The Next COPO Camaro Debuts on October 30th

In 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016, Chevrolet Performance offered the COPO Camaro – a purpose-built drag car which isn’t legal for use on public roads – and the results have been nothing short of amazing. The modern COPO Camaro has proven to be an incredible competitor in the world of Stock and Super Stock racing, giving Chevrolet racers a great way to battle the likes of the Ford Mustang Cobra Jet or the Dodge Challenger Drag Pak.

After introducing the 6th generation COPO Camaro for 2016, there was no COPO for the 2017 model year, but there is a no COPO Camaro coming for the 2018 model year and while there are no details – we can expect that there will be at least one significant change for the next step in the COPO lineage.

The 2018 COPO Camaro
We don’t have any details on the 2018 COPO Camaro shy of what is included in the image above, but we can expect that the 2018 COPO package will be very similar to the 2016 models.

The 2018 COPO Camaro will likely feature an ATI Racing TH400 automatic transmission, a race-ready rear axle with an aluminum center section with a spooled differential and 40-spline axle shafts, adjustable race suspension at all four corners, a lightweight steering system, an NHRA-approved fuel cell with a fuel system which can feed any of the available high performance engines and a bare bones interior which gets rid of everything that don’t need to go down the track.

The 2016 COPO Camaro came with three different engine options – a naturally aspirated, LT-based 6.2L V8 with 410 rated horsepower, a naturally aspirated 427 cubic inch LSX-based V8 with 470 rated horsepower and a supercharged LSX-based mill measuring 350 cubic inches and delivering 580 rated horsepower – making the supercharged 350 the quickest of the options.

For the 2018 model year, we can expect that the LT-based engine will be offered, but at some point, Chevrolet Performance will have to go away from the old LS-based engine architecture and begin offering new, high performance variants based on the LT engine platform. The 2018 COPO Camaro seems like the perfect car to introduce the next step in the evolution of the GM LT engine program, which could be something similar to the LT4 in the Camaro ZL1, but with a smaller displacement so that it fits within the rules of the NHRA Super Stock eliminator classes.

Basically, the 2018 COPO Camaro will be another 8-second quarter mile car that you cant drive on the street, but having taken the 2017 model year off, a new LT-based engine seems like a great way for the COPO package to return for the new model year.

As soon as more information is available on the 2018 COPO Camaro, you will find it here on TorqueNews.com.