If you watched any of the NASCAR Sprint Cup racing activity from Daytona International Speedway last month you no doubt noticed the bright blue sedan pacing the field. Chevrolet took the wraps off that brand new SS sedan which is their first rear wheel drive performance sedan since 1996. Under the hood is the same LS3 that powers the 2013 Corvette.

The 2014 SS will also be the ride of choice for Chevrolet’s Sprint Cup teams this year.

?The Chevrolet brand was largely built on the strength of rear-drive performance sedans, yet it’s been 17 years since we’ve offered one,? said Mark Reuss, president of General Motors North America. ?The all-new Chevrolet SS fills that void and fills it better than any other vehicle in the brand’s rich history. The comfort, convenience, spaciousness and V-8 power make the SS a total performance package unlike any other on the road today.?

The new Chevy SS sedan rides on General Motors? global rear wheel drive platform which also spawned the Camaro, the Caprice PPV, the now defunct Pontiac G8, and Australia’ s Holden VF Commodore.

As we mentioned the SS is powered by a Corvette-sourced LS3 which is expected to deliver 415 horsepower and 415 lb-ft of torque in SS-form when it’s officially rated. The 6.2 liter LS3 is connected to a six-speed automatic transmission which can be shifted manually using TAPshift paddles on the steering wheel. Unfortunately we think GM missed a note here by not offering a 6 speed manual. We sure hope one is in the works somewhere down the road.

The Chevrolet SS is expected to make the 0 to 60 mph dash in about five seconds.

The SS stays pinned to the road via a sport tuned chassis featuring MacPherson strut front and multilink independent rear suspension, electronic power steering, standard Brembo brakes with vented 355-mm rotors and two-piece, four-piston front calipers. 19 inch aluminum wheels wrapped in Bridgestone rubber resides at all for corners. Performance is also enhance by the 50/50 weight distribution and a low center of gravity thanks to an aluminum hood and rear trunk lid.

?Our goal was to create a car that delivers incredible grip and handling balance while cornering, while still being comfortable to drive on the road,? said David Leone, executive chief engineer GM global programs. ?The perfect weight balance and lower center of gravity were a big part of that goal because it enabled the team to tune for a more comfortable highway ride without sacrificing handling or driver confidence while cornering at the limits.?

Inside, the new SS features such creature comforts as standard leather seating surfaces, power front bucket seats with additional side bolstering, a soft-touch instrument panel with two types of chrome finishes, and ice blue ambient lighting. Some of the new technology inside the SS includes a color, in-dash touch screen with Chevrolet MyLink, a next-generation navigation system, a Bose nine-speaker stereo, a color heads-up display, StabiliTrak Electronic Stability Control, Forward Collision Alert, Lane Departure Warning, Side Blind Zone Alert, and a rear-vision camera with Rear Cross Traffic Alert. It is also the inaugural Chevrolet to offer Automatic Parking Assist, which helps you squeeze into parallel or reverse right angle parking spots using the ultrasonic sensing system to detect the width and depth of the space. In other words, it will park itself if you ask it to. You just provide the throttle and braking.

The 2014 Chevrolet SS should hit showrooms in the fourth quarter of 2013. Pricing will be announced closer to the on-sale date later this year.