2016 COPO Camaro Price & Release Date: Powerful Race Car Takes in 5,500 Orders, Only 68 Units Available

By Christon Jervil | Feb 08, 2016 | 06:31 AM EST

When it comes to bad ass cars for drag race, the COPO is undoubtedly the most wicked one to ever come out of the Camaro lineup from the Chevrolet stable. And, car enthusiasts are lining up for the right to own one.

Unfortunately, not everyone will get the privilege as only 69 units went into production, and only 68 left up for grabs after one of the COMOs was auctioned off.

"It's stating the obvious, but the 2016 Chevy COPO Camaro is popular with enthusiasts. So much so, it's attracted more than 5,500 hand raisers, General Motors said Tuesday at an event to show off the company's new Performance and Racing Center in Pontiac, MI," according to a report from the AutoBlog. "Unfortunately for drag racing fans, Chevy will only sell 69 of them, as it has for the last four years."

That's 69 before Chevrolet gave one for the sake of charity last Friday, Jan. 29, at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction. The proceeds from the event, which amounted to $300,000, all went to the Virginia-based United Way, one of the largest nonprofit organization in the world.

The COPO is particularly popular and in-demand for a certain section of the auto market as the car was not built to be street legal for everyday roads. According to Chevrolet, the vehicle caters to those looking for an off-highway, competitive NHRA-used car. It was designed for racing specifications and cannot be registered, titled, licensed or driven on public roads or highways.

The first design of the car was exhibited at the 2011 SEMA Show. And, the company was prompted to create a limited, special-edition production run because of the demand.

"Engines were assembled in Wixom, Mich., at the Performance Build Center, where the buyer could opt to participate in the engine assembly. The program has been so successful that it has been continued every year since. This year, 69 more COPO Camaros will be heading to the drag strip to carry on the tradition," says Chevrolet. "A 69-car production was selected to commemorate the original number of ZL-1 COPO Camaros made in 1969."

The name COPO, actually, stands for Central Office Production Order, which is the automaker's special-order system that started back in the 1960s for limited edition and high-performance models. As for its price and release date, the lucky buyers who will be chosen randomly among the thousands of hopefuls would still have to wait from the official word from representatives of Chevrolet.

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