GM UNVEILS "MYSTERY" IMPALA SS CAR (Reuter 1/5/93)

   General Motors Corp.'s Chevrolet division Tuesday unveiled a

"mystery" concept car, called the Impala SS, that could be on the

road in the next few years.



   Chevrolet officials declined to say if the sporty concept car,

which was derived from the full-size Caprice and fitted with a

powerful Corvette engine, would actually arrive in showrooms by

the mid-1990s, but it remains a possibility. 



   "People want to know if we actually plan to produce and sell

it," Chevrolet General Manager James Perkins told reporters at

the Detroit auto show.



   "That wasn't the idea. All we were trying to do was tweak the

interest of the automotive aftermarket. But based on the reaction

we're getting, I guess we ought to at least consider its

potential."



   The Impala SS sports the engine, transmission and suspension

from the Caprice police equipment package.



   "We'd have to raise the car back up a couple of inches to

conform to bumper height laws in most states," Perkins said.



   Chevrolet also introduced a new compact concept truck called

the Highlander. It features a sliding side panel to allow

passengers more room when they enter the vehicle.



   Perkins said Chevrolet also plans to begin building a

replacement vehicle for the S-10 pickup truck in July for sale at

the October start of the 1994 model year.



   It also intends to bring out a new version of the Corvette in

1996 or 1997, he said.