Say Hello To The Best COPO Camaro Factory Drag Racer Yet

In case the whole Camaro COPO (Central Office Production Order) thing comes as news to you, let us catch you up. Starting in 2012, Chevrolet has each year produced a limited run of factory drag racing Camaros designed specifically for the NHRA’s Stock and Super Stock Eliminator classes.

The 2016 model year is no different, except this time, Chevrolet has the brand spanking new sixth-generation Camaro to create a COPO special out of, and create it has: you can see the results right here. Well, almost; this is actually a show car made for SEMA; the proper production one will be revealed at a later date.

So, why is it such a big deal this year? It’s all down to the weight savings and rigidity advances of the sixth-gen car; it’s a much better starting point than the old fifth-gen, so this should be the best COPO machine yet.

Peel away the pumped-up exterior, and you’ll find a solid rear axle in place of the regular car’s independent setup, unassisted steering, race-spec brakes and a fuel cell with high-pressure pump.

As with previous COPO Camaros, you’re given a choice of V8 engines to stuff under the hood, depending on the class you’re having a crack at. There’s a supercharged 5.7-litre, a naturally aspirated 7.0-litre and an LT-based 6.2-litre. All are fitted with a race-prepped Turbo 400 three-speed automatic gearbox.

Want one? Act fast: in another detail you’ll find familiar if you’ve read about the COPO cars before, just 69 are being built for the 2016 model year.