For the uninitiated, COPO stands for Central Office Production Order. The acronym was most famously applied to special-order first-gen Camaros that came with a 427-cubic-inch V-8 installed from the factory, but it also described any non-standard GM vehicle order that required management approval. These extra-powerful Camaros were basically set up for racing and included things like upgraded brakes, heavy-duty differentials and radiators, cowl induction, and a complete lack of frills.
This modern-day COPO Camaro has similar modifications. The steering and braking systems are both manual, there’s a live rear axle, the cowl-induction hood is made of fiberglass, and race gas is supplied by a trunk-mounted fuel cell. Most of the interior remains, although the rear seat is removed altogether, the front chairs are swapped for race buckets, there are a few more gauges in the dash (including a tach with shift light), and an NHRA-compliant roll cage has been installed. And, of course, it carries the requisite skinny tires up front with drag slicks in the rear.
GM used the SEMA show to announce a pair of COPO-branded engines alongside the car. A naturally aspirated 427 displaces the historically appropriate number of cubes, and would put a Camaro so equipped in the A Stock class. It’s based on the Z06 Corvette’s LS7 and uses forged internals and a Holley high-rise intake.
The engine in the show car is a 327 with a 2.9-liter Whipple supercharger on top. Its aluminum block is from the Corvette ZR1’s LS9, and it uses LS7 heads. A two-speed Powerglide automatic is installed in the COPO concept. GM isn’t providing output ratings for either engine yet, but we’re guessing they’re high—like the probability of a full-on COPO Camaro revival.
