The COPO Camaro Returns for 2018 on October 30th

After a year-long hiatus, the COPO Camaro will return on October 30^th for the 2018 model year.

In the modern world of drag racing, the Chevrolet Performance COPO Camaro is the most track-capable Camaro. It also managed to be one of the quickest of the American muscle cars ever. From 2012 through 2016, Chevrolet Performance made 69 examples of the race-only COPO Camaro. COPO cars were available with a number of naturally-aspirated and supercharged engines, many of which have proven to be 8- and 9-second cars right out of the box.

There was no COPO Camaro for the 2017 model year, but Chevrolet Performance has announced that the drag strip dominating package will return for 2018, and it will make its grand debut on October 30^th.

So far, we only know that there will be a 2018 COPO Camaro, but it seems unlikely that Chevrolet Performance would take a year off only to release a similar car a year later. So there should be something new going on for 2018.

Now, a great many features and aspects of the COPO Camaro are unlikely to change for the 2018 model year, simply because these features are still the best components for getting a Camaro down a drag strip. It will almost certainly be stripped of things that aren’t needed in a race car, such as airbags, sound deadening material, air conditioning and other on-road niceties. The new COPO is also likely to retain the ATI Racing TH400 automatic transmission, a lightweight braking system, a heavy duty rear differential with 40-spline axles, an adjustable suspension setup designed for optimal weight transfer, a lightweight manual steering system and an NHRA-approved fuel cell and fuel system. We can also expect that the 2018 COPO Camaro will physically look a great deal like the 2016 version, which introduced the 6^th gen COPO package.

SEE ALSO: 2015 COPO Camaro Mega Burnout 

The 2018 COPO Camaro could have new wheels, new tires and a new decal package, but it seems likely that we could see some sort of departure from the LS-heavy COPO engine lineup as Chevrolet Performance rolls out new racing engines based on the LT engine architecture.

The 2016 COPO Camaro was available with a new naturally-aspirated 6.2L LT1-based racing engine which delivered 410 NHRA-rated horsepower. However, the other two engines – a naturally-aspirated 427 cubic-inch mill and the 350 cubic-inch supercharged engine – were both based on the LS engine platform. With the exception of the LS3 in the Chevrolet SS sport sedan, the LS performance engines haven’t been offered in the US since the 2015 Camaro Z28. So it would make sense for Chevrolet Performance to transition away from that platform for their future racing engines. The 2018 COPO Camaro seems like the perfect vehicle to introduce the net LT-based racing engine.

With the 6.2L LT1-based engine already filling the “entry level” COPO Camaro engine slot, it seems most likely that Chevrolet Performance would roll out a bigger, more powerful LT-based, naturally-aspirated engine to replace the COPO 427. Or, there could be something similar to the LT4 with a supercharged and gobs more power – expect with a smaller displacement to meet NHRA super stock requirements and to fill the slot of the supercharged LS-based 350.

Right now, your guess is as good as ours when it comes to what new features will adorn the 2018 COPO Camaro, but it is a safe bet that this new COPO car will be better than the 2016 models in at least one way.

All of the questions will be answered when the 2018 COPO Camaro makes its big debut on October 30^th on the Chevrolet Performance Facebook page.

Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com