When Chevrolet brought the Camaro back from its 8-year hiatus in 2010, the automotive world stopped. They did justice with the final product, which closely resembled the 2005 concept and the 2007 Bumblebee in Transformers. The muscle car heavyweight contender was back, aggressive, and unapologetically loud. However, while the Camaro made magazine covers, Chevy quietly released another vehicle a few years later that possessed the same ingredients that made the Camaro such a great car and arguably more versatile. Yet despite being a mechanical masterpiece, this sedan slipped through the cracks of the American market, becoming one of the best-kept secrets in modern automotive history. A Sleeper Hiding In Plain Sight Bring a TrailerImagine dropping $50,000 on a brand-new performance car, only to have your neighbor ask if you got a great deal on a base model Malibu. This is sometimes an issue, especially when you have the top trim in the lineup. To the uninitiated, sedans like these look sensible and blend in with everyday commuters. But to enthusiasts, cars like these are known as "sleepers", these are cars that intentionally hide their performance behind a boring-looking design. These cars have no wings, no scoops, and no aggressive design or body lines. They don't turn heads at all, which allows them to blend into traffic while carrying enough power to embarrass most dedicated sports cars. But this is also one of the reasons people don't buy them.Sedans Were No Longer ExcitingAudi The timing for such a car couldn't have been worse. By the mid-2010s, the automotive landscape was shifting quickly. SUVs were taking over with full force, everyone wanted a do-it-all vehicle. SUVs can seat 5–7 people, a bit more trunk space than the sedans and higher ground clearance for poor roads and four-wheel-drive for all weather conditions. Crossovers came later and almost completely made sedans irrelevant since the prices were quite similar, the high riding position was also very appealing. Having a vehicle that could do everything better than a performance sedan is the better choice for most people. The market as a whole moved away from sedans in favor of these high-riding vehicles. Why Great Sports Sedans Don't Sell Very Well Bring a Trailer On paper, a high-performance sedan is the ultimate "one-car garage" solution, especially for a car enthusiast. It offers the speed of a coupe with the practicality of a family car. So why do they struggle to sell even among enthusiasts? It's because they do their jobs a bit too well. A great sports sedan is refined and comfortable when you're just commuting, which can make it feel a bit numb for someone spending a premium on a performance car. On the other hand, some of these cars are a bit too stiff or loud, making them lose the appeal of a sedan. They also aren't as flashy, so no one looks twice when they see them, especially in black or white. At this point, buyers will either choose a comfortable cruiser that fits your daily needs, like a crossover or SUV or a flashy dedicated sports car. This instantly leaves the performance sedan out of the conversation, as it now becomes a niche market that only appeals to a specific type of enthusiast.But in 2014, one sports sedan managed to deliver everything enthusiasts wanted while flying completely under the radar. The Chevrolet SS Was Essentially A Four-Door Camaro Via: Bring a TrailerThe Camaro is a dedicated muscle car that is flashy and turns heads, but it had a sedan version that was just as good but understated. The car in question was the Chevrolet SS. We know the SS as a trim level for the Camaro SS, but this sedan was simply named the SS. It may have had a simple name but the car was anything but simple. Under the hood sat the legendary 6.2-liter LS3 V8, the same engine that powers the manual Camaro SS and the C6 Corvette. In this car, it made 415 horsepower and 415 pound-feet of torque. However, it wasn't just about using the same engine. The SS sat on the same Zeta platform as the Camaro.This may look like a high-performance version of the eighth-gen Chevrolet Malibu but shares absolutely nothing with that car when it comes to the powertrain. The Chevrolet SS was built to be a four-door muscle car, and it had the best performance parts to back it up. From the Brembo brakes, to Magnetic Ride Control and rear-wheel drive only, it delivered a driving experience that was identical to the Camaro. The best part is that it had enough room at the back for three adults and ample luggage space. But this car was not originally made for the US market. The SS Was Originally An Australian Car Julian Edgar / HotCars / Valnet The SS was originally an Australian car made by GM's sister brand Holden. It was built as a Holden Commodore but rebadged as the Chevrolet SS. This shouldn't come as a surprise, but Holden is well known for making powerful V8 cars and even has a history of making "V8 Supercars". These aren't supercars in the way we know it, but it is a culture obsessed with high-performance rear-wheel drive V8 sedans. Holden's performance division, HSV, was responsible for building this masterpiece. Bringing the Commodore to America as the Chevrolet SS was meant to be a gift to enthusiasts who want a pure car like this. The SS Is The Perfect Enthusiast Sedan Chevrolet What makes the SS the "perfect" enthusiast sedan is the commitment to the fundamentals of what makes this a pure driver's car. Most current performance cars and sport sedans use turbochargers and complex hybrid systems. Most high-powered American cars use superchargers for forced induction but the SS was pure. It has a massive naturally aspirated V8, paired with an available six-speed manual and three pedals. It was a pure, visceral experience similar to the Camaro.Inside, the SS featured creature comforts like ventilated 8-way power seats, heads-up display, Bose premium audio and a surprisingly premium cabin. The driving experience and premium interior offer a high level of engagement that most modern sedans with their numb steering and digital gimmicks cannot replicate. It was a modern classic the day it left the factory. This Is Also A Rare Vehicle Chevrolet The Chevy SS was never intended to be a mass-market volume seller, even the regular sedans weren't doing so well, but its final production numbers are shockingly low. Over its four-year run from 2014 to 2017, less than 13,000 units were produced. To put that in perspective, Chevrolet sold over 61,000 in its first year of release than the entire production run of the SS. These numbers make it rarer than many high-end European sports cars, ensuring that you will likely be the only person in your area driving one. This Forgotten Legend Is A Future Classic ChevroletChevrolet officially canceled the SS in 2017, coinciding with the closure of Holden’s manufacturing plants in Australia. There was no follow-up to this car after production ended. But since it was discontinued, the market has realized how special this car is. These cars had an MSRP of $43,000–$46,000 and used cars have held their value quite well with a current average price of $39,000. Many low-mileage examples are selling at MSRP, and many collectors specifically hunt for 2015–2017 models.This is because the manual transmission option was introduced in 2015 and other performance options as standard. This car may not shoot up astronomically in value, but has already been set up to be an American classic. Cars Like This Don't Exist Anymore Chevrolet The Chevy SS represents the end of an era. The industry is moving toward electrification and downsized turbo engines with automatic transmissions. The recipe for a simple, big V8 with a manual gearbox and rear-wheel drive setup is basically dead. No one is offering this type of car anymore as it would be slow compared to the performance sedans of today. The only car that comes close is still from the GM family with theCadillac CT5-V blackwing, but that has a supercharged engine and is way too fast. The Chevrolet SS was a car built by enthusiasts for enthusiasts without regard for what the rest of the automotive community wanted at the time. We will never see a pure car like this again and for those who own one, it's a piece of automotive history and an experience almost no other car can deliver.Sources: General Motors, Chevrolet, Classic.com.