Vehicle Description
This 2005 Chevrolet SSR pickup is proof of life. When an automaker
takes a chance and builds something unique and special, regardless
of whether it's a success, everyone who loves cars should applaud
the effort. And there's certainly a lot to appreciate in the SSR, a
roadster pickup with the heart of a Corvette, so there's no
question you'll love owning and driving this incredible,
low-mileage example.
The look was ostensibly inspired by the "Advance Design" pickups of
the 1940s and early 1950s, but the sleek, modern take on the
ancient pickup makes the SSR eyeball candy for the everyman. The
SSR also introduced new technology to GM, including the deep-draw
fenders which were previously impossible to create. But all that's
really beside the point, because this sucker looks awesome! Basic
black is kind of a low-key color on the flashy little pickup, but
it does highlight the awesome body shapes, accenting the curvaceous
fenders and tying in neatly with the SSR badges on the doors. And
unlike so many of its peers, this one is quite stock and shows just
6,676 original miles, which is a good thing because you don't want
one that's been abused. In fact, this one seems to have never seen
anything more inclement than a spring shower, with great paint that
shows a great factory finish suggesting that GM painters (even if
they were robots) knew they were building something special.
Black leather buckets and every possible comfort and convenience
item were standard equipment on the SSR. If you wanted one loaded,
your only options were an upgraded sound system and choice of
transmissions (this one has the desirable 6-speed manual, which is
.2 seconds faster in the quarter-mile than the automatic).
Everything works, of course, including the trick gauges that do a
neat little dance whenever you key it up, and the instrument panel
is joined by a space-age center console with its own set of
auxiliary dials. It's a neat blend of futuristic looks and retro
touches like the steering wheel, all of it working together to
create one heck of a fun machine. And while the bed is ostensibly
that of a pickup, the weather-proof tonneau cover and neatly
plastic-lined bed suggests that it was designed for something other
than hauling raw materials.
In 2005, the fun was increased by 30% with the addition of the
Corvette-based LS2 powerplant. At 6.0 liters, it makes a nice, fat
390 horsepower and 405 pounds of torque, enough to lop more than
two seconds of the performance of its earlier siblings. While that
would make me angry if I bought one of the early ones, the point is
that you can own this 2005 without the fear that you didn't buy the
right one. As you'd expect, this one has been properly maintained
and used only as a fair-weather toy, so there are no modifications
under the hood, despite a lot of the Corvette gear simply bolting
on. The suspension and brakes still work like new, the transmission
allows rocket-fast shifts, and, well, it even still feels like a
new truck. Even the chrome alloys look bright and unmarked, wearing
255/40/19 front and massive 295/40/20 rear Goodyear radials with
plenty of life left in them.
Still stunning over a decade after its debut, this is a lot of fun
that's also surprisingly practical. If you can't quite make up your
mind whether you want a Camaro, a Corvette roadster, or a pickup,
perhaps this is the solution. And with this being one of the lowest
mileage examples on the market, it won't last long. Call today!
