Now here's something to ponder: the Camaro ZL1's supercharged V8 under the hood of the upcoming Chevy SS. Technically speaking, it's entirely possible.
Here's an interesting conversation from the CarBuzz office we thought you'd all like to take part in: Mechanically speaking, it’s possible for Chevrolet’s upcoming SS high-performance sedan to be able to handle GM’s supercharged 6.2-liter LSA V8. This is the same unit found in the Camaro ZL1 and the upcoming Gen-F HSV Holden Commodore, which is the Chevy’s Australian sister car. But as Motor Authority points out, the prospect that US buyers would be interested in an even more potent version of the SS is a real possibility.
When it goes on sale later this year, the SS will be powered by a 6.2-liter LS3 V8 that’s good for 415 horsepower. Mated to a six-speed automatic with paddle shifters, it’ll have a 0-60 mph time of about five seconds. If anyone recalls, the old Pontiac G8 spawned an even more extreme version before its untimely death, the G8 GXP, which shared the powertrain of the Commodore HSV at the time. Theoretically speaking then, GM has already set the precedent for upgrading the US-spec sedan. The question is whether it’s willing to do so again? There is, however, a conflict of interest: the upcoming next-gen Cadillac CTS-V.
Although the new CTS-V will be more expensive than the Chevy SS, the former will still need to be powerful enough to take on rivals such as the BMW M5 and its 560hp V8. Now, here’s GM’s real dilemma: that supercharged LSA V8 has 580 horsepower and if it were to be placed under the Chevy SS’s hood, it would undercut the CTS-V from being GM’s premier sedan in both price and performance. There’s no word yet from GM about an ultimate Chevy SS, but all we’re saying is that it’s entirely possible, on a technical level, to make it happen. Here’s hoping....
