2015 Chevrolet COPO Camaro is the king of our quarter-mile dreams
Tue, 04 Nov 2014Chevy introduced the fourth generation of its COPO Camaro at the SEMA show today; another limited run muscle car that should set drag racing fans' mouths to salivating.
Just 69 examples of the 2015 COPO will be built (the same as the first three runs of the car), with customers able to choose between 350-, 396 -and 427-cubic-inch naturally aspirated V8 engines, or a supercharged 350. The car on the show stand uses that last one, the supercharged "LSX" V8 with a many 2.9-liter Whipple supercharger.
The hand-built dragsters come fitted with an NHRA-approved roll cage and safety harness, a unique suspension and a solid rear-axle in place of the standard Camaro's independent setup.
Chevy tells us that, in addition to being a sought-after collectors item (the 69 new owners will be chosen via a random lottery), the COPO cars have distinguished themselves on the strip as well. Scroll down for the brief Chevy press release, or check out the racing machine in our live show gallery.
Chevrolet Introduces 2015 COPO Camaro
Fourth year of factory race car program builds on momentum of winning racers
LAS VEGAS – Chevrolet introduced the 2015 COPO Camaro today at the SEMA Show. It's the fourth edition of the limited-production, factory-built race car – and the final version for the Gen 5 Camaro. As with the previous three model years, only 69 will be built.
The new race cars will enter the 2015 racing season building on the momentum of COPO Camaro racer Bruno Massel's historic win at last summer's Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals, in Indianapolis. It was the first NHRA national event victory for a fifth-generation COPO Camaro and topped a roster of seven additional class wins by drivers in COPO Camaros or COPO-powered race cars.
In all, about three dozen COPO Camaros and COPO-powered race cars vied for wins at the U.S. Nationals, making it the largest assembly of COPOs to date.
"The COPO Camaro allows sportsman racers to compete directly in NHRA Stock Eliminator and Super Stock classes," said Jim Campbell, GM U.S. vice president of Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. "Every win advances the COPO racing legacy established 45 years ago and reinforces Chevrolet's position today as America's leading performance car brand."
The 2015 COPO Camaro on display this week at the SEMA Show features an Abalone White exterior with gray and orange accents and all-new COPO graphics – and is powered by a 350 "LSX" V-8 with a 2.9L Whipple supercharger.
Each COPO Camaro race car is built by hand starting with production hardware, including the same body in white used for production models.
The production race cars are fitted with an NHRA-approved roll cage and other safety equipment, along with racing chassis and suspension components – including a unique solid rear axle system in place of a regular-production Camaro's independent rear axle.
Customers can select from a variety of supercharged and naturally aspirated LS-family engines based on their intended NHRA Stock and Super Stock classes, including 350, 396 and 427 naturally aspirated engines and a supercharged 350.
Racers interested in purchasing one of the 69 2015 COPO Camaro race cars must register at www.chevrolet.com/performance/copo-camaro. An independent third-party will randomly select purchasers from the pool of interested customers.
COPO crate engines and parts
Chevrolet Performance offers COPO crate racing engines and many of the specialty parts used in the production race cars, enabling racers to construct their own race cars using the proven, factory-engineered components of the genuine COPO Camaros. Six crate engines are offered:
COPO 427 naturally aspirated
COPO 396 naturally aspirated
COPO 350 supercharged (2.9L SC)
COPO 350 naturally aspirated
COPO 327 supercharged (4.0L SC)
COPO 327 supercharged (2.9L SC)
The range of additional COPO Camaro service parts includes everything from factory-engineered injector harnesses and alternator mounting kits to the body in white that Chevrolet uses to build the official COPO Camaro race cars.
Complete descriptions of the engines and parts are available in the all-new, 2015 Chevrolet Performance Parts catalog, which is available from Chevrolet dealers and can be downloaded online at www.chevrolet.com/performance.
Also available through the catalog is Chevrolet Performance's "COPO Camaro Build Book" (part number 88958767), which provides an insider's look at the assembly of the production race cars through hundreds of color photos. It also includes detailed specifications for NHRA classification and descriptions of the aftermarket parts and their manufacturers used for the production vehicles. Important start-up, warm-up and pre-/post-race procedures are also included as well as fluid and maintenance recommendations.
Racing enthusiasts interested in more information on the COPO program can follow the latest COPO information at theblock.com – the online automotive community powered by Chevrolet Performance.
By Seyth Miersma