Chevrolet first resurrected the COPO name back in 2012, when the bow-tie brand decided to pit its then fifth-generation Camaro against the Dodge Challenger Drag Pak and the Ford Mustang Cobra Jet on the drag strip. Now in its sixth generation, the latest COPO Camaro reaps the benefits of the new lighter and stronger design, the COPO’s body-in-white structure yielding a savings of 133 pounds. Structural rigidity is improved, too, up by a claimed 28 percent thanks to extensive computer-aided engineering. Chevy hasn’t published any data yet but says the aerodynamics of the new COPO car are superior to those of the fifth-gen COPO.
As with the previous COPO Camaros, the chassis and suspension are tuned for drag-strip duty. Up front is a lightweight, adjustable strut-type suspension and unassisted rack-and-pinion steering, while a four-link setup with adjustable coil-overs, a Panhard bar, and a stabilizer bar handle the duties in the rear; wheelie bars keep the nose from going airborne. To endure the hard-core abuse, the COPO ditches the production Camaro’s independent rear axle, replacing it with a solid unit with an aluminum center section featuring a spool-type diff and 40-spline, gun-drilled axle shafts. Weld lightweight racing wheels and Goodyear racing tires are utilized for rolling stock, and lightweight, racing-type, unassisted four-wheel disc brakes are supplemented by a parachute to slow the COPO after a quarter-mile blast.
-Engine choices for the latest COPO Camaro are predicated on the buyer’s intended class of competition, so Chevy makes a variety of supercharged and naturally aspirated LS- and LT-family engines available: a supercharged 350 (5.7-liter), a naturally aspirated 427 (7.0-liter), and an all-new LT-based 376 (6.2-liter). All three come backed by a racing-prepped Turbo 400 three-speed automatic transmission; fueling is handled by a fuel cell with a built-in high-pressure pump.
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As you might expect, each COPO Camaro race car is built by hand, and that includes the number-one car, which will be auctioned for charity at an upcoming Barrett-Jackson sale, with the proceeds going to the United Way. Designed by drag racer Courtney Force, the charity car features bright red livery and slash marks toward the back. In addition to the NHRA-certified chrome-moly roll cage and five-point safety harnesses, the charity car comes with Courtney Force’s signature and the COPO logo on the lightweight racing bucket seats.
-As before, would-be buyers must register at chevrolet.com/performance/copo-camaro. An independent third party will randomly select purchasers from the pool of interested customers to determine which of the 69 individuals are worthy of purchasing a 2016 COPO Camaro race car.
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