Screw a used G8...2012 Chevrolet SS $22k

Sad thing is, the REAL Caprice SS, already LHD, marketed in the Middle East, could have easily been added to the US market when the 5.3 LS4 V8 Impala SS (FWD) was dropped and the G8 was taken off of life-support in 2009 due to GM's internal decision to end the Pontiac brand. Certification would have been a snap, since the car was little more than the G8 with 3.7" more wheelbase--maybe some emission equipment and bumper system changes, but not much else.

But I guess it was more important to create the Volt, and to be sure that NASCAR would have a Chevy that was deemed suitable for Cup competition....strange, considering that Caprice at 118.5" WB was actually shorter as a production car than the Dodge Charger at 120" WB. Oh, that's right--a Dodge (driver) won the Sprint Cup last year, even after they announced they were leaving the series.....so it would have been entirely possible to put the Caprice SS on the track at 110" WB per NASCAR rules.

So much for anything that makes sense....but, yes, the PPV is great bang for the buck, and it allows a degree of personalization and uniqueness that isn't possible with the new SS. Plus, it is a fairly anonymous car, since most people see it at first glance and just think it's another FWD Impala--strip off the badging and emblems, and you've got a blank canvas, and most people would not know what it is, period.

BahamaTodd said:

Which are both closer in size to the SS. All under 200" long. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the Taurus and Caprice are the only non-luxury cars over 200". The Caprice is 204".

Maybe Chrysler can pull off the near-luxury price for a car that size - not Chevrolet.

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On the basis of wheelbase, Chrysler/Dodge LX is a full 1.5" longer than Caprice, and over 5" longer than VF/SS--overall length wasn't a consideration in my comparison. I question your premise....

The packaging "efficiency" comparison suggests that the LX platform is very wasteful compared to both VE/VF & WM/WN.

If Dodge Charger SRT or lower trim or power level can be compared to anything, it would be Caprice and not SS, with the vehicles sitting side-by-side. Purchase price-point of SS was a decision made not by the buyer--GM decided they would be sold equipped "one way"--full boat. A Caprice at lesser trim level could still be a very nice vehicle, even if not trimmed to SS-equal, and not have a $46K price point in the market.

Just as in Australia, Caprice will be a very popular taxi/limo vehicle, as they come out of LE use, and could do well right now in that market if GM had not put the Caprice into a restricted fleet vehicle situation as a "law enforcement only" product. Gun, meet foot.

Then, if the idea of a Chevy "limo" is too awful to comprehend, there is always the Buick Park Avenue, which takes pampering to a new level as a captive Chinese-market product--unless someone realizes how much better a fit the WN version of the PA would be in US service to function as a limo instead of a lowly Chevy.

chevypwr said:

....if i was to buy a fast sedan it would need to have more class. A PPV Caprice will only suit a small amount of people. The SS is just more appealing to be......... BUT then again the PPV Caprice IS 1/2 the price of an SS.

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Understand that there are quite a number of us that fit a profile unlike yours--"more class" is something I can choose to add to suit my own taste rather than what the General chooses for the vehicle. A 9C3 may be too plain for class-conscious owners, but bang-for-the-buck is a winner, and G8 leather seats will fit, for not much money, unless the choice is to reupholster them. If it can still show taillights to most of it's perceived challengers, that's a good thing. 500 RWHP doesn't care what the exterior of the car looks like, and I know of at least one PPV that is exactly that--mess with it and you'll be shown the business end of things really quick.