Chevrolet HHR News: West Coast Customs HHR reportedly destroyed

[Vintalage]

About a year ago, Chevy first gave the public information and a sketch of the Chevy HHR, a retro-styled station wagon that Chevy says takes its style from a mixture of the 1949 Chevy Suburban and the current Chevy SSR (and not the Chrysler PT Cruiser, so they say.)

Over the following months Chevy execs filled in more information, noting that the HHR (which stands for "heritage high roof") will be built on GM's Delta platform, shared with the Saturn ION and 2005 Chevy Cobalt. Price is pegged at about $23,000, and Chevy says they aim to sell 100,000 HHRs a year.

The HHR has four doors plus a rear hatch. It will seat five, and have a fold-down second row seat. Power will come from a double-overhead cam four-cylinder engine rated at up to 220 horsepower.

Now these latest photos capture a prototype HHR undergoing high-temperature testing in the desert southwest. From its Chevy bowtie grille emblem to its quad round taillights, the production model is exactly like the sketches that Chevy displayed a year ago. The styling influence of the 1949 Suburban is quite evident, despite this being a new design based on a car platform.

The HHR will be introduced in summer of 2005 as a 2006 model.

-The Car Connection

[eren00gt]

Yikes, that thing is UGLY. It looks like the bastard child of a durango and a pt cruiser.

Now isn't that just what GM needs, a PT Cruiser clone. They should have spent the development dollars on a worthy vehicle, the G6. They could have included more performance and given the G6 a more aggressive look.

[GregFarz78]

WOW I bet that will sell well GM is on crack didnt they learn from the asstek? 100,000 a year...probably not even half that

[sc02grandam]

4 cylinders and 220 horses? if thats true.. looks like gm is doing somethign right...

[AMRAAM4]

What a bunch of focking idiots

I guess this what to expect, when the designer of the PT Cruiser comes to work for GM.

[GregFarz78]

Originally Posted by elliott123

4 cylinders and 220 horses? if thats true.. looks like gm is doing somethign right...

Its an ecotech engine in there....besides that car will probably weigh too much for that 4 banger to carry it down the road with any kind of decent acceleration.

[AMRAAM4]

My mom has a PT with the 4cylinder....there are go karts that can whip that car's ass. It's like a friggin tank.

[Sleepwalkr]

Actually, I think it looks pretty good..... in the concept photo that is. Plus, its actually a good idea... but unfortunately its about 5 years too late. By now, people are getting tired of the PT Cruiser and its lost 90% of its novelty. I still think it looks good though.

[AaronGAGT]

Simply awesome! I love everything about it. Cant wait to talk mom into gettin it the day it comes out!

[Vintalage]

It reminds me of a tonka truck toy I use to own as a kid.

[RedGT2004]

Looks like an extended version the the PT Cruiser

[badassgrandam99]

this was a dumb move... the PT Cruiser came out how long ago and NOW they are making something to compete against it?? ... PT sales have dropped dramatically and rumor has it that Chrysler might not replace it and leave it as a single cycle vehicle, much like Ford's plans with the current Thunderbird...

[mr_eh]

ewwwwwwwwww! wtf is wrong with car designers?

[VTECSiGAH8R]

This idea has already been exhausted the first time around, when it was called a PT Cruiser.

[Vintalage]

[Vintalage]

I SWEAR TO GOD THAT I COULD RUN THIS DAMN COMPANY BETTER.

That looks just like a Durango from the back...yay another new old car.

[Vintalage]