult for this large, sporty sedan. It’s too bad really because the SS truly is a well-crafted vehicle.

It's got Australian heritage, but the Chevy SS is all-American at heart.

A Smoking Deal
In probably the least fortunate car-launch timing in history, GM announced — just as SS sedans rolled onto dealer lots this month — that it plans to close the Elizabeth, South Australia, plant that builds the Chevy SS in 2017.

Does this mean the end of the SS before it's even had a chance to get started? We have no idea. After driving the 2014 Chevy SS we sure hope it finds a way to stick around. With a starting price of $44,470, the SS is a solid value among large performance sedans. Our test car fitted with both options, and including the $1,300 gas-guzzler tax, totaled $47,170.

That's no small price for a Chevrolet sedan, but compare its capabilities to the competition and the value is clear. At that price, America's wholesale rejection of good stuff (especially the V8-powered rear-drive sedan) looks even sillier.

We take a "Qucik Spin" in Chevy's first V8 rear drive sedan in two decades.

2014 Chevy SS with Hennessey HPE600 Supercharged upgrade runs 11.84 sec. @ 118 mph in 1/4 mile. Vehicle is equipped with drag radial tires and is running on 93 octane pump fuel.

Grand National

It's been 18 years since Chevrolet has offered a rear-wheel-drive sport sedan in their line-up. But it's not like GM was out of the game entirely, they just left such drivetrains to Cadillac and Pontiac, not to mention their Australian Holden brand, which is where the 2014 Chevrolet SS comes from. Well after a brief fact finding mission, here's our scoop on the General's new "rear" admiral.