Last 2012 COPO Camaro is a Soft Top: 2012 SEMA Show
Chevrolet went in an unexpected direction with its final two drag-strip specific COPO Camaros, the last of which it just unveiled at the 2012 SEMA Show.
What’s that difference? If you haven’t already noticed, it’s a convertible. Most dragsters would laugh at the idea and a Chevrolet representative even agreed that it’s unusual. So why did the brand build it? “Because we can,” he said with a smile.
And why not? The car was a smash hit that sold out with striking speed. As the 69th and final 2012 COPO to be built, the car will be auctioned through Barrett-Jackson and is the only convertible being sold to the public.
That is, unless Chevrolet plans to build another drop top dragster in 2013 — the brand also just announced that it will offer a second production run in light of how popular it was in 2012.
For those unfamiliar, Chevrolet offered buyers the choice between a 7.0-liter naturally aspirated V8 and a 5.3-liter V8 with the choice between a 2.9- and 4.0-liter supercharger. The majority of buyers opted for the larger, naturally aspirated engine, but the convertible features the smaller V8 and larger supercharger good for 550 hp.
Just like this year, the 2013 run will be limited to only 69 cars, and with Chevrolet reporting more than 3,000 hand raisers it’s going to be tough to get one.
Despite that, avid racing enthusiasts can still find their way into something very similar. That’s because Chevrolet also offers the lion’s share of parts found in its COPO Camaros through Chevrolet Performance including the engines.
GALLERY: 2012 COPO Camaro convertible 2012 SEMA Show
Luke is an energetic automotive journalist who spends his time covering industry news and crawling the internet for the latest breaking story. When he isn't in the office, Luke can be found obsessively browsing used car listings, drinking scotch at his favorite bar and dreaming of what to drive next, though the list grows a lot faster than his bank account. He's always on <A title="@lukevandezande on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/lukevandezande">Twitter</A> looking for a good car conversation. Find Luke on <A title="@lukevandezande on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/lukevandezande">Twitter</A> and <A title="Luke on Google+" href="http://plus.google.com/112531385961538774338?rel=author">Google+</A>.
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