Chevrolet’s 2022 COPO Camaro Gains Big-Block Power

Chevrolet’s vaunted COPO Camaro is returning to the drag strip for 2022, and it will do so with a newly available 572-cubic-inch big-block engine. The big-block V8 channels the spirit of the original 1969 COPO Camaro, a purpose-built drag racer created by dealers using the Central Office Production Order system to equip cars with Chevrolet’s largest V8.

The COPO 572 uses a cast-iron block with four-bolt main caps, aluminum heads, a forged steel crankshaft, forged steel connecting rods and forged aluminum pistons. Pricing for the COPO Camaro with the 572 starts from $105,500 (excluding tax, title, license, and dealer fees).

The 2022 COPO Camaro is also available with LSX-based small-block engines – a supercharged 350-cubic-inch V8 rated by the NHRA at 580 horsepower, and a naturally aspirated 427-cubic-inch V8 with an NHRA-rated 470 hp. All 2022 COPO Camaros use an ATI Racing Products TH400 three-speed automatic transmission.

Engineered for drag racers, the COPO Camaro is sold as a Chevrolet Performance part and cannot be registered for street use. It competes in NHRA Stock and Super Stock eliminators and comes standard with a carbon fiber hood and wheelie bars. Buyers can customize their cars with options such as a trunk-mounted weight box and parachute.

Owning a COPO Camaro places drag racers in rare company – Chevrolet has built fewer than 700 examples since the program restarted in 2012. In past years, interested customers have entered a lottery to win an allotment for one of 69 cars. Chevrolet will not limit production for 2022, and orders will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Buyers may also participate in a private tour of the COPO Build Facility in Oxford, Michigan, where each car is custom made. The order form for the 2022 Chevrolet COPO Camaro can be found at www.chevrolet.com/performance-parts/copo-camaro.

About the author

Andrew Wolf

Andrew has been involved in motorsports from a very young age. Over the years, he has photographed several major auto racing events, sports, news journalism, portraiture, and everything in between. After working with the Power Automedia staff for some time on a freelance basis, Andrew joined the team in 2010.
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