Chevrolet at the 2021 SEMA show in Las Vegas unveiled a monster of a crate engine in the form of the 1,004-hp 10.4-liter ZZ632/1000 V-8. Chevy even called it at the time the “biggest, baddest crate engine” it's ever made.
This week the automaker announced the first details and start of orders for its 2023 COPO Camaro, and one of the options for the drag special is the new crate engine. Other options for 2023 include a 7.0-liter V-8 rated at 470 hp and a supercharged 5.7-liter V-8 rated at 580 hp.
The engines are designed to meet NHRA Stock and Super Stock class requirements for which the latest COPO Camaro are intended.
The sole transmission is a 3-speed automatic from ATI Racing Products and features a Hurst shifter. All COPO versions also come with fuel injection and a Strange Engineering rear differential with 40-spline axles. Other features include an aluminum torque tube and a carbon-fiber hood.
2023 Chevrolet COPO Camaro
Like previous models, the 2023 COPO Camaro is sold without or a title or VIN. Orders will require a $15,000 deposit, Chevy confirmed.
Chevy hasn't said how many build slots will be available, but the automaker has traditionally offered 69 units per year. The number matches the original run of 1969 COPO Camaros built with the aluminum 427 ZL1 engine. That engine weighed about 100 pounds less than the iron-based 396-cubic-inch big-block offered in the Camaro and produced more power to boot, making it a popular option for the dragstrip.
The workaround to get the ZL1 engine in a drag car was originally devised by Illinois-based dealer Fred Gibb using Chevy's in-house special order system, known as Central Office Production Order (COPO), hence the COPO name. Typically, the COPO system was used for fleet vehicle services, such as special paint or truck equipment, but Gibb used it to equip the Camaro with the ZL1 427 engine.
Further details for the 2023 COPO Camaro, including pricing information, will be announced at a later date.
