Chevrolet pulled out from its badge-bin the SS one and installed it on a car worth wearing it in 1997: the Camaro; and then added some open-top flavor.
The Super-Sport (SS) badge was well known in the mid-’60s when Chevrolet applied it on the most powerful versions of its muscle-cars such as the Nova, the Camaro, or the Chevelle. And it wasn’t just a decal on the bodywork. Serious technical upgrades backed it.

Chevrolet didn’t want the Camaro SS to be subtle. It added a composite hood with a big air-intake on it and a small wing-spoiler in the back. In the rear, it added a dual stainless steel exhaust that improved both the car’s look and sound. The SS needed a set of Corvette ZR1-inspired 17” light-alloy wheels fitted with fat tires. Its canvas-roof was completely retractable behind the rear seats and hidden under a vinyl cover.

Inside, there were not too many differences when compared to a regular Camaro Z28. Chevrolet kept the dual-color upholstery on the bucket-seat with high bolstering. The bench was profiled for two but offered almost no legroom. A new, six-speed, manual gearbox fitted with a Hurst gear knob was fitted as standard. Chevrolet stuck a specific badge on the ashtray’s lid to emphasize the particular model.

Under the hood, the LT4 engine from the Z28 version was tuned by SLP. They were the same team that brought more power to the Pontiac Firebird. Due to a tuned intake system, the 5.7-liter V8 provided 25 more ponies than the standard Z28.