-- it's a convertible.At the touch of a switch, the two-piece roof splits, retracts and disappears into the space between the two seats and the pickup bed. This is the killer application that truly sets the SSR apart.
"It's a very different type of vehicle," says Ed Welburn, director of GM's Corporate Brand Character Center, in a considerable act of understatement.
"On one hand, it's a roadster," Welburn says, "but people who live with roadsters face hard challenges as far as having places to put things and carry any sort of cargo -- not with the SSR. On the other hand, it can carry things for you, but it's not just about hauling things to an event. Driving it is an event in itself. It's all about cruising, whether it's on Woodward in Detroit, South Boulevard in Miami Beach or the autobahn in Germany."
The high-output, longitudinally-mounted V8 drives the rear wheels only and should offer the kind of performance and handling that tickles the fancy of the true sports car nut performance and handling characteristics.
Wellman says the ride and handling of SSR are enhanced and its sports roadster image maintained by the 5-spoke alloy sport wheels and performance tires --19-inch up front and 20-inch at the rear.