The new Chevy SS is sharp, tactile, a joy to abuse, and the most rewarding Chevy sedan we've ever driven. It's also a bit of an oddball, a performance car

doing its best not to look like one.

We've been waiting for the SS ever since GM killed Pontiac in 2009 and, with it, the wonderful G8. That car, a big, rear-drive sedan with a V8 and a

crotch-kick demeanor, was a made-for-the-USA version of the Australian-designed and -built Holden Commodore. Since then, GM has kept the G8 alive as the

Chevy Caprice police cruiser, and they're now offering it to the rest of us.

WATCH THIS: Hennessey took this Chevy SS to 163 mph

Enter the Chevrolet SS. It uses a new generation of the Holden platform, sharing only doors and glass with the departed G8. The changes are subtle, like a

switch to aluminum for the hood and trunklid—overall, the car is roughly 60 lbs lighter—and a claimed stiffening of the structure. There's still a

small-block V8, now with 415 delicious hp, but sadly, the G8's manual transmission option is gone.

The gearbox loss stings, but it's forgotten as soon as you bury the throttle. By our clock, the SS runs to 60 in just 4.5 seconds and demolishes the

quarter-mile in only 12.9 seconds—performance on par with last year's BMW M3.

Like that BMW, the SS is no straight-line-only special. The suspension is wonderfully starchy, with body control that takes the edge off road imperfections

yet doesn't filter out valuable information. For a large sedan, the SS is remarkably balanced, willing to corner cleanly, or, if stability control is

switched off, dance around every turn in a lurid, smoky slide.

These kinds of antics are addictive, as is the entire car. In addition to our usual back-road test route, we ran the SS on our home airport track, the

Motown Mile. Save the occasional lazy gear change, the SS takes to the track eagerly. The car's lap time, 57.43 seconds, is a few tenths quicker than that

of the all-wheel-drive Mercedes E63 AMG.

READ THIS: GM product boss Mark Reuss wants a wagon

Some may cry that the Chevy's $45,770 base price is too steep. But there's refinement here to rival the Europeans. The SS feels like an American version of

the BMW M5, with the only demerits being the acquired-taste chrome flashes and demure sheetmetal. We don't need to advertise our speed, but the SS is essentially

a four-door Corvette. It should have a bit of swagger.

2014 Chevrolet SS

0–60 MPH : 4.5 sec

4.5 sec Rolling Start, 5–60 : 4.8 sec

4.8 sec 0–60 MPH : 4.5 sec

4.5 sec 1/4-mile: 12.9 sec @ 110.2 mph

12.9 sec @ 110.2 mph Braking, 60–0 mph : 117 feet

117 feet Roadholding : 0.93 g

0.93 g Price: $45,770

$45,770 Powertrain: 6.2-liter V-8, 415 hp, 415 lb-ft; RWD, 6-speed automatic

6.2-liter V-8, 415 hp, 415 lb-ft; RWD, 6-speed automatic Weight: 3931 lb

3931 lb Top Speed : 165 mph

165 mph Fuel Economy (City/Hwy) : 14/21 mpg

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