Memory-Fueled Muscle Tone
At first blush, the 2004 Chevy Impala SS looks like a Big Three sedan on steroids, which in essence, it is.
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| Beneath the hood of the 2004 Chevy Impala SS beats the heart of the American muscle car. (Photo: General Motors of Canada) |
But beneath that monochromatic body beats the heart of the American muscle car and a rightful claim to direct descendancy to the muscle car that started it all more than 40 years ago.
In 1961, the Impala lost its tail fins and gained an SS option. And what an option. Featuring a 409 cubic inch V8 engine, the SS model featured upgraded tires on station wagon wheels, power brakes and steering, springs, shocks and special sintered metallic brake linings.
What was under the hood, however, mattered most, and the '61 SS's 360 horsepower mill not only launched the big machine in short order, but literally launched the muscle car revolution.
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| The brawny 2004 Impala SS will rekindle muscular memories for those who came of age in the 1960s. (Photo: General Motors of Canada) |
It was immortalized forever in popular culture (The Beach Boys had a hit called 409, based on the engine block size: "When I take her to the track she really shines (Giddyup, giddyup, 4-0-9); She always turns in the fastest time (Giddyup, giddyup, 4-0-9); My four-speed, dual-quad, posi-traction 4-0-9 (4-0-9, 4-0-9)Giddyup, giddyup, giddyup, 4-0-9.").
While it's unlikely the 2004 Impala SS will be immortalized in song, the brawny sedan will rekindle muscular memories for those who came of age in the 1960s.
No doubt the GM Performance Division, the team responsible for developing the new Impala SS (as well as the supercharged Monte Carlo SS) is filled with muscle car dreaming baby boomers.
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| With 280 lb-ft of torque, the Impala SS' supercharged 3.8-litre V6 delivers drag-strip ready off-the-line acceleration. (Photo: General Motors of Canada) |
True to its heritage, the Impala SS has a muscular engine under the hood, though at 240 horses the supercharged 3.8-litre V6 is much more refined than the legendary '409' ever was. It is in the torque department, however, that the 3.8-litre begins to bark. With a 280 lb-ft rating, the torque going through the Hydra-Matic four-speed automatic transmission produces drag-strip ready off-the-line acceleration. The whine of the supercharger doesn't hurt either, with a nice retro touch being the boost gauge in the six-dial cluster.
