Chevrolet SSR in The Island

I got a chance to watch a 2005 Michael Bay movie that I had not seen in the big screen.  It's called The Island, starring Ewan McGregor and Scarlet Johansen.  An interesting sci-fi film.  With Michael Bay at the helm, there were plenty of things blowing up and, of course, car chases (see Transformers and The Rock).  This time around, the car that caught my attention was the one owned by Steve Buscemi's character, a Chevrolet SSR.  I've been seeing these sporty trucks all around Southern California and glad that I'm getting the chance to write a post in this blog about them.

Earlier in the decade (2000-04'ish), I began noticing cars with retro designs.  Specifically, the PT Cruiser, the Chevrolet HHR, and the Ford Thunderbird.  By retro, I mean these styles go back to the early 50's and before.  I'm talking during the days when Kaiser Dragons were still being made and De Sotos were all over the place.  The idea to revive the classic designs were great.  It certainly rekindled the interest in T-birds, which was a waning brand for Ford.


Now, when I saw the Chevrolet SSR, I didn't know what to think.  From the front, it looked like a new retro-styled car.  From the side, it's obviously something with a flatbed.  A few years after the SSR has been around, I finally did some online research leading to a bunch of websites, including SSRfanatic.com.  It turned out that many guys (or gals) were lovin the car-truck styling and modding the Chevy SSR into hot rod-ness.

How fun can the SSR be? See this short video of someone doing doughnuts in a parking lot with the Chevy SSR.

Photos of the Chevrolet SSR

The Chevrolet SSR is not bad at all.  Coming in factory stock eye-catching color like Slingshot Yellow, they will be noticed in the streets.  Enthusiasts of the Chevy SSR give it their personal touches, hence, hot rod-ness.

It's pretty powerful under the hood as well.  300 horsepower coming from an aluminum V8 Vortec 5300.  Two seater, just like a roadster (or a standard pickup truck).