[1]The 2018 COPO Camaro, clad in “Supercrush” paint, is flanked by its Hot Wheels edition little brothers slathered in “Crush” orange.
Chevrolet just pulled the wraps off the 2018 COPO Camaro and did so in style, debuting it in an eye-shattering color they’re calling “Supercrush.” The COPO’s reveal coincided with the revelation of a new 50th anniversary Hot Wheels edition Camaro that will be available in 2LT and 2SS trim and comes coated only in a color aptly named “Crush”—you can now see where “Supercrush” comes from. The COPO will also be available with an optional 302 cubic inch LT-based engine.
A Hot Wheels edition is also available on the COPO–seen on the debut 2018 model–making whoever walks away with one the owner of an ultra-rare Camaro—which is saying something as only 69 people receive the honor of purchasing one each year in the first place.
The announcement of the COPO also kicked off the early opening of registration to be chosen in a lottery for the honor of bringing home this rare-edition Camaro. You can register to be one of those lucky 69 at chevrolet.com/performance/copo-registration [2]. And if you do, may the odds ever be in your favor.
But the biggest news may not just be that the ultra rare COPO will be made even rarer by the additional offering of a Hot Wheels package, no. The big news here is that, starting in 2018, all COPOs will be offered with the option of a 302 cubic inch engine based on the LT1.
“The introduction of a new COPO Camaro is always exciting and the new engine and Hot Wheels package expand choices for customers,” said Jim Campbell, GM U.S. vice president of Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “Chevrolet has supported Camaro drag racers for more than 50 years and the historic COPO Camaro program continues to offer them more ways to win.”
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The LT1 has been stuffed with a shorter throw crankshaft in order to reduce the engine’s displacement to 302 cubic inches while allowing it to spin much higher RPM.
We can’t wait to see what the next race season holds in store, especially with the LT1 on even footing against its Cobra Jet competition. No longer will Ford fans be able to hide behind the “but its got more displacement” argument.
Naturally, the COPO will still offer customers the choice of a 7.0L or supercharged 350 engine, the later of which will allow the car to go mid-8s or faster at nearly 160 mph. As usual, all COPO Camaro engines are backed by an ATI TH400 three-speed tranmission. The cars are designed for NHRA Stock Eliminator classes and have been fitted with a solid rear axle in place of the Camaro’s independent rear.
The Camaro clad in “Supercrush” will be on display at this year’s SEMA show, so be sure to swing by the Chevrolet booth and peep an eyeful of this amazing color. Trust us, pictures don’t do this thing justice.