Although the Chevrolet Camaro may have been rushed when it first came to market in 1967, some thought and deliberation went into its send-off. Initially, the Camaro had one purpose—to steal Ford Mustang sales—and that meant a car that was fun, affordable, and could perform reasonably well.
However, it came at a time when muscle cars were at their peak, and the itch to put a bigger, badder engine on the Camaro took hold. Some dealers did the runaround on the Chevy order book to get more muscular engines in the pony car. Chevrolet did its own thing, and the Camaro became both a pony and a muscle car.
It weathered the muscle-car-killing gas crisis of the 1970s, limped through the 1980s, rose from the ashes in the 1990s, and rode out the economic turbulence of the new century.
Over the past twenty years, Chevrolet has started easing into retirement, but it seems to have put some thought into making sure it goes out at the top of its game.
We’re not entirely sold on the fact that the Camaro is gone for good (we’ve been down that road several times before).
But when it finally got taken off the order books at the beginning of 2024, it didn’t seem to get the long, drawn-out goodbye like its Dodge competitor. But the Camaro got one last model that was just as good.
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The Age-Old Debate Rages On: Mustang Or Camaro?
Seemingly enough, for as long as there have been rivalries, there's been a heated debate between the Chevrolet Camaro and the Ford Mustang. Aside from giving us enthusiasts a rip-roaring time behind the wheel, their only purpose seems to be to put one over the other. They both pack potent 5.0-liter V8 engines, produce in excess of 450 hp, post a sub-5-second 0-60 mph time, and do over 150 mph. Through their evolution, they've become sharper, better equipped, more capable, and about as desirable as ever. But the question remains: what side of the fence do you sit on? We'd love to hear your side!
The 2023 COPO Has The Largest Camaro Engine Ever
Displacing over 10 liters of air, the 632-cid big-block V8 is the most massive engine ever dropped into the front compartment of the Camaro, and yes, it needs that bulging hood to cover it up. However, a shaker or “Chevy Thunder” hood scoop would likely do the trick and add a bit of nostalgia to the last COPO Camaro.
The ZZ632 crate engine was unveiled at the 2022 SEMA aftermarket specialty show. It was an attention grabber less for what it was than for what it represented – an opportunity for Camaro to out-hustle the Hellephant Hemi-powered Dodge Challenger. The engine soon became one of the last COPO Camaro offerings.
The subsequent announcement of the 1,025-hp Dodge Demon 170 emasculated the 1,004-hp COPO 632 Camaro. Still, the thought of putting over 1,000 hp and nearly 900 lb-ft of torque under the right foot of a Camaro driver almost started a new muscle-car war (short-lived as it would be).
Chevrolet ZZ632 10.4-Liter V8 Specs
Displacement | 632 cu-in (10,348 cc) |
Bore x Stroke | 4.60 x 4.75 in. |
Compression Ratio | 12.0:1 |
Power | 1,004 hp |
Torque | 876 lb-ft |
Maximum Engine Speed | 7,000 RPM |
(Source: Chevrolet)
Originally, dealers such as Yenko Chevrolet and Fred Gibb Chevrolet found a way around the GM-mandated 400-cid engine cap on intermediate cars like Camaro by ordering from the Central Office Purchase Order guide for low-volume fleet sales. The vehicles were ordered by people who wanted more from the engines for racing applications. This paved the way for legends like the Super Yenko Camaro.
Chevrolet soon got wind of the practice and made the official COPO available nationwide in 1969. Although it was never the be-all and end-all of racing engine modifications (that’s up to the individual), it supplied engines with components that are forged to handle the rigors of competition.
COPO Crate Engines Feature Race-Proven Components
- ATI Racing Products “Treemaster MRT” Series torque converter
- Callies 4340 H-Beam rods and “Dragonslayer” crankshaft
- Clevite “H-Series” heat-treated tri-metal rod and main bearings
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Ultimate COPO Camaro Is Not Street Legal
The original intent of Don Yenko and Fred Gibb was to “offer” cars for buyers to go racing, most notably with higher horsepower, to offer faster acceleration times on the drag strip. Because they came fully prepared from the factory, they were fully covered under warranty and were built to ensure they were street-legal.
Such is not the case with the COPO 632 Camaro, which bears Chevy's largest V8. It comes from the factory with no VIN or title—just a bill of sale and a disclaimer that the car is not certified for road use.
2023 COPO V8 Options And Specs
COPO Engine Options: Specifications
COPO Engine Option | 632 Naturally Aspirated | 427 Naturally Aspirated | 350 Supercharged |
Displacement | 632 cu-in | 427 cu-in | 350 cu-in |
Bore x Stroke | 4.60 x 4.75 in. | 4.125 x 4.00 in. | 4.125 x 3.370 in. |
Compression Ratio | 12.0:1 | 13.0: 1 | 10.9: 1 |
Power | 1,004 hp | 470 hp | 580 hp |
Torque | 876 lb-ft | N/A | N/A |
Transmission | TH400 3-speed automatic | TH400 3-speed automatic | TH400 3-speed automatic |
(Source: Chevrolet)
For those who want a 2023 COPO Camaro but were not ready to shell out the $38,000 for the 10.4-liter big-block V8, there were engine options with both natural aspiration and supercharging. All the engines featured race-ready components paired with a three-speed automatic transmission.
The ATI Racing Products TH400 was manipulated by a Hurst Quarterstick shifter and used an SFl-approved ATI "Super Case" Helical low gear.
In addition to not coming with a factory warranty or support, the 2023 COPO Camaro comes with a long list of race-ready items to ensure the car is ready to roll off the hauler and onto the drag strip. In addition to the items that are drag-racing specific, the vehicle is also fitted with a full safety cage.
NHRA-Required Safety Gear Was Included
- Parachute aids stopping at the end of runs
- Wheelie bars keep the front lift to a minimum.
- Trunk-mounted weight box ready for ballast
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History Of The COPO Camaro
The COPO program started in earnest with the 1969 Camaro to get the bigger, more powerful V8s under the pony car's hood after GM lifted its 400-cid restrictions on Camaro and other intermediate cars. Beyond that, the Camaro started being offered with unrestricted engine sizes, and the COPO option went away for 40 years.
The Original COPO Camaro Specs
Engine | COPO 9561 L72 V8 | COPO 9560 ZL-1 V8 |
Displacement | 427 cu-in | 427 cu-in |
Horsepower | 425 hp | 430 hp |
Torque | 460 lb-ft | 450 lb-ft |
(Source: Ultimatecarpage, Supercars.net)
When other dealers saw what Yenko and Gibb were doing, Chevrolet created the easy-to-order COPO 9561 option. This option added the 427-cid Chevy big-block V8 that had previously only been available to full-sized Chevys and the Corvette. The COPO 9560 option also supplied the all-aluminum ZL1 V8 engine for the Camaro.
After Its Return, The COPO Camaro Continuously Evolved
In 2011, Chevrolet resurrected the COPO Camaro version (for the 2012 model year) and continued it to the end of Camaro production with various naturally aspirated and supercharged V8 engine options.
Unlike the original, the new COPOs were designed for drag racing competitions, spec’d out for the NHRA’s Super Stock and Stock Eliminator classes.
Chevrolet COPO Camaro and Available Model Years
- 2012 Chevrolet COPO Camaro
- 2012 Chevrolet COPO Camaro Convertible
- 2013 Chevrolet COPO Camaro
- 2014 Chevrolet COPO Camaro
- 2015 Chevrolet COPO Camaro
- 2016 Chevrolet COPO Camaro
- 2017 Chevrolet COPO Camaro
- 2018 Chevrolet COPO Camaro
- 2019 Chevrolet COPO Camaro
- 2020 Chevrolet COPO Camaro
- 2021 Chevrolet COPO Camaro
- 2022 Chevrolet COPO Camaro
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Future Of The COPO Camaro Is Uncertain
The Camaro went out of production at the beginning of 2024, and the COPO option program went with it. However, the crate engines are available as options and continue to be available through GM Performance Parts. The Camaro has “gone out of production” before, and there is reason to believe it will be back in some new iteration down the road.
The sad news is that the showroom car may soon be out of big-displacement V8s. The hopeful news is that if the COPO Camaro becomes available with some kind of electrification, the packaging will allow individuals to choose an ICE crate engine, which would mean some sort of COPO option.
It’s naturally all speculation at this point, but there’s hope that a big-engined Camaro may still have a future.
Sources: Chevrolet, GM Authority, Automobile Catalog, Ultimate Car Page
