Chevrolet COPO Camaro returns to drag races with 9.4-liter V8

The Central Office Production Order (COPO) Camaro returns to the drag strip with a new big block 9.4-liter V8.

The new car channels the spirit of the original 1969 COPO Camaro, a purpose-built drag racer created by dealers using the Central Office Production Order system, kind of like Chevrolet's bespoke division, to equip cars with Chevrolet’s largest V8.

The COPO Camaro uses a cast-iron block with four-bolt main caps, aluminum heads, a forged steel crankshaft, forged steel connecting rods and forged aluminum pistons.

While Chevrolet has yet to reveal specific numbers, the drag car's hp figure could be higher than the other engine options: a smaller supercharged V8 rated at 580 horsepower, and a naturally aspirated V8 with 470hp. All COPO Camaros use an ATI Racing Products TH400 three-speed automatic transmission, Chevrolet said. 

Engineered for drag racers, the COPO Camaro is sold as a Chevrolet Performance part and cannot be registered for street use. It competes in the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Stock and Super Stock eliminators, and comes standard with a carbon fiber hood and wheelie bars.

Buyers can customize their cars with options such as a trunk-mounted weight box and parachute.

Chevrolet has built fewer than 700 examples of the COPO Camaro since COPO started in 2012. In past years, interested customers have entered a lottery to win an allotment for one of 69 cars.

For 2022, Chevrolet said it will not limit production for this special Camaro, and orders will be filled on a first come, first served basis. Buyers may also participate in a private tour of the COPO Build Facility in Oxford, Michigan, where each car is custom made. 

Photos from Chevrolet

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