Although it won’t be hitting the showrooms in production form until sometime late next year, the 2014 Chevrolet SS made its first official appearance in NASCAR Sprint Cup form earlier this week in Las Vegas. While hardly a dead ringer for its volume-build counterpart, the Chevrolet SS race car that will campaign in the 2013 Sprint Cup Series shares much in common visually and conceptually with the V8-powered/rear-wheel drive street version of the vehicle — a limited-production model which is scheduled to be introduced next February in conjunction with the Daytona 500 that kicks off the 2013 NASCAR season. Chevrolet‘s first rear-drive 4-door in 17 years will be based on a platform derived from GM’s Global RWD "Zeta" architecture that also underpins the current Camaro and soon-to-launch Holden VF Commodore, a vehicle built and sold in Australia. The Land Down Under also will be the source point for the new Chevy SS.
In presenting this NASCAR-spec version, GM North America President Mark Reuss noted: "The Chevrolet SS demonstrates how we are able to leverage our global product portfolio to deliver a unique performance experience. The specialized development and testing work done for the race car will certainly benefit the entire Chevrolet product lineup. With the SS, Chevrolet is delivering a true rear-wheel-drive NASCAR race car that is very closely linked to the performance sedan that will be available for sale, ensuring that our most loyal enthusiasts will have the opportunity to experience the same thrill every day on the open road that our race car drivers enjoy on the track on race day."
