Forget Sparks and Sonics, this is the kind of Chevrolet news that really piques our interest.
GM has just announced that it will be selling a new rear-wheel drive performance sedan called the SS in the USA from next year and that it will be based on the next generation VF Commodore. Whether it turns out to be anything more than simple badge engineering job, as is the case with SA's Chevrolet Lumina, remains to be seen however.
The styling of this next generation Commodore/SS remains a closely guarded secret for now; the only clue GM has released is the accompanying picture of the NASCAR Sprint Cup race car version that will hit American ovals next year.
However, spy shots of the next Commodore suggest that the big rear-wheel drive sedan will retain the same body shell as today's car but will have completely new front and rear styling. It's also believed that various weight-saving measures, including some aluminium body panels, will shave 30kg off the sedan's kerb weight.
Thankfully, it's also reported that the SS versions will continue to use a V8 engine.
While South Africans have enjoyed the Lumina for more than a decade now, this will be the first time in 17 years that the bowtie brand is offering a rear-wheel drive sedan in the USA.
Yet look before that and the SS nameplate has a rich history in that country, starting with the 1961 Impala SS.