Chevrolet initially released its track-only COPO Camaro in 2012, and now it has produced a new version with updated specifications.
Drag racers are well-versed in the COPO, but for the rest of us, here's a rundown. In 1969, a few Chevy dealerships exploited the automaker's Central Office Production Order (COPO) system to order Camaros with options and engines that were otherwise unavailable. Although just 69 vehicles were manufactured in that one and only year, Chevy resurrected the COPO Camaro for 2012 as a specialized turn-key drag racer that is not street legal.
Chevy's huge 9.4-liter V8 is now available as an engine option for 2022. It's the first time this large block has graced the contemporary COPO Camaro, and although we'd love to tell you how much power it generates, Chevy says an exact figure hasn't yet been approved by the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA). However, according to General Motors' crate engine offerings, the 572 is available in a variety of configurations ranging from 621 to almost 700 horsepower, so it will most likely fall somewhere in that range.
The large block Camaro would be positioned above the 580-hp supercharged 5.7-liter V8 engine that is already available. A normally aspirated 7.0-liter V8 with 470 horsepower is also available.
Chevy produces just 69 copies of the classic 1969 COPO Camaro per year, but not in 2022. The manufacturer will now produce as many COPOs as there are requests, with no restrictions. Fewer than 700 vehicles have been built since the contemporary program began in 2012, but with manufacturing now open, automobiles will be built on a first-come, first-served basis until purchasers stop arriving. The 2022 COPO Camaro with the big-block engine begins at $105,000.