This Chevy Camaro drag car has a 9.4L, big-block V8

The future of the Chevrolet Camaro seems bleak. Back in 2019, rumors were saying that the Camaro's product roadmap will expire in 2023. Assuming the report is correct, it seems the Camaro name could face retirement once again.

If the Camaro is saying goodbye in a few years, it will be going out with a bang. One way Chevy is doing that is by revealing the 2022 Camaro COPO. Built for the drag strip, this souped-up Camaro channels the spirit of the original 1969 COPO Camaro built by dealers using the Central Office Production Order system. The system allowed them to fit larger engines into cars like the Camaro. 

At the heart of this Camaro is no ordinary motor. It's a big-block, 9.4-liter (572 cubic-inch) V8, the largest engine ever to be fitted on a COPO Camaro. Exact figures have yet to be revealed. But Chevy did mention this engine has a cast-iron block, aluminum heads, forged steel crankshaft, forged steel connecting rods, and forged aluminum pistons.

Given the engine's pedigree, the 9.4-liter V8 could easily produce well over 800 PS or even more. But that's not the only engine available for the 2022 Camaro COPO.

Also available on the all-new COPO drag car are small-block LSX V8 engines. First up is the supercharged 5.7-liter (350 cubic-inch) V8 that doles out 580 PS. The other engine is a 7.0-liter (427 cubic-inch) naturally-aspirated V8 that generates 470 PS. In true drag car fashion, the Camaro COPO is paired with a 3-speed automatic transmission.

In honor of the original 1969 Camaro COPO, Chevy only builds 69 examples of the drag car each year. This means fewer than 700 units of the special drag Camaro have been built since the program restarted in 2012. But for 2022, Chevrolet will not limit production as orders will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis.

So for those that are looking for a new purpose-built drag car, the 2022 Chevrolet Camaro COPO is waiting. Pricing for the all-new Camaro COPO starts $105,000 (or about PHP 5,284,295).