2008 Chevrolet Impala 50th Anniversary Edition
Posted on 01.15.08 1:21PM under Chevrolet
The Impalas of today are a far cry from their rear-wheel-drive forebears such as the first stand-alone 1959 model with a 355-hp, 348-cubic-inch V-8 or even the 1961 ???SS??? model that tore up drag strips with a 409-inch V-8 that inspired the Beach Boys??™ song ???409.??? Gone, too, are the coupe and convertible models that used to fill Chevy dealerships.
But in a wave of nostalgia, Chevy plans to introduce the Impala 50th Anniversary Edition at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January.
The anniversary model uses the same 3.5-liter V-6 and four-speed automatic of the regular Impala LT on which it??™s based. But with only 211 horsepower powering the front wheels, there??™s little similarity to Impalas of yore.
That didn??™t stop Chevrolet from increasing the sporting factor. The anniversary model gets anti-lock brakes (they??™re only optional on the LT) and the FE3 sport suspension normally reserved for the Impala SS. A trunk spoiler and 18-inch chrome wheels add to the sporting image.
It??™ll be hard to miss these anniversary Impalas with all their nostalgic touches. The doorsill plates, the C-pillars, and the front headrests wear ???50th Anniversary??? badges. The car also gets two-tone leather seats and ebony carpeting and floor mats.
So, essentially, aside from an eight-way power driver??™s seat and a leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, this special Impala is an LT with some extra options.
The 50th Anniversary model will go on sale this spring, a last hurrah of sorts before the next-gen Impala potentially shifts to GM??™s Zeta global rear-wheel-drive architecture, a move that has been in question following program delays over concerns about new fuel-economy and emissions standards.
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