New COPO Camaro Debuts at SEMA, Is Totally SEMA

Big supercharger, solid rear axle, hideous graphics. Vegas, baby.
www.thedrive.com

Turn your attention West for a moment, toward the horrors and excess of Las Vegas. Amid the fluorescence and neon and darkness of SEMA, you’ll learn that GM part number 20169562 is a rude and lusty thing. This is, of course, the part number for the 2016 Chevrolet COPO Camaro.

The latest iteration of this Vegas-grade, track-only obscenity was introduced last night by drag racing it girl Courtney Force, and it’s a hell of a thing. Available in three flavors—supercharged 350ci, normally aspirated 427, and an LT-based 376—there will be just 69 COPO Camaros built. All come with a three-speed auto trans, and are intended to contest NHRA Stock and Super Stock Eliminator classes.

110315_camarocopo_art.jpg

The gen-six COPO Camaro benefits from the recent improvements to its streetcar sibling. The racecar will be significantly stiffer than the outgoing car, trimming 133 pounds and making significant aerodynamic improvements. The 2016 COPO Camaro won’t, however, run with the independent rear of the standard Camaro, opting instead for an old-school solid rear axle.

The show car debuted by Force adds a few more fancy touches, including wheelie bars, a drag ‘chute, an NHRA legal roll cage and a fancy blower on its 350. We’ll take all that, but leave the graphics. No part number needed for the Courtney Force edition, just piles of cash. The one-of-a-kind show car will be going up for auction at Barrett-Jackson to raise funds for the United Way.

Chris Cantle

West Coast Editor

Honorary laboratory rat Chris Cantle represents The Drive from his home state of California. He is a keen motorcyclist, experimenter in fringe motorsports and an NSAID enthusiast. He cut his teeth with Cycle World and Road & Track as a writer, photographer and video producer before making Time Inc. his home.