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2008 Chevrolet HHR SS: A Blast from the Past!
Quickly glancing at the new 2008 Chevy HHR SS one may find themselves catapulted back into an era of drive-in burger stands and malt shops where your waitress arrived door-side wearing roller-skates and a pink poodle-skirt. Initially interacting with the 2008 HHR SS I felt as if I was cruising the set of the late 70’s hit show Happy Days. The HHR moniker stands for Heritage High Roof, which is a style that Chevy harkened in 1949.
The 2008 HHR SS has a similar yet more curvaceous styling queue than its previous version. A few of its standard highlighted features include, unique exterior appointments with all-new front and rear fascias, new front grilles, a rear spoiler and 18-inch polished forged aluminum wheels. The HHR’s large shiny wheels are wrapped with Michelin Pilot Sport MXM4 P225/45R18 performance all-season tires. The large looking wheels are tailored with specific body enhancements to give the HHR SS a lower, performance-oriented stance. Likewise, the available exterior colors enhance the sporty nature of the vehicles exterior shell. They include Victory Red, Black, Light Tarnished Silver Metallic, Mystique Blue Flash Metallic and Sunburst Orange II Metallic. Body-color door handles, mirror caps and rear license plate surround give the HHR SS a smooth even-toned appeal that modernizes this American classic.
 Inside the 2008 HHR SS, modified seatback bolsters provided supportive comfort during my spirited driving experience. The seat features contemporary, mesh-style impression cloth coverings with suede-like UltraLux inserts in the center section for additional grip. “SS” logos are embroidered on the front seats reminding you that this HHR has the weaponry to push your driving desires to the limit. Contrasting interior colors, including Ebony, Victory Red and Light Grey, contribute to the sporty look and are offered in SS-only combinations. Color-matched door panel inserts complete the theme. Also, a six-way, power-adjustable seat with lumbar support is standard for the driver. The rear seats are trimmed to match the front seats and feature enhanced bolster styling to also compliment the front seats. Compared with other HHR models equipped with a manual transmission, the SS features a shifter mounted higher and farther forward, owing to its shorter-throw operation, and an optimized placement for high-performance driving. Throws between gears are 30-percent shorter – 94-mm throw versus non-SS models’ 135-mm throws – with a firm, precise feel, thanks to revised bushings, cables and mountings. The new shifter and its placement are garnished with a new leather shift knob and boot trim ring adding to the interior styling flow of the new HHR SS.
The 2008 HHR SS has a new instrument panel gauge cluster that includes a 140-mph readout illustrated with large, easy-to-view graphics. In what is now a signature feature of models with turbocharged 2.0L Ecotec engines, the HHR SS comes with a standard A-pillar-mounted turbo boost gauge. The Driver Information Center located in the gauge cluster allows the driver to engage several SS-specific features, including a Competitive Mode that is designed for closed course performance driving and adjusts the chassis controls (including turning off traction control) in controlled driving conditions. The HHR SS launch control function is a part of the Competitive Mode that enables consistent acceleration performance. In addition to the performance-oriented features, the interior also incorporates a number of additional changes such as the relocation of the power window switches from the center console to the door panels. Also, SS-specific satin nickel trim accents the cabin, enhancing the distinctive and performance-oriented theme of the SS’s interior.
The HHR SS' turbocharged and inter-cooled 2.0L Ecotec DI engine delivers 260 horsepower and 260 lb.-ft. of torque with the standard five-speed manual transmission. It is rated at 235 horsepower with the available automatic transmission. One unique feature of the 2008 HHR SS is its “no-lift shift” mode, a driver-selectable performance mode that helps the HHR SS achieve a 0-60 mph in just 6.3 seconds (though it took me a few attempts on a closed circuit track to fully master its characteristics). The HHR SS has plenty of gallup, covering the quarter-mile in a blazing 14.8 seconds at 98.5 mph. The top speed of the 2008 HHR SS is more than 150 mph with the manual transmission. The Ecotec 2.0L turbo engine produces 2.1 horsepower per cubic inch of displacement (130 hp per liter) and is the most powerful engine in the Ecotec family. Gasoline direct-injection technology helps the Ecotec produce more power while maintaining the lower fuel consumption of a small displacement port-injected engine. With direct injection, fuel is delivered directly to the combustion chamber to create a more complete burn of the air/fuel mixture. Less fuel is required to produce the equivalent horsepower, especially at normal cruising speeds. Direct-injection technology works well with turbo-charging and helps the HHR SS deliver a balance of power and fuel economy.
Conveying the HHR SS’s turbocharged horsepower to the pavement is an FE5 sport suspension. The MacPherson strut independent front suspension uses SS-specific gas-charged twin-tube struts. At the rear, the SS’s semi-trailing twist beam axle utilizes gas-charged shocks. A unique electric power steering (EPS) system is tuned to match the SS’s handling prowess. Please take my word for it; the 2008 HHR SS truly handles like a sports-car. Zipping through the winding mountain roads of Saguaro Lake, Phoenix, with GM Chairperson Bob Lutz closely on my tail (I soon learned shortly thereafter that Bob has quite the reputation for enjoying the need for speed.) allowed me to really engage the HHR SS into a series of workouts. The 2008 HHR SS never gave an indication of being overworked. This I found to be incredible, considering the HHR SS has a four-cylinder engine! The rack-and-pinion steering has a quick 14.8:1 ratio, which is 20 percent quicker than other HHR models, and the new EPS provides a precisely viscous feel. A smaller-diameter steering wheel helped enhance the quick, sporty steering challenges at higher speeds.
Stop and go situations were a breeze and four-wheel disc brakes with ABS are standard. They consist of 11.65-inch-diameter vented front rotors with single-piston calipers and 9.84-inch-diameter rear solid discs, also with single-piston calipers. The StabiliTrak electronic stability control system enhances stopping and handling in emergency driving situations. Those disc brakes are visible behind one of the HHR SS’s most distinguishing features: a sporty set of 18-inch polished forged aluminum wheels. Yes the HHR has standard bling! The wheels have a Corvette-inspired split-spoke design that are certainly eye-catching whether parked or in motion. Overall the 2008 HHR SS is a good pick for the Retro-Style influenced buyer. Packed with power, performance and style, the ’08 HHR SS is priced just around $22,995.00 including destination charges and is available at dealers now.
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