Are you looking for a purpose-built drag racer from an automaker? You think that because your options are limited only to Dodge and Chevrolet, you won’t win a drag race soon? Think again because Chevy worked its way around NHRA and is preparing a real treat for 2018.The name of the game is 2018 Chevy COPO Camaro.
The Chevrolet 2018 COPO Camaro was revealed on Wednesday. Its main purpose – race in the National Hot Rod Association’s Stock Eliminator class. Some claim that this beauty looks like a more muscular version of the standard Camaro, however, the COPO has been reworked and is now capable of handling difficulties of drag racing.
A total of three engines is available for buyers this year. The naturally-aspirated 7.0-liter V8 and supercharged 5.7-liter V8 from last year are back, but there is a new entry – a 5.0-liter V8 built for high revs. The 5.0-liter V8 found its basis on the LT1 V8 featured in the 2018 Camaro SS, but that is not all as it has a shorter-stroke crankshaft alongside other mods. Power is sent through a three-speed automatic transmission before reaching the rear set of wheels no matter the engine.
If you decide to go for the supercharged 5.7-liter, your COPO Camaro will do quarter mile runs in the mid-8 second range with trap speeds almost reaching 160 mph. Now you can see why these cars aren’t allowed on streets.
Among other modifications, the COPO Camaro features a solid rear axle instead of the standard Camaro’s independent rear suspension. Plus, it has racing suspension components, and its chassis has been modified. We have to denote that at these speeds having the whole complement of safety equipment (that includes a roll cage) is a must!
Chevrolet promised that a total of 69 units of the 2018 COPO Camaro will be built. That’s been the case every year since restarting the COPO Camaro program in 2012. The company created a special lottery system that will be used to select the interested owners who will have the privilege to buy the car. The aforementioned program started in 1969 when an Illinois dealer special-ordered ZL-1 engine equipped Camaros.
We’ve mentioned that Chevrolet and Dodge battle each other in the drag-race field of automotive industry and don’t think that Dodge carelessly sat around watching their rivals make a fierce machine. The Dodge Challenger Drag Pak is their designated vehicle to fight the COPO Camaro. It is a hardcore strip machine designed for quarter-mile runs. Featuring up to 1,000 hp on tap we wouldn’t like to see that beast near our streets anytime soon.
