1994-1996 Chevrolet Impala SS: General Motors' Only Muscle Car of the Decade—Not Sports Car—Muscle Car

  

Summary

1994–1996 Chevy Impala SS — a full-size sedan with true 1990s muscle-car attitude.

5.7L LT1 V8 producing 260 hp and 330 lb.-ft. of torque.

Rear-wheel drive, limited-slip differential, heavy-duty suspension, 12-inch disc brakes, and dual exhaust.

Comfortable enough for five, but capable of 0–60 mph in about 7 seconds.

The LT1 offered plenty of potential for aftermarket performance upgrades.

Only 69,758 were produced, making clean, original examples increasingly desirable.

A big, comfortable American cruiser with legitimate muscle-car DNA.

The Big and Bold

These beautiful 94-96 Chevrolet Impala SS sport sedans weren't in production for long, but they did make a big impact in the Chevy lineup for a couple of years. What made this Caprice in disguise such a success was the addition of a Corvette 5.7-liter LT1 V8 engine, along with a few other upgrades.

• 260 Horsepower and 330 lb.-ft. of Torque

• 4L60E Automatic Transmission

• 3.08 Tall Rear Gear with a Limited-Slip Differential

• Lowered Heavy-Duty Suspension from the Caprice Police Car Package

• Performance-Oriented Shocks w/Semi-Stiff Anti-Roll Bars

• 12-Inch Vented Disc Brakes

• 0-60 in 7.0 Seconds and 15.0-Second 1/4-Mile Time @ 92 MPH, Give or Take, with Plenty of Potential

Now, of course, that doesn't sound like much today, with V6 SUVs outperforming this big-bodied vehicle. But this 4,220-pound beast was considered pretty fast for its size 26 years ago.

The funny thing is, the decision to go with the Caprice/LT1/Impala combination came about because the original Caprice 4.6-liter engine was having a hard time meeting emission standards. The LT1 engine that was placed in the Corvette, Camaro, and Pontiac sports cars was doing fine passing emissions and smog regulations, and that's why it got the duty of lugging the Impala SS around.

Potential For More Power 

Dropping the 4.6-liter and moving to the LT1 made the Impala SS even more like a muscle car. Since there wasn't a lot you could do in terms of upgrades to the 4.6-liter, the dud you got in the '93 and older Caprice was the dud you got. The LT1, on the other hand, offered plenty of room for upgrades.

If you could get an upgrade for a Corvette, Camaro, Firebird, or Trans Am, chances are you could get it for the Impala. This opened the door for easy upgrades, from cold-air induction and computer programmers to cams, heads, and nitrous. I'd go over all the upgrade options, but I figure you could use your imagination here.

Four-Door Competition

It was definitely faster than its American four-door competitors, i.e., the Ford Taurus SHO and the Pontiac Bonneville SSEi. Moreover, it was $65,800+ cheaper than the Mercedes-Benz S500 and could accelerate faster, handle better, and match the Benz in braking abilities, all while sounding like true American Muscle.

What The Impala SS Had Its Sports Car Companions Didn't 

That's easy: front bucket seats that made you feel like you were sitting on a sofa, a back seat where people—even those 6 feet tall and hefty—could sit comfortably, and a trunk you could neatly place a dead body in. 

The Impala's colors were limited. In 1994, you were only able to get one in Black, but the '95 and '96 models brought about a Dark Cherry Red and a Dark Green color.

                        

There were also a few other differences about the 1994 Impala SS. There was a digital dashboard with no tachometer and a column shifter. When Chevrolet noticed the consumer's want for this vehicle in the muscle car capacity, they added in an analog dashboard with a tach and a floor shifter to add to the muscle car feel. 

For all three years, the exterior sported special 17-inch 5-spoke rims wrapped in large 255/50R-17 tires. A nice-sounding dual-exhaust system was added, along with a rear spoiler and deleted Caprice chrome. The stance, the sound, the power, and the name alone—Impala SS—made this disguised Caprice no longer a car you would expect a 90-year-old church-going lady to drive. 

Taking One For A Ride

I've taken a few for a ride here and there while working at a dealership. They're not that fast, but one thing they are is a little surprising. You just don't think a '94-'96 Caprice with special SS Impala badges is going to offer you so much.

The Impala gives you more than enough throttle response to get the big, long sedan into the passing zone and go. It also gives you plenty of comfort, from the legroom and headroom to the soft suspension that performs well but still gives you a ride that reminds you of your grandpa's unmolested Lincoln.

And no, there is no media center, cell phone connectivity, or sophisticated driver-assist safety functions that allow you to disregard paying attention to the road. These Impala SS big-bodies are true cruising cars. A car that you can shine up, hit the road, listen to the mufflers hum, and get a few looks of envy from drivers in their cookie-cutter trucks and crossovers.

Purchasing a 94-96 Impala SS

With 69,758 Impala SS sport sedans produced between '94 and '96, they are not the rarest cars in the world. But a lot of them are stored away in garages as their value goes up. If you're looking to purchase one of these modern Impala SS muscle cars, your best option is to look for one that has low miles and has little to no upgrades.

Some of these cars have been heavily modified, and some have been around the block a time or two.

Look for rust in the usual places, signs of years of abuse, aftermarket-hacked stereo systems and suspension components, and beat-up interiors. Some of these cars may still have potential, but it would depend on how much money you want to put into them.

There are still plenty of good ones out there that have been well taken care of and can offer you a fun and cool multi-purpose Hot Rod!.