The DZ 302 small block engine holds a special place in the hearts of Chevrolet fans everywhere. It’s the engine that GM used in the Camaro Z/28 to be legal for Trans-Am racing regulations (SCCA had mandated a 5.0L cap for engine displacement) and not only was it a winner on the road courses, but on the strip and on the street, too. This was the Mouse that screamed all the way up to 7,000 RPMs while going well above the “290 horsepower” rating (somewhere in the 320-ish range is much more like it.) You can go on about the Duntov 30-30 cam, the better-breathing heads, or whatever else you want all day long, but what many GM fans remember best is that the small V8 had lungs and could punch well above it’s weight class.

Nobody will mistake a 2018 COPO Camaro for a sleepy little first-gen Camaro, but the 302 number is back, this time connected to a de-stroked LT1 that, according to Chevrolet, will enable “exceptional high-rpm capability”. We can’t help but think back to this time last year, when Chevrolet showed off the Drag Race Development program cars to us at Spring Mountain, and the quip we got from an engineer when we asked about the noisemaker under the hood. Then, we got told that they would draw us a picture of a dead dinosaur feeding a smiley face, but we got to hear the car. Was that the 302 we were hearing? Maybe…that car really liked to rev.

And in case 302 cubic inches of infuriated LT motor just isn’t enough to satisfy your inner track demon, a naturally aspirated 427ci mill and a supercharged 350ci engine are still on the table, all backed by an SFI-approved ATI TH400 automatic. If you have an interest in acquiring one, you can CLICK HERE and put your name in the pool for a chance to be one of the lucky few chosen for the run of sixty-nine cars.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Chevrolet revealed the 2018 COPO Camaro today at Hot Wheels headquarters in conjunction with the announcement of the 2018 Camaro Hot Wheels 50th Anniversary Edition.

The COPO Camaro features an exclusive Supercrush exterior color and a Hot Wheels appearance package that will be offered with the latest edition of Chevrolet’s factory-built drag racer. An all-new, high-revving 302 Gen V Small Block is also available.

Today’s announcement coincides with the early opening of the registration system for a chance to be chosen to purchase a 2018 COPO Camaro.

“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.”

Those interested in purchasing one of the 69 2018 COPO Camaro race cars can register at chevrolet.com/performance/copo-registration. An independent third party will randomly select purchasers from the pool of interested customers.

The new 302 racing engine is based on the LT1 engine offered in the 2018 Camaro SS, but built for drag racing with unique components. Its displacement derives from a shorter-stroke crankshaft than the production engine that enables exceptional high-rpm capability.

COPO Camaro customers can also select a naturally aspirated 427 (7.0L) or supercharged 350 (5.7L) racing engine. The supercharged 350 enables mid-8-second quarter-mile times at nearly 160 mph. All COPO Camaro engines are backed by an SFI-approved ATI TH400 three-speed automatic transmission.

As with the previous editions, 2018 COPO Camaro models are designed for NHRA’s Stock Eliminator classes. They are fitted with racing chassis and suspension components, including a unique solid rear axle system in place of a regular-production Camaro’s independent rear axle.