The Chevrolet Camaro is no stranger to sub-10-second times on the drag strip. In fact, it’s no stranger to sub-nine or even sub-eight, if you count some of the maniacal creations that have been built out of every generation of the muscle car. But now, for the first time, Chevrolet has created a factory-based Drag Race Development Program specifically for testing and building out production sixth-generation Camaro SS models, with its sights set on the 10-second mark. And this camouflaged racer is Chevy’s test car.
Although you soon will be able to buy a massively powerful Camaro ZL1 from a dealer or, if you’re lucky, one of the 69 just-announced 2017 COPO Camaros, Chevrolet knows that many of the cars that line up at the tarmac start out as regular production models like the SS. They are crafted into tire-shredding monsters by owners who love the do-it-yourself spirit of the sport. It’s one thing to buy a car that’s fast; it’s another to buy a car and make it fast. Members of the latter group are the people Chevy is aiming at with its Drag Race Development Program. With this SS, which starts with a 455-hp LT1 V-8, Chevy tried to follow the same progression line a normal racing enthusiast would take. Some of the initial modifications included swapping out the rear differential for one with a higher ratio and adding a cam-and-heads package. The team also added Chevrolet Performance air induction and exhaust systems and fitted smaller br...