This is the look-at-me muscle car of the ages. Buy one and tell the world that you have a strong predilection for things unusual, loud and powerful. Add fun to drive, too, for while there are many reasons to knock the Chevrolet SSR, it has the sweetness of a Corvette engine under the hood, a convertible top and a stylish body. All three are screaming good reasons why this is a barn burner on Goodyear tires, and a car, er, truck , er, SUV made for Baby Boomers who want to head into the silver years with a yellow-painted statement shrouded in exhaust fumes.

And what a statement it is, too. Especially in yellow. If it weren’t for the boatish ride and a seating position that’s all too familiar to that of an SUV (its TrailBlazer SUV platform has something to do with that), this would be a tough truck to pass on. In fact, turn the convertible into a fixed roof, lose the tonneau cover, pare down the trimmings, slash the price and what you have is a muscle truck that would fly off lots. Shoot, you could sell a volume model with a good V6 in it. The idea would attract thousands to Chevrolet lots without a coupon in hand, a phenomenon sorely needed about now. On the road, the SSR matches what traditional muscle cars did so well: it goes very fast in a straight line and sounds like a tornado whipping through a trailer park. Making all that noise is the same 6.0-liter V8 engine that powers the Corvette, an upgrade from the 2004 model of a whopping 90 horsepower to 390 at 5,400 rpm. Torque registers at a healthy 405 lb.-ft. at 4,400 rpm, and the engine is mated to either a four-speed automatic or a six-speed manual.

Trouble comes when you hit a twisty section of road, as the SUV underpinnings and sheer weight of the vehicle make for cumbersome dynamics. The ride is loose and harsh, so much so that those who desire handling performance as well as a big, bad engine will chortle at the idea of the SSR. With its modified SUV construction, it’s simply not meant to be put through that type of aggressive driving, even with 19-inch wheels and a lower stance. In essence, this is a muscle SUV, then, if the philosophy were the same: put a big engine in a “normal” car, and see what happens.

What happens is that the Chevrolet SSR can lay a mean streak with its beefy Goodyear tires, and looks like a concept car rolled out onto the asphalt. That’s about the best of it, and the actual ride is just one of a few things that qualify as the worst. Indeed, of all the parameters of a classic muscle car, the SSR falls short in two important areas: price, and convenience. With a sticker price starting at $42,000, an unmanageable tonneau cover and a cabin that specializes in wasted space, the SSR is strictly for Boomers who no longer need the extravagance of suitable cargo space. It’s frankly amazing how a car this big could have no real usable space, save for the area under its tonneau cover. And granted, it’s for looks, but come on. The cabin is big for a two-seater yet offers scant cargo holds; the gauges, while cool, are hard to read; and the beltline is so high that it makes one feel like the Liliput Man when behind the wheel. And while the quality of the interior is good, there are still a number of squeaks, rattles and ill-fitting gaps. But it is comfortable, though the center console has a strange design that gets in the way at times. Ultimately, for those who want to tell the world that they desire 390 horsepower and over-the-top looks more than convenience, value and handling, the SSR is the look-at-me Baby Boomer muscle truck they need.