Let's not beat around any shrubbery with this: Top Gear magazine has reviewed the Corvette ZR1, and the quotes you need to know are, "The dynamics are better than an Aston DBS...," and "...[M]ake no mistake. What we have here is one of the truly great supercars." Of course, there are caveats: it looks like a Corvette, the interior doesn't match those of its supercar rivals and the steering could use more feel. The latter quip is why you get other critiques like "...you don't get the precision of a 599." To have a UK magazine critique a Corvette against a 599 is probably the opposite of the insult it might appear to be on the surface. But don't take our word for it, follow the link and read for yourself how the ZR1 has "the performance and the chassis to match an SLR 722." It's not a bad way to start the week...
Our first experience with the Chevy HHR was back in 2006 when we rented one in Los Angeles while covering the 2006 L.A. Auto Show. Being a fleet vehicle, our HHR rental failed to impress with its raspy, underpowered Ecotec four-cylinder and cheap interior materials. The HHR does, however, have a way about itself. Its retro-inspired design is just plain good looking, better than the PT Cruiser to which this vehicle is most often compared (they were both designed by Brian Nesibtt, GM's current Executive Director of its European design center), and its outward attractiveness shows even on bare bones rental units like the one we abused in L.A.
The 2008 Chevy HHR SS would seem to be the HHR we always wanted, with more power, an upgraded interior, aggressive tweaks to the exterior and the same two-box shape and clever cargo solutions that make the base model popular. But with the market for new car sales in the U.S. as soft as it is, should Chevy be spending its time making a high-horsepower, better handling SS version of a vehicle like the HHR? Read on to find out if their effort was worth it.
