Chevy SS: Not dead yet?

Is Chevrolet cooking up an affordable V8 replacement for North America's Commodore-based Chevrolet SS sports sedan after all?

That’s an interpretation that could be taken from an interview with the Aussie-built V8 model's chief engineer at the New York show this morning Aussie time.

Al Oppenheiser, who is also chief engineer of the Chevrolet Camaro, got all coy when discussing the future of the SS with Australian journalists.

When asked what the feeling was about the demise of the V8-powered, rear-wheel drive SS after the current Commodore ceases production and Holden's Elizabeth plant closes at the end of 2017, he stated: “We haven’t announced an end date to it.

“We know that there are some decisions made on Zeta that are imminent, but right now we are just focussed on the new ’17 model, which is great,” Oppenheiser said.

When a journalist responded that the MY17 was a “good high to go out on”, Oppenheiser shot back: “I didn’t say we were going out. I didn’t say it, he [the journalist] said it.

“I am not at liberty; I am going to leave you hanging. I am not leaving you with anything because I am not answering the questions,” the GM exec stated.

An affordable V8 sports sedan seemed to have some currency a couple of years ago within GM as the leadership mulled what could fill the hole in Australia and the US left by the Commodore and SS.

A low-volume model based on the right-hand drive package-protected rear-drive Alpha architecture seemed the most logical option, as motoring.com.au reported in January 2014.

But the program reportedly never got off the ground, leaving speculation about the Camaro as a replacement. But that proved a non-starter and attention has centred on the super-expensive Chevrolet Corvette.

Intriguingly, Oppenheiser is now suggesting there is potential life yet in a right-hand drive Camaro.

Whatever the case may be, Oppenheiser said GM senior executives including product boss and former Holden chief executive Mark Reuss were aware of the issues and doing their best to address them.

“Mark Reuss was the managing director of Holden and he completely understands the market. And if anybody understands what we could do and if we could do it, it would be him.

“I don’t make those decisions but I support whatever the leadership looks at and if there is opportunity we will take it.

“If there is not we will communicate that,” Oppenheiser stated.