These quibbles aside, the interior of the SSR is not too bad. I especially like the use of satin metal trim, which cuts horizontally across the dash and door panels. And I'm a fan of the retro-type metal controls
 |
| I'm a fan of the retro-type metal controls for the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, Canadian Auto Press) |
for the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning. But Chevy may wish to improve the audio dynamics in the cab. The unit belts out decent sound quality, but speaker placement is down low in the doors making it difficult to hear when the roof is retracted. Better speaker placement would likely solve this problem.Covering the interior during inclement weather is a gorgeous bubble of a hardtop roof. It's an engineering marvel and a joy to behold, dropping easily with the push of a console mounted button. The various computer-controlled hydraulic pumps and servomotors do all the work. In under a minute, the restrictive
 |
| The engineering of the retractable hardtop roof is a joy to behold. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, Canadian Auto Press) |
confines of a closed cab dissolve into thin air and the world with all of its sounds, fragrances and vistas flood the five senses. The sense most spoiled by the SSR is auditory. I found myself winding the beast up just to revel in the cacophony of its eight cylinders firing in rapid succession. Oh the sound. It rumbles with an exhaust note that could drain the blood from the face of a Corvette driver at a stoplight. There's nothing that stirs the soul of a domestic auto enthusiast more than the hollow, baritone rumble of American iron. In the case of the SSR, a 300-horsepower, 5.3-liter Chevy Vortec engine provides the reverberation. The sound alone is worth the price of admission. With the hardtop convertible in the retracted position, which stacks it neatly out of sight behind the cockpit, every beat of the Vortec is heard loud and clear
