Chevy looks to the past for inspiration for its sport truck

Chevy’s SSR is part pickup, part sports car and part crowd-stopper.

 With a nose that resembles the front of a 1950 Chevy pickup, fat fenders and a retractable hard top, the SSR doesn’t really fit into any category. It sits too high off the ground to be a corner cutting sports car, yet when you’re cruising with the top down and the 300-horsepower V-8 crooning exhaust tunes, the SSR feels exactly like a sports car.

 Flip up the hard cover over the bed, and you’ll find a cargo space that is  roughly 4.5 feet long and 3.5 feet wide. The hard cover is not removable, so what you have is effectively a sedan-size trunk. If only the bed cover was removable, it could be used for light hauling. Again, SSR falls in between two segments.

 The one thing the SSR doesn’t lack is curb appeal. Almost every time I drove it, people in passing cars would wave or shout their approval. The very handsome front end dominates the retro styling. I remember how impressed I was when I saw an image of this front end on a computer in GM’s styling studios in late 1999, and how the concept car was a smash hit at the Detroit auto show in 2000.

 The SSR is a body-on-frame design that uses a chassis that is similar to the Chevy TrailBlazer SUV. The hydroformed frame has seven cross members, rather than four or six on a normal vehicle, to add structural strength that keeps the SSR from feeling wiggly when the top is down. The integrity of the chassis and body is about average for a convertible today, although some minor flexing could be felt over harsh pavement.

 The deeply contoured rear fenders are stamped from steel. Chevy said it uses a combination of old and new stamping technology to successfully form the fenders. In general, it is very difficult to shape metal so dramatically without splitting it.

 An aluminum, 5.3-liter V-8 was plopped under the bulbous nose. This engine’s roots date back to the famous 1955 Chevy, although it has been through numerous iterations since. Using aluminum for the block saves about 100 pounds, which is worthwhile since the SSR weighs a fairly hefty 4,760 pounds. Chevy used polymer-coated pistons, a mainstay in luxury-car engines, to reduce wear when the engine is cold and to reduce noise.

 The SSR is capable of towing a modest 2,500 pounds.

 Three hundred horsepower seems like a lot for a two-seater, but this is a relatively heavy vehicle. Performance is not like that of a Corvette, for example, but it is relatively vigorous. The four-speed automatic transmission is comfortable around town, but a manual gearbox would be the ideal complement for extracting maximum performance and fun. One is not available, however.

 The SSR is nimble and responsive, but it is not a sports car. It would handle better, and look better, if it sat about 3 inches closer to the pavement. The solid rear axle is also designed for moderate truck use, and that compromises handling a bit. The massive 19-inch front and 20-inch rear tires provide excellent grip. A Torsen limited slip differential, traction control and anti-lock help as well.

 Inside, the SSR is fairly simple. Brushed aluminum trim dots the cabin, and the instrument panel has a simplified gauge package and three knobs for climate control. Window, lock and traction control switches are located at the base of the shift lever, which is topped by a large knob. The overall quality of the interior is a little disappointing considering the vehicle’s price tag.

 Seats are comfortable and supportive, and legroom is certainly adequate. The seats have to be adjusted with the door open because there isn’t room for your hand between the door and seat when the door is closed. Interior storage is practically nonexistent. I had a hard time finding a place for sunglasses. Wind and road noise, especially at highway speeds, is fairly intrusive.

 A number of accessory items are available, including an auxiliary gauge package, storage boxes for the cargo area and a cargo net that keeps items from sliding around in the pickup bed.

 The SSR is an arresting vehicle that falls into an unusual niche between truck and sports car. If the hard bed cover could be removed without unbolting it, the SSR could function as a little truck. And if it sat lower, the SSR would handle more like a sports car. Since it falls between both, there is nothing else quite like it.