Ford doesn’t sell a single sedan in the United States nowadays. Dodge has the Charger, which is on its way out after the 2023 model year in favor of an electric three-door coupe. General Motors, on the other hand, still offers three sedans split between two marques: Chevrolet and Cadillac.
The Malibu is a shadow of its former self, a front-wheel-drive rental car that comes with either a continuously variable transmission for the 1.5-liter turbo base powerplant or a nine-speed automatic with the more powerful 2.0-liter turbo. The CT4 can be specified with four- or six-cylinder turbos, and the CT5 is rocking a force-fed V8 for the V-series Blackwing version.
Be that as it may, the recipe for muscle sedans used to be very different back in the 1990s. Rather than Camaro-based underpinnings like the CT5-V Blackwing uses, the Impala SS rocked the B platform that General Motors updated no fewer than 12 times. Developed specifically for full-size rear-wheel-drive applications, the B body ran from 1926 to 1999.
Twinned with the fourth-generation Caprice, the seventh-generation Impala came exclusively in Super Sport flavor. Just under 70,000 units were produced in Arlington, Texas at the factory where General Motors currently makes truck-based SUVs such as the Suburban and Escalade.
Previewed by a concept penned by Jon Moss, the Impala SS is joined at the hip to the 9C1 police package of the Caprice. The party piece of the ominous-looking sedan, however, is the LT1 small block from the C4.
Exclusively connected to the 4L60-E automatic, joined by 3.08 gearing for the rear end plus a limited-slip diff, the 5.7-liter V8 made 260 horsepower and 330 pound-feet (447 Nm) when it was brand-spanking new. Such numbers aren’t impressive by modern turbo four-cylinder standards, but nevertheless, the Impala SS was seriously desirable back in the day.
Discontinued after the 1996 model year, the Impala SS has received a well-deserved redesign from Marouane Bembli. Better known as The Sketch Monkey, the rendering artist decided on pixel-style taillights as you’d find on the Hyundai Ioniq 5 crossover and Ioniq 6 streamliner.
The exterior door handles and moldings have been removed for a cleaner look, the chromed window garnish was reimagined in black, the bone-stock wheels have been replaced with slightly wider multi-spoke units, and the rear bumper has received a valance panel with two exhaust outlets. The finishing touch comes in the guise of a trunk lid-integrated spoiler.
“I think it looks like a modern car, but it still looks like a Chevy Impala (from that era),” said Marouane. “I'm really happy with this result.”
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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