Vehicle Description
This 2006 Chevrolet SSR Waterfall Edition pickup is proof that even
the big guys take risks for the sake of beauty and art. When one of
the world's largest 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 almost a low-key color on the flashy little pickup, but it
does an excellent job to 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
all stock and shows just 5,843 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 beautiful factory finish
suggesting that GM painters (even if they were robots) knew they
were building something special. In fact, give this baby a nice
buff-and-wax and you'll have the whole neighborhood thinking GM
started making this puppies again, because it will look brand
new.
Black leather buckets with leather seats and every possible comfort
and convenience item were standard equipment on the SSR, but the
rare final run Waterfall Edition really kicked things up a notch
with elegant diamond-cut seat bottoms and contrasting silver
accents. If you wanted one loaded, your only options were an
upgraded sound system and choice of transmissions, and the tunes
and smooth-shifting automatic transmission in the beauty are all
top-notch. 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 switches for the power options. The cabin features 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 (that
includes a factory SSR floormat) suggests that it was designed for
something other than hauling raw materials.
One year prior to the manufacture of this final-year run SSR, the
fun was increased by 30% with the addition of the Corvette-based
LS2 powerplant. At 6.0 liters, it makes a nice, fat 395 horsepower
and 400 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 2006 without the fear that you didn't buy the right one.
Furthermore, the 2006 is the most desirable model (and the one
that's seldom up for sale) because by the time these cars were put
together, all the bugs and idiosyncrasies had been ironed out. 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 alloys look bright and unmarked, still wearing
original 255/45/19 front and massive 295/45/20 rear Goodyear Eagle
RS-A 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!
