myles
06-08-2005, 08:07 PM
Chevrolet SSR ute to come Down Under
Gavin McGrath
Cars Guide Link (http://carsguide.news.com.au/news/story_page/0,8269,16148343%255E21822,00.html)
05aug05
America's hottest sports ute has arrived Down Under. A local company is converting the Chevrolet SSR to right-hand drive.
Motor Cars International (MCI) has already taken seven orders for the sleek convertible ute, managing director Joe Scordo says. It can be "Australianised" in limited numbers only and is being sold under a special scheme.
"We're the only people in the world converting SSRs," Scordo says. "We've already got one on the road, registered and ready to go. One will go to Queensland for Indycars.
"It is getting an unbelievable amount of interest."
Development work was done at the company's base in the western Melbourne suburb of Braybrook. The Federal and State governments checked the first car before giving approval. Delivery takes about 16 weeks. MCI buys the utes from Chevrolet and registers them in the US.
They arrive here with no kilometres on the clock, are converted to Australian specs and are then reregistered. The conversion takes about 350 hours.
The engine has to be moved to fit a new steering rack. "You're looking at $130,000 for a new one," Scordo explains. "A lot of it has to do with the value of the Australian dollar, which helps keep it affordable. There's also no luxury tax because it's classified as a commercial vehicle. But it's not like your usual American pick-up.
"It drives like a sports car and it's a convertible too. It's a modern hot rod."
It is available with a 290kW 6.0-litre V8 engine and six-speed manual; or a 225kW 5.3-litre engine with a four-speed auto. Leather trim is standard. The cars have a three-year/100,000km warranty. MCI says the Chevy SSR is only the first step in its US odyssey.
MCI is looking at other General Motors vehicles to convert to right-hand drive. The company has already converted a Chevrolet Corvette C6 and a Hummer H2 to undergo tests here.
"We haven't got compliance for the cars yet," he says. "But we've already had heaps of interest in the Hummer and the Corvette."
Contact the company at www.mci-online.com.au
http://www.chevrolet.com/i/gallery/ssr/ext_gallery10.jpg
http://www.chevrolet.com/i/pic/ssr/model_home.jpg
http://www.chevrolet.com/i/gallery/ssr/int_gallery01.jpg
http://www.chevrolet.com/i/gallery/ssr/ext_gallery02.jpg
http://www.acarplace.com/brands/gm/ssr/pix/2005/ssr-v8.jpg
http://www.chevrolet.com/i/gallery/ssr/ext_gallery12.jpg
http://www.chevrolet.com/i/gallery/ssr/ext_gallery04.jpg
Gavin McGrath
Cars Guide Link (http://carsguide.news.com.au/news/story_page/0,8269,16148343%255E21822,00.html)
05aug05
America's hottest sports ute has arrived Down Under. A local company is converting the Chevrolet SSR to right-hand drive.
Motor Cars International (MCI) has already taken seven orders for the sleek convertible ute, managing director Joe Scordo says. It can be "Australianised" in limited numbers only and is being sold under a special scheme.
"We're the only people in the world converting SSRs," Scordo says. "We've already got one on the road, registered and ready to go. One will go to Queensland for Indycars.
"It is getting an unbelievable amount of interest."
Development work was done at the company's base in the western Melbourne suburb of Braybrook. The Federal and State governments checked the first car before giving approval. Delivery takes about 16 weeks. MCI buys the utes from Chevrolet and registers them in the US.
They arrive here with no kilometres on the clock, are converted to Australian specs and are then reregistered. The conversion takes about 350 hours.
The engine has to be moved to fit a new steering rack. "You're looking at $130,000 for a new one," Scordo explains. "A lot of it has to do with the value of the Australian dollar, which helps keep it affordable. There's also no luxury tax because it's classified as a commercial vehicle. But it's not like your usual American pick-up.
"It drives like a sports car and it's a convertible too. It's a modern hot rod."
It is available with a 290kW 6.0-litre V8 engine and six-speed manual; or a 225kW 5.3-litre engine with a four-speed auto. Leather trim is standard. The cars have a three-year/100,000km warranty. MCI says the Chevy SSR is only the first step in its US odyssey.
MCI is looking at other General Motors vehicles to convert to right-hand drive. The company has already converted a Chevrolet Corvette C6 and a Hummer H2 to undergo tests here.
"We haven't got compliance for the cars yet," he says. "But we've already had heaps of interest in the Hummer and the Corvette."
Contact the company at www.mci-online.com.au
http://www.chevrolet.com/i/gallery/ssr/ext_gallery10.jpg
http://www.chevrolet.com/i/pic/ssr/model_home.jpg
http://www.chevrolet.com/i/gallery/ssr/int_gallery01.jpg
http://www.chevrolet.com/i/gallery/ssr/ext_gallery02.jpg
http://www.acarplace.com/brands/gm/ssr/pix/2005/ssr-v8.jpg
http://www.chevrolet.com/i/gallery/ssr/ext_gallery12.jpg
http://www.chevrolet.com/i/gallery/ssr/ext_gallery04.jpg