As promised GM unveiled the new Chevrolet SS at Daytona, presenting the brand’s first V8-powered rear-drive sports saloon since 1996. A NASCAR racing version of this car will make its track debut this weekend at the Daytona International Speedway.

Chevy SS is powered by a 6.2 liter LS3 V8 rated at 415 horsepower and 415 lb-ft of torque. Mated to a six-speed automatic transmission with TAPshift manual function, it can accelerate the SS from 0 to 60 mph in about five seconds.

It’s a shame they are not offering a proper manual gearbox for it, but at least the chassis and suspension seem to be up to the task. The SS has MacPherson strut front and multilink independent rear suspension geometry, standard Brembo brakes, with ventilated, 355-mm rotors and two-piece, four-piston front calipers, and 19-inch wheels with Bridgestone high performance tires.

The steering system is electronic, but Chevy says they have optimized it for sport driving. The car has a near 50/50 weight distribution and a low center of gravity, which in combination with the rear-wheel-drive system should result in greater handling.

It is not all sport sport though with the Chevy SS. The car is still a big American saloon, which means you get tons of space and lots of features. It comes with eight-way power adjustable front bucket seats, stitched leather, gloss and chrome trimming, in addition to:

Color, in-dashboard touch screen that supports Chevrolet MyLink and the next-generation navigation system

• Bose® Nine-speaker premium sound system
• Color heads-up display
• Push-button start
• StabiliTrak Electronic Stability Control
• Forward Collision Alert
• Lane Departure Warning
• Side Blind Zone Alert
• Rear-vision camera Rear Cross Traffic Alert