GM’s retro-rod pickup arrives - New Product In Brief - General Motors Corp
Steering is rack and pinion with a Camaro-quick 16:1 ratio, while the Trailblazer suspension is tweaked and tuned for the SSR’s lower ride height and sporting aspirations. The concept’s fat Goodyear tires on shiny five-spoke alloy wheels (19-in. front, 20-in. rear) are retained on the production vehicle.
What is it: A highly-styled two-passenger convertible sport pickup
What We Think
2003 Chevrolet SSR
Engine: 5.3L OHV aluminum V-8
The standard GMT360’s 113 in. wheelbase was too short for the SSR’s pleasing proportions, so it sits on a long-wheelbase GMT370 hydroformed steel frame with tour inches sawed off its front and 13 ins. whacked from its middle. All major exterior panels are one-piece stamped steel, including the voluptuous fenders, which presented a challenge to the supplier Fuji Dietec due to their very deep draws. Extensive structural reinforcements provide respectable rigidity, another major challenge due to the open top and integral pickup box.
Competitors: None