1994-96 Chevrolet Impala SS: Heart of Corvette

Take a very quiet sedan. But then very quiet! Add a good engine and enough to stick to the pavement, modify the aesthetics and bring out a mythical logo for good measure. The recipe for success?

After two oil shocks, North America is changing and wants smaller cars. However, Chevrolet’s full-size models (Caprice and Caprice Classic based on B-Body) still ensure excellent sales figures: 191,096 units in 1988, 197,044 in 1989 and 223,857 in 1990 (while is a model launched in 1977).

And then comes the 1991 generation. Although it is essentially based on the platform of the old (propulsion, separate chassis), the new Caprice Classic sports a more aerodynamic and very modern look. Too surely… Because despite the title of Car of the Year 1991 of the magazine motor-trend, the style seems confusing (the car is nicknamed “the killer whale”) and sales fell by more than half, to 104,297 copies. Jim Perkins, the general manager of Chevrolet, wants to try something to save the furniture.

Inspired by the streets

In 1992, John Albert was at the time a designer for Chevrolet. One evening, he notices an unusual Caprice Classic. In a solid black tone, it is lowered, with low-profile tires on aluminum rims, an exclusive grille and bucket seats inside. It is all the more threatening as the sound coming out of its exhaust pipes does not come from a usual block of Caprice (5 or 5.7 liters) but from a big block old-fashioned, a 454 pc (7.4 liters). John follows the car to the home of its owner, Rob Powers, a Chevrolet enthusiast. Albert introduces Powers to Perkins, who wants to take a ride in this unusual Caprice.

Impressed, Perkins wanted to produce such a model in limited quantities, which could improve the image of the Caprice. He asks Jon Moss, head of the special vehicles department at Chevrolet (Specialty Vehicles Group), to make a concept to test the reaction of the public. From the chassis of a police car (option 9C1), Moss had a Corvette LT1 engine installed, lowered the suspension, changed the grille and the wheels, added a dropout at the rear window (designed by Clay Dean) and a spoiler along with Impala logos.

The concept was completed in just 14 days, just in time for the SEMA Show in Las Vegas in November 1992. The audience was absolutely enthusiastic. Jim Perkins too and wants to produce the car. But internal resistance is strong. So, at a convention a few weeks later, he showed the concept and addressed the dealers: “I want to put this car into production and I need at least 2,000 orders to do so”. Two hours later, he had 2,800. The green light was given.

Super Sports

The Impala name was inaugurated for the 1958 vintage. The car received the SS option (for Super Sport) for the first time in May 1961. This was a set that included special logos and hubcaps, the brakes and the power steering, tachometer, Corvette-inspired passenger support bar and thin white stripe tires. Five engines are available, including the new 409 hp (6.7 litres) developing 360 horsepower and which will equip only 142 Impala SS.

Over the 1960s, this emblem gained importance in the Chevrolet range and was affixed to other models (Chevy II, Nova, Chevelle, Camaro). The last Impala SS was produced for the 1969 vintage. It was offered with a 427 hp (7 liters) of 390 horsepower. Only 2,425 vehicles will receive this option. The new model would fill 25 years of absence.

The right parts in the right places

The Impala SS are distinguished aesthetically from the Caprice Classic by an almost complete dechroming, a new grille, a “BMW-like” window cut-out (made by a glued plastic insert with the Impala logo), 5-spoke wheels of 17 specific inches mounted on BF Goodrich Comp T/A in 255/50ZR17. All 1994 Impala SS are black.

Inside, the finish is gray with bucket seats (fabric or leather optional) from the Buick Roadmaster and a center console… but the gear lever remains behind the wheel! The equipment is complete: electric seats and windows, air conditioning, height-adjustable steering wheel, cruise control, AM/FM cassette radio, leather-wrapped steering wheel and electric trunk release. The chassis part takes up the 9C1 police option (rear anti-roll bar, reinforced chassis supports, 4 disc brakes with ABS) to which the engineers have added carbon shock absorbers, a limited-slip rear axle and more direct steering (3 .06 turns lock-to-lock).

It remains to talk about the engine. Until 1993, Caprices had to make do with V8s small blocks 5 or 5.7 liters of old generation. For 1994, the range received so-called “Gen II” engines: the base 4.3-litre L99 (200 horsepower) and the optional 5.7-litre LT1 (260 horsepower). The second generation of small blocks was developed by GM engineers as a reaction to the LT5 block designed by Lotus for the 1990 Corvette ZR-1. The LT1 was first installed in the 1992 Corvette. It produced 300 horsepower.

For the Caprice and Impala (as well as the Buick Roadmaster and Cadillac Fleetwood), it is revised to make less noise and, above all, to run on regular gasoline. New heads, manifolds and camshafts drop power to 260 horsepower and torque to 330 lb-ft. The only transmission available in the Impala SS is the 4-speed 4L60-E from the other Caprices. On the other hand, the Impala SS is distinguished by its shorter rear axle ratio: 3.08:1 compared to 2.93:1, authorizing a 0 to 60 mph (96 km/h) in 6.5 seconds.

worthy of his heritage

The first Impala SS leaves the factory in Arlington, Texas, on February 23, 1994. At launch, Chevrolet hopes to sell 4,000 units per year. But customers are thrilled, helped by the positive reaction from the press. The magazine Car and Driver completes the quarter mile in 15 seconds at 148 km/h and obtains 0.86 g of lateral acceleration, honoring its 60s ancestors.

But unlike the latter, the newcomer also holds up well. “The changes made transform the usual liner flutter of the Caprice without adding harshness. Chassis control is excellent” underlines the newspaper, which however regrets the absence of traction control. And the car brakes well: the testers get 54.5 meters from 112 km/h (70 mph). Not bad for a 1,915 kilo vehicle! Its price of 21,920 USD (against 21,435 for a Caprice Classic LS) ends up winning the decision of buyers. Finally, only 6,303 copies will be produced for the 1994 vintage due to a supply problem at ROH, the wheel manufacturer.

For 1995 model year, all Caprices get the rear window dropout of the Impala SS (this time stamped into the sheet metal). It has two additional colors: cherry red and dark green. Mirrors, instead of being mounted on the door, are placed at the end of the window. But the real, good, big news is the arrival of the model in Canada.

Billed at $27,965 CDN (compared to $24,415 for a base Caprice Classic), the Impala SS in turn enthuses the Car Guide, who writes “The Impala SS impresses us with its performance, super grippy tires and surprising handling for the size of the car”. The manufacturer plans to sell 15,000 copies, it will eventually sell 21,434! And the best is yet to come.

The 1996 vintage saw the installation of the gear lever on the console (making it Jon Moss’ favorite year) and the arrival (finally!) of a rev counter in a new classic dashboard, which replaces the digital version.

And the success is there. Customers rush to dealerships and Chevrolet delivers 41,941 units! The total breakdown of sales by year and by color is as follows:

The improvements made are not the only reasons for this enthusiasm. The Impala SS failed to stem the fall in sales of the Caprice Classic (116,781 units in 1992, 106,648 in 1993, 97,745 in 1994, 59,303 in 1995 and only 27,640 in 1996, which makes that the Impala SS was more popular than the Caprice that year!).

Customers know that 1996 is the last year of production for GM’s full-size models and think that cars like the Impala SS may never be built again (they’ll be wrong because Ford will release a model with a similar concept in 2003, the Mercury Marauder, but with limited success, only 11,052 copies in two years). The last copy leaves the Arlington factory on December 13, 1996. This factory will then be converted to the manufacture of SUVs, which are more in demand and more profitable.

The Impala will be relaunched as a full-fledged model in 2000 and will be entitled to an SS version in 2004 (240 horsepower 3.8-litre V6 supercharger). The next generation (2006) will also have an SS version, this time with a 5.3-liter V8 developing 303 horsepower.

But the magic won’t work because, first and foremost, these cars are front-wheel drive (and the front end was happily overtaken by events!). The Impala SS was the pinnacle of GM’s “old school” full-size sedans. His status as collector is totally deserved today.

See also: Antoine Joubert presents the 2003 Mercury Marauder