Chevrolet’s imposing Impala for SEMA gives new meaning to phrase ‘Blacked Out’

By Ronan Glon October 18, 2014

Chevrolet will display five new concepts at the SEMA show that will kick off early next month in Sin City. The concepts will be based on the Sonic, the Cruze, the Impala and the SS.

The SS Sport Concept pays homage to Chevrolet’s racing heritage and the sport sedan’s Australian roots. Painted in a shade of red oddly christened Some Like It Red Hot, it gains contrasting black racing stripes, custom trim on the radiator grille and both bumpers as well as 20-inch gloss black alloy wheels with Holden center caps.

Chevrolet has not published any interior pictures but it promises the SS’ cockpit has been decked out with a sport pedal kit and plush floor mats that feature the Holden logo. Power is provided by an unmodified LS3 V8 engine that churns out 415 horsepower and 415 lb-ft. of torque, enough to send the SS from 0 to 60 mph in just five seconds.

Related: Hennessey’s 1,000-horsepower twin-turbo Camaro

As its name implies, the Impala Blacked Out concept adopts an aggressive, murdered-out look reminiscent of the full-size Impala SS sold in the 1990s. Chevrolet has painted the mirror caps, the rear spoiler and the center portion of the 19-inch aluminum wheels black in order to give the sedan a more sinister appearance.

The treatment continues inside with black leather upholstery, stainless steel door dills adorned by the Impala logo and a sport pedal kit. The Bowtie has not made any mechanical modifications, meaning the Impala Blacked Out concept packs a naturally-aspirated 3.6-liter V6 engine rated at 305 horsepower and 264 lb-ft. of twist.

Chevrolet explains the concepts were built using existing accessories that are available either through the factory or as dealer-installed add-ons.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Contributor

Ronan Glon is an American automotive and tech journalist based in southern France. As a long-time contributor to Digital…

Cars

Best electric car charger deals: $100 off home charging stations

The handle of the Grizzl-E EV charger plugged into a vehicle.

A few years ago, electric vehicles were pretty rare or cost a fortune, but with more and more of the larger car brands getting into the game, there are a lot of excellent and even budget-friendly choices nowadays. That said, the electrical network for charging your cars might not be that widespread, so instead you'll have to rely on charging your car at home. Luckily, there are a lot of excellent car chargers at a discount, so if you've just bought an EV or want to upgrade your current charging solution, be sure to check out our favorite deals below.
Shockflo EV charger — $205, was $220

This EV charger by Shockflo is a Level 2 EV charger, which offers six times faster charging than a standard charger. It delivers 24 miles with just one hour of charging, and it can act as a mobile charger you can throw in the trunk or be mounted to a wall. It has an LCD display with useful information like charging rate, voltage, and charging time, as well as LED indicator lights that lets you know charging progress and errors.

Cars

Mercedes-Benz EQG: range, price, release date, and more

Concept image of the larger electric G-Wagon

The G-Class is going electric. We already knew that Mercedes-Benz was working on an electric, small-size G-Wagon, but it looks like the company is also working on a larger G-Class SUV, in the form of the EQG. In fact, Mercedes has gone as far as to show off a concept version of the off-roader.

While there's much we don't know about what will become the production model of the EQG, Mercedes has also shared a lot about it. Curious about whether the Mercedes-Benz EQG could be the EV for you? Here's everything we know so far.
Design
Fear not -- the EQG will retain many of the design aspects of the G-Class that you already know and love but with a modern face-lift. The EQG will keep the boxy design that gives the G-Class a classic look but with some additional modern styling, at least if the concept version is anything to go by.

Cars

Rivian R2 vs. Kia EV9: battle of affordable electric SUVs

Kia EV9 GT-Line Three Quarters

The long-awaited Rivian R2 has finally been announced, and it's an excellent option for those who want an electric SUV that doesn't completely break the bank. Sure, the R2 isn't cheap -- but it's a whole lot cheaper than most other EVs out there, especially when it comes to SUVs. But Rivian isn't the only company trying to tackle the problem of the budget electric SUV. The Kia EV9 is finally available, and it too offers a modern design and a range of helpful features.

Given the fact that the Rivian R2 and Kia EV9 are two electric SUVs in a similar price range, you might be wondering which is better for your needs. That's why we put the Rivian R2 and the Kia EV9 head-to-head.
Design
Both the Rivian R2 and the Kia EV9 are actual SUVs -- not crossovers pretending to be SUVs, like plenty of other EVs out there. The two vehicles offer big, boxy designs and plenty of interior space, making them excellent options for families or those who need that extra storage.