Chevrolet Continues Dragstrip-Slaying Legacy With 2017 COPO Camaro

69 special Camaros are being prepared for drag racing aficionados

If there’s one thing muscle cars are best at, it’s straight line racing. And that is not just some marketing-induced idea, it’s a historical fact: after WW2, U.S. soldiers returning home began working on their cars and started the straight line racing thing.

In 1969, Chevrolet began receiving special orders for drag strip-specced Camaros, creating even a dedicated program for that — the Central Office Performance Order (COPO).

And what you see in the gallery above is the 2017 COPO Camaro model. “For 50 years Chevrolet has supported Camaro drag racers, and these new SEMA vehicles demonstrate our commitment to the sport, with parts development and the advancement of the historic COPO Camaro program,” the GM US Vice President of Performance Vehicles and Motorsports explained.

Engine-wise, the 2017 COPO Camaro is available in three different states of tune. The “entry-level” one is the 5.7-liter (350 cu-in) supercharged V8 with 580 hp, capable of covering the quarter-mile line in 8.5 seconds (at 162 mph). Next in line in the order of displacement is the 6.2-liter (376 cu-in) direct-injected V8 unit. Rated at 410 hp, it can do the quarter-mile in 9.7 seconds (at 145 mph). The biggest of them all is the naturally aspirated 7.0-liter (427 cu-in) V8 with 470 horsepower and a 9.7-second quarter-mile time (at 150 mph).

Regardless of the engine choice, the 2017 COPO Camaro comes with an ATI TH400 three-speed automatic transmission. Other features included in the drag-ready package are as following:

– Lightweight, adjustable coil-over strut front suspension

– Four-link rear suspension with double-adjustable coil-over shocks, Panhard bar, and stabilizer bar

– Rear axle with an aluminum center section featuring a lightweight steel spool and 40-spline gun-drilled axle shafts

– Lightweight, drag-race manual four-wheel disc brakes (unassisted)

– Custom manual steering rack

– Fuel cell with built-in high-pressure fuel pump

– Unique racing wire harness

The car showcased at SEMA 2016 is chassis number 01 (of a total of 69) and features a 350 cu-in supercharged V8, custom Weld racing wheels, and a unique blue paint. This particular example will be sold at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction in January 2017.

As for the 68 remaining cars, Chevrolet says that there are over 5,000 requests for them. If you want to have a shot at one of the 68 COPO Camaros, you must register at chevrolet.com/copo by December 15. Prices range from $90,000 to $110,000.