The V8’s 572-cubic-inch capacity is new for 2022. There are no production limits.
Chevrolet introduced its track-only COPO Camaro back in 2012, but this year is different for two reasons. The first is the massive big-block engine option. There are no production limits, so you should be able get a COPO. We’ll be discussing more of all this in a moment.
Drag racers are well-versed in the COPO system, but here’s a quick summary. A few Chevy dealerships used the Central Office Production Order (COPO), a system that allowed them to order Camaros with special options and engines they couldn’t otherwise get. In that year, 69 cars were produced. However, Chevy revived the COPO Camaro in 2012 to be a turn-key drag racing car that’s street legal and not street legal.
The 2022 engine options include Chevy’s huge 572 cubic inch (9.4-liters) V8. This is the first appearance of this block on the COPO Camaro. Chevy has not yet certified the exact power output. The 572 can be found in a variety of crate engines from General Motors. They range from 621 to almost 700 horsepower (463 – 522 kilowatts), so it is likely to fall somewhere within that range.
These stats will be carried over to the COPO. The big block Camaro would slot higher than the supercharged 580-hp (433 kW) 5.7-liter V8 engine. There is also a naturally-aspirated 7.0-liter V8 that produces 470 horsepower (350 kW).
Chevy will continue to honor the 1969 COPO Camaro’s history by building just 69 examples per year, but and not in 2022. The automaker is now able to build as many COPOs and orders as it wants, without any limits. Fewer than 700 have been made since the modern program launched in 2012, but with production now wide open, cars will be assembled on a first-come-first-serve basis until buyers stop coming. The 2022 COPO Camaro starts at $105,000 with the big-block motor.
We can’t help but look deeper into this. It is no secret that Camaro production-model sales are poor. This has been true for some time. It is also not secret that Camaro will cease to exist with the current generation. However, the last model year remains in doubt. Although 2024 and 2026 have been mentioned quite often, Chevrolet is making a lot of effort for the 2022 COPO in terms both power and production. It sure feels like the last breath before the end. Could 2022 mark the end for the COPO Camaro or all Camaros, or both?
Although it’s speculation, we believe this will allow us to launch the Camaro EV sedan with a bang. It’s possible to back it up with a final-edition model in spring 2022 and prepare the masses for a Camaro EV sedan before end of decade.