Chevrolet Impala SS Car of Tomorrow Features Safety and Aerodynamic Benefits

GM Racing Instrumental in Development of Safety and Aerodynamic Enhancements for New Race Car Competing in 16 Nextel Cup Races in 2007

The new Impala SS, Chevrolet's model for the Car of Tomorrow, brings many safety and aerodynamic benefits to NASCAR competition. GM Racing and its engineers played an important role in these advancements, which are intended to improve performance and competition while enhancing safety.

"GM Racing worked in conjunction with NASCAR to develop an even safer race car that will continue to provide competitive and entertaining racing on the Nextel Cup circuit," said Pat Suhy, GM Racing NASCAR group manager. "The improvements, many of which GM helped develop using data from previous production and race car testing, will better protect not only our Impala SS drivers but all Nextel Cup competitors. We shared some, but not all of the aerodynamic information we generated in an effort to help NASCAR come up with an aerodynamics package that all of our teams could be comfortable with. Naturally, we'll help them make the Impala SS race car even better once it hits the track.

"Unlike the aerodynamics area, where some secrecy is necessary, we feel we must fully share safety developments and information with NASCAR to provide the safest possible environment for drivers and spectators."

The Car of Tomorrow race car concept, to which all manufacturers must conform, was designed with several new safety features. Inside the Impala SS, the driver has been moved four inches to the right to be closer to the center of the vehicle, while the roof is two inches higher and the cockpit is four inches wider. Double roll bars have been added to the driver's side, and outside roll bars are steel-plated to help prevent intrusion into the Impala SS upon impact. Other improvements include a mandatory steel floorboard underneath the driver, energy management materials installed in door panels to reduce impact and an enclosed, 360-degree steel containment tunnel for the driveshaft to prevent the possibility of flying metal if disengaged.

New developments to the aerodynamics of the Impala SS Car of Tomorrow include the addition of a rear wing, the installation of a front splitter and the lowering of the back bumper by three inches. Other advancements consist of reduced offsets in the Impala SS body, less front overhang and a higher, wider, blunter body shape. When applied to the Impala SS, these modifications result in up to 30 percent to 40 percent less downforce, more drag and less side force, which NASCAR believes will ultimately produce improved competition on the race track.

In addition to aerodynamic and safety benefits, the Car of Tomorrow promises to decrease costs. The Car of Tomorrow will be easier to build and will eventually be tunable for all the tracks on the Nextel Cup circuit, thereby eliminating the need for specialized cars for different tracks.

GM Racing engineers have played an integral role in the creation of the Car of Tomorrow since the early stages of its development. Working closely with NASCAR, GM Racing engineers assisted with the safety and aerodynamic changes, as well as recommendations on the wing and splitter based on findings from extensive wind tunnel and on-track testing. GM also enlisted the help of its design studio, which allowed for greater input on design cues so that the Impala SS on the race track more closely resembles the Impala SS production vehicle.

Impala return marks 50th anniversary of model's NASCAR debut
As announced in October 2006, Chevy's legendary Impala nameplate will return to NASCAR competition in 16 Car of Tomorrow events this season, sharing race duties with the Monte Carlo SS. Following its planned debut in Bristol, Tenn., in March, the Impala SS will compete at race tracks less than a mile and a half in length, all road course events and the fall Talladega race. Next year all races at tracks two miles or more in length are expected to feature the new model, with the Impala SS to run exclusively during its first full season in 2009.

The Impala nameplate is no stranger to NASCAR competition or racing success. Chevrolet introduced the Impala in 1957 as a 1958 model. Drivers immediately took to the big car, racing it first on the beach at Daytona, then at Daytona International Speedway in 1959. Redesigned that year, Bob Welborn scored a victory with the new model for the qualifying race of the 1959 Daytona 500 - the first 500 at the Speedway. Success continued for Impala, with consecutive NASCAR championship titles in 1960 (Rex White) and again in 1961 (Ned Jarrett). In 1963, stock-car legend Junior Johnson ran 32 races of the 55-race schedule in the famous white No. 3 Impala owned by Ray Fox, collecting seven wins, 12 top-fives, 13 top-tens and nine poles.

"The Impala is a name associated with performance, from the earliest models that raced on the sands and Speedway at Daytona to the newest SS sedan," Suhy added. "The Impala has been extremely successful in the marketplace - it was the best-selling domestic car in 2005 - and we look forward to aligning that success with additional accomplishments on the race track."

About Impala SS
While powerful and fast, the Impalas of yesteryear did not have some of the technology that modern cars use to increase fuel economy. Today's production Impala SS - boasting 303 horsepower from its 5.3L V8 - still offers 27 miles per gallon on the highway, thanks to GM's Active Fuel Management system, which switches off four of eight cylinders under light motor load.

With an aggressive front fascia design and rear spoiler, the Impala SS makes its presence known, but the SS package - originally introduced as Super Sport in 1961 - is more than just looks and power. Impala SS models receive a FE3 suspension, which includes 18-inch W-rated P235/50R18 AL3 (performance) tires and five-spoke alloy wheels that provide a sporty ride that complements the 5.3L small-block V-8's performance. A 34-mm hollow front stabilizer bar and 18-mm solid rear stabilizer bar provide more roll control than standard trim Impalas. Also, increased stiffness helps reduce body lean and contributes to greater high-speed stability.

Heated, leather eight-way power adjustable seats and XM Satellite Radio are just some of the comfort features offered on the production SS. Combined with GM's new five-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty, buyers get practical performance and comfort with peace of mind.