Presenting the new COPO Camaro –– you’ve never seen muscle like this before. While it’s rarer than a four-leaf clover, the legacy of the COPO concept lives on in our streets. What was once an adventurous leap in automotive design is now a full-on legacy. Should you be lucky enough to win the lottery, you can access new car financing in Florida and drive the innovative COPO Camaro home. This vehicle’s history stretches back to 1969 when Chevrolet drag-racing specialty vehicles were coming to fruition.
Just as the powerful new Chevy Corvette draws onlookers wherever it goes, the COPO Camaro continues to entice all who know of it. The rich history backing the design makes the COPO Camaro the street race car to have. What makes this mythical vehicle so special? Plenty of things. For starters, it is a mean, lean, street-legal machine that is rooted in exclusivity. The first-ever released ZL1 COPO Camaro was part of a special-order system that allowed dealers to add alterations outside of specific mandates on engine power. The vehicle design is a direct result of the COPO 9561 program launched by Don Yenko in 1969, a dealer who was bored with typical production lines’ laments. Instead of ordering standard Chevrolet Camaro designs and swapping out the engines for more powerful options, conversions in the order forms were made to include add-ons like, say, the 427-cubic-inch iron block engine generating 425 HP found on the COPO Camaro 9561. That idea gave us 69 units of COPO Camaro 9560s, all featuring an aluminum block 427 engine churning out a whopping 425 HP. This design is known as the ZL1 and lives on in the hearts of street racers and collectors all over Sebastian.
As always, Chevrolet auto engineers love a nod to power. COPO stands for “Central Office Production Order” and gives a nod to a production method used by dealers during the sixties. The system allowed them to develop high-performance models that were not available elsewhere. Once the name was established, Chevrolet automotive engineers birthed the COPO 9560. These Chevrolet Camaros gave us the gift of Aluminum ZL1 427-cubic-inch engines.
The new COPO Camaro offers 430 HP at 5200 rpm. It is speculated that when the model was initially fitted with track-tuned headers, the output would reach up to 550 HP at 6500 rpm. However, we know that no petrolhead on earth would complain about the magic of 430 HP.
A modern COPO Camaro is not considered a street-legal drag car; however, it’s still a wondrous turnkey machine. This powerful vehicle is fully dedicated to the quarter-mile and can easily take on any NHRA competition right off the bat. We have found that most car orders come with a red color pick and a hefty 427 V-8 engine –– power entices.
The first COPO Camaro made its debut to the world in 1969 as the ZL1 COPO Camaro. As a showcased vehicle for the Chevrolet vehicle special-order system, the new COPO Camaro made a splash on the streets.
While we find that COPO Camaro models are rare, not all of them are sitting in fancy garages on display. With all of the hype surrounding the design, we’re sure plenty have reached collector status, but yes, these cars go racing. Thirty-six NHRA National Event wins since 2012 are held by COPO Camaro designs, with four national championships.
Only 69 COPO Chevrolet Camaro models meet the streets each year, as a nod to the first run. Because the demand for such an innovative design far exceeds those in production, Chevrolet uses a lottery system to choose who can become a lucky owner.
If you didn’t already, you now know just how rare it is to drive a COPO Camaro, much less find one for sale at our dealership. However, don’t let production lines stop you from doing what you love: driving Chevrolet vehicles. Stop by our car dealership in Vero Beach now and see the wonder that is our inventory. We have a range of vehicle options to test drive, including new Camaro vehicles for sale. Who knows, maybe one day you’ll stumble across the prowess of a new COPO Camaro on our lot.
Disclosure:
*The Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price excludes destination freight charge, tax, title, license, dealer fees and optional equipment. Click here to see all Chevrolet vehicles’ destination freight charges.
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