MTI Racing built this Camaro SS to test their sequential manual transmission, and it is a wicked sleeper.
While flipping through the ChevroletForum Classifieds, we came across this interesting 2010 Camaro SS, posted for sale by “Hardy@MTIRacing”. This car was a test vehicle for MTI Racing, so while we can be certain that it has been driven hard, the fact that a company built it for high performance testing suggests that it was built to reliably make big power. Evidently, MTI is finished using this car for testing, so the Georgia-based performance company has put it up for sale, giving everyone a chance to own this unique 5th generation Camaro.
The Build
On the outside, this 2010 Camaro SS looks like your average Chevy muscle car with some aftermarket wheels, if you ignore the gigantic rear wing and the decals on the doors, fenders and rockers. At least that is the case until you get closer, at which point you notice the roll cage, the racing bucket seat and the unusual shifter for the sequential manual transmission.
The real visual wow factor comes when you open the hood, as the LS3 engine has been fitted with a twin turbo setup that helps lift the output to 1,000 horsepower. We don’t know what else has been done to the engine, which is odd, considering how much the seller is asking, but perhaps a serious buyer could get more information on the engine build.
Big Price Tag
The only thing about this 2010 Camaro SS that isn’t cool is the price, as MTI is asking $68,500. It is a low-mileage, first-year version of the modern Camaro with a built engine, a unique transmission and an unusual backstory, but this car is being sold at a gigantic premium.
According to Kelley Blue Book, a 2010 Camaro SS in flawless condition with 8,300 miles has a value of around $22,000. MTI sells a sequential transmission for GM products for $10,000 and if the install runs you $3,000, you are up to $35,000.
You also have the twin turbocharged engine and the cage, so that engine build must have cost a fortune, but perhaps they aimed high with the plan to haggle. Frankly, for this price, you would think that the seller would have taken more time to list the details, as it will take a serious buyer to get that kind of money and a serious buyer is going to want more details.
In any case, if you want to go racing with a stock-looking 5th generation Camaro SS with a 1,000-horsepower LS3 and a sequential manual transmission, this carpresents an interesting option.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
