When the SS badge returned to Chevrolet, we were pretty excited. But then the double letter #19 made its way onto the last generation Malibu, and we were immediately and nearly permanently turned off. General Motors later turned up the heat with the turbocharged Cobalt SS and HHR SS, and while we liked those models very much, they in no way conjured up thoughts of 1960's and 1970's Impala and Chevelle SS models. And with more stringent fuel economy standards and government-mandated CO2 reductions, it appears that the SS moniker could well be relegated to the new Camaro. Or maybe not.

Mark Reuss, GM vice president of global engineering, recently told AutoWeek that the SS badge is alive and well. But instead of slapping it on anything and everything with elevated horsepower, the General will instead focus on a more selective process. In other words, we're guessing the ill-conceived FWD Impala SS won't happen again any time soon. Or at least we hope. And while Reuss doesn't hold the glitzy profile of a big-time player like Bob Lutz, the global engineering VP does have plenty of street cred. He worked in Australia to build the RWD Zeta platform that currently underpins the Camaro here in the States, and Zeta is one platform we're dying to see more of here.

So if the SS badge is only going to be considered on a case by case basis, our big question is.... what's next? Well, we have no idea which Chevy will next don the SS badge, but we're hoping recent rumors of a Volt SS are just that: rumors. Perhaps Reuss will convince his fellow executives to marry the SS badge, the Chevy Bowtie and his pride and joy Zeta platform to make a four-door counterpart to the Camaro. That's one way to get yourself Lutz-like notoriety.

For the first time ever, Motor Trend announced the winner of its annual Car of the Year award this afternoon live via webcast. Though the field of 23 contenders was highly competitive this year (follow the jump for a complete list), we guessed immediately that the winner was a Ford as soon as the webcast came online. How'd we know? The fact they were broadcasting the announcement from Ford World Headquarters in Detroit was a not-so-subtle clue. The Fusion, Taurus and Mustang were all in the running, but it was Ford's redesigned mid-size sedan, the Fusion, that took home the coveted Golden Calipers.

In retrospect, the choice is a solid one and not all that surprising. The Fusion was extensively reworked for the 2010 model year and features a new exterior design, new models and new powertrains. Ford offers a four-cylinder model, two strong V6 options and a full-on parallel hybrid variant, which means buyers should have no trouble finding a Fusion that fits their needs. And indeed they have, as the Fusion has already broken its own yearly sales record – with two months left to go.

Like MT, we're big fans of the Fusion here at Autoblog, and even have high hopes that one day it could be the domestic car that knocks the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord from atop their perches as the best selling cars in the States. That said, this Ford still has a long way to go. Toyota has sold nearly twice as many Camry models as the Fusion so far this year, and the Accord and Nissan Altima are still flashing their taillights at Ford's CoTY winner. It's not just demand, as Ford doesn't even have the production capacity at the moment to match Camry sales, and it doesn't help that the Mercury Milan siphons off a few potential Fusion customers, as well.

Nevertheless, this is less about what the Fusion could be in the future than what it is today: the 2010 Motor Trend Car of the Year. Congrats to Ford and the Fusion team.

If it's Monday, there must be a big, rear-wheel drive Chevrolet four-door coming soon. Tuesday? We'll retract and deny everything. We know, we know. We also know we just reported that the next Chevy Impala will remain front-wheel drive – but check this out. We've been hearing rumors for some time now, that despite whatever Fritz Henderson has to say on the matter, a high-performance version of General Motors' Zeta platform that underpins the Pontiac G8 will live on as a Chevy SS model, either badged as a Caprice or (more likely) an Impala. And we're not talking the police special. As Maximum Bob has said, the G8 is "Kinda too good to waste." Needless to say, we totally agree.

An eagle-eye'd AB reader named Jim just caught the following on a Pontiac G8 forum:

"My dealer had sent off pictures to GM of the cable portion of the front seats belts rubbing against the plastic on the side of the front seats. In an email sent back to the dealer, GM says that they have no plans to solve what has already been built but going forward a correction is planned. The email continues: ...a fix is planned for MY11.5 Chevy Police Program and MY12 Chevy SS. The fix will involve a protective sleeve that covers the buckle and section of the buckle stem that rubs on the plastic trim."


How 'bout them apples? That might normally be a sliver of a sliver of a rumor, but it exactly what what we've heard independently from a reliable source – and it brings a great big smile to our face. Now, repeat after us, LS3 with six-speed manual, LS3 with six-speed manual, LS3 with six-speed manual.