The SEMA Auto Show many cars, but nothing like the 2012 COPO Camaro, which will be heading to the Auction Block, Chevrolet will sell off the Inferno Orange Mettalic Convertible race car at the 2013 Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Auction, in January, to benefit the American Heart Association. Lets checkout what Chevrolet has to tell us today about the COPO Camaro.
“The COPO Camaro program has been a special program and there’s not a better way to close out the 2012 racing season than with the final – and most unique – one of the production run,” said Jim Campbell, GM U.S. vice president of Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “Chevrolet is proud to once again partner with the American Heart Association at Barrett-Jackson for the sale of this COPO Camaro convertible. It will make a great race car or collector vehicle for a lucky bidder, who will be buying a piece of history.
“I am also happy to announce that due to strong customer demand we will produce another run of 69 COPO Camaros for 2013. More than 3,000 hand-raisers expressed interest in buying a COPO after we introduced the car at SEMA last year. We are excited to support these grassroots motorsports enthusiasts in their Stock Eliminator and Super Stock drag racing efforts,” said Campbell.
The last 2012 COPO Camaro is powered by COPO 327 engine which features a 4.0L Whipple supercharger with a NHRA-certified output of 550hp, the COPO Camaros were also available with a supercharged 327 engine featuring a smaller, 2.9-liter supercharger and a naturally aspirated 427 engine. All these engines were assembled at the GM’s unique Performance Build Center, in Wixom, Michigan, where apparently the LS7 and LS9 engines are produced for the Corvette Z06 and Corvette ZR1, along with Chevrolet Performance crate engines. All the COPO camaros were hand built starting from the hardware in the Oshawa plants where generally camaros are produced, each of the car is fitted with NHRA Approved Roll cage as a safety equipment, along with racing chassis and suspension components, which include a unique solid rear axle system in place of the Camaro’s independent rear axle, these cars come with lightweight Bogart racing wheels and Hoosier racing tires.
For the year 2012 only 69 models will be made, and out of the many basic components which had been used to develop these hand built cars, including racing engines will be available from the Chevrolet Performance Store and licensed aftermarket manufacturers who supply them, and these are listed in the special COPO section of the new 2013 Chevrolet Performance catalogue, there is also this “build book,” which provides an overview of the cars’ assembly process, and now anyone can get this car from Chevrolet dealers or applying online.
“Not everyone could purchase a COPO Camaro production model in 2012, but we are making it easier to build one from the ground up,” said Campbell. “From the body in white to the COPO crate engines, we offer the parts and a build book to replicate these quick race cars in your garage.”
Some information about the COPO Camaro: First of all only 69 models will be produced out of which:
67 were coupes and two were convertibles, 43 cars were equipped with the 427 naturally aspirated engine – including the original proof of concept show car that debuted at the 2011 SEMA Show, 20 cars were equipped with the 327 / 4.0L-supercharged engine, 6 cars were equipped with the 327 / 2.9L-supercharged engine, 8 customers ordered the collector’s package, which included all three engines number-matched to their car, 32 cars were painted Summit White – including the original show car, 20 cars were painted Black, 12 cars were painted Victory Red, 2 cars were painted Ashen Grey Metallic, 2 cars were painted Silver Ice Metallic, 1 car was painted Inferno Orange Metallic, 12 cars were ordered without COPO graphics.
With all this we are sure that this car will definitely do a good number of sales, and with that, it would help the American Heart Association with a large amount, for all their necessities. Anyway don’t forget to take a look at the images of the COPO Camaro, and stay tuned onto SpeedLux for more updates.
