To save cash. Same reason HHR's don't have illuminated vanity mirrors even though they are the same size as the ones in the Impala.

 

What he said above.

The lighted visors and heated mirrors add cost to a vehicle they are trying to retain the cost of. If they add all the toys the cost would go to over $30K and few would find the HHR a value at in that range. You can price yourself out fast if not careful.

Heated seats are seldom on non leather. Cloth is not cold and few people miss them. The new Nox has just finally made heated seats an option on the cloth seats.

The bottom line is cost. The New Camaro Was also a case where they tried to hold down cost. They ended up asking the focus groups if they wanted a leather smell in the leather interior. Leather has no smell and it is designed in by the car companies. It cost more money to sent the interior. This was one point the questioned.

As for what is a SS what is not is opinion. Best off not making a fit over it as some people are just closed minded and you can not make them understand it does not take 8 cylinders to make a fun car.

I at least have owned the old BBC SS and the present 2.0 SS and can say with a informed opinion it deserves the badge.

In fact The present SS if one would match the numbers might be in the top 10% of any car that wore the badge in 1/4 mile and 0-60 times and top 5% in stopping. Handling again top 5%.

 

You are 100% right. In fact the HHR SS has as much if not more HP per cubic inch than any other SS ever made as factory production. I bought new and owned one of the first SS muscle cars made. 1966 Chevy II SS 327 cu 350 HP. There were SS in 65 but none faster (with one exception limited production 396 cu Chevelle Malibu SS) which was so named when it came out in 1966 as a SS396 Super Sport.

 

If you look up old Hot Rod and Car Craft tests from the 60's, the legendary muscle cars weren't that fast by todays standards. Granted, tire and suspension tech were stone age, but even the Hemi cars were only 14 second performers in stock trim. In the early 70's my uncle and a couple of his friends raced a 327 powered 64 Nova that did a 13 second 1/4 mile- they flat towed it to the track because it was too hard to drive on the street.




But really- The HHR SS is an SS by Chevy's standards, and that's the only opinion that matters to make it a 'real' SS.

 

I am not trying to challenge you here. I agree with most of what you posted. However we were talking stock production vehicles. The 1964 Chevy II was only offered with a 283 cu. in. I think that is was 195 HP.

 

My 68 Chevelle stock was 14.70's. I had a intake cam and headers and it would run 13's all day.

It was a easy car to drive even with the lack of no power steering or brakes. Some times I did wonder if I was going to stop.

Any of these cars can be made into ta 12-13 second car fairly easy and cheap. With cam intake and exhaust you do make a lot of gains. Also with some cars a gear change will make a big change depending what it came with.

The fact is stock all these cars were not as fast as some like to remember. Also Companies were often fudging the numbers on some. Many of the magazine road test had juiced cars with many mods over what you would have got at the dealer.

The 64 GTO test were all 421 cars with many mods and all you got at the dealer was a 389. All the rest did the same.

They all did have heavy hitters like the 440 Six pack 69 1/2 Road Runners and ZL1 69 Camaro's

But even many of the Hemis, 454 and 429's were no where as fast stock if you bught one and did not modify it.

Even in 1968 the 325 HP 327 Chevelle was able to out run the 325 Hp 396 SS.

I have owned or drive most of the heavy hitting cars from the 60's in stock or modified form. I have hammered everything from a 69 Boss Mustang to a 455 SD TA to 440 Six pack Road Runners and a few Shebys.

Most of these cars were good and could be made better easy. but many cars that wore SS badges were no where near as fast as some think. Many of the old SS impalas with out the 409 or 396 were not really much and even with the big engine it depended on the model of that engine you bought. Was it a 325 HP or 375 HP.

Keeping in mind these were all gross HP rating back then so you could knock 50-75 HP off each of their ratings to put it on the same scale as todays ratimgs.

A present day Cadillac CTSV would out run most cars from the 60's. Few understand the 556 HP it makes would have been much more than anything that was offered back then in their rating system. That car in gross HP might see near 650+ HP on the old system. Many today say it is under rated as it is and my be closer to 600 under the SAE system.

The Camaro V6 is stated at 204 but most find it is really 312 and GM has finally admited it was underated. Ford got caught over rating so many companies will hold back on advertiese HP.

 

You are correct, sir. That was a race only car my uncle and friends built.

I used it as an example of what was considered fast 40 years ago vs. what's considered fast today.

 

You're right. The difference between then and now (besides my age) is efficiency.

 

Yep. I get that from original GTO owners who resent the 2004-2006 version. The 2004 5.7 was faster than any production GTO from the earlier era. The 29 MPG in 6th gear I don't even mention, because it just pisses them off even more.

 

Who really cares what people think about the HHR SS. I love the look on peoples faces when they can't keep up with the "what is that?" wagon!!!