Back in the late 1960s, General Motors had an arbitrary rule that said they weren't allowed to put anything bigger than 400 c.i. V-8 in a Camaro. Race car driver, Don Yenko, knew this was pure silliness that put Chevy at a disadvantage against Ford and Dodge, who had no such rules, so he ordered 54 '67 SS Camaros and swapped out their engines with the Corvette 427s. It was such a popular and brilliant move that Chevrolet devised the Central Office Purchase Order (COPO) loophole, so dealers like Yenko could order specialty Camaros with the power and features they really wanted.
Fast-forward to modern day and GM no longer has dumb rules about engine size, and Chevy is free to celebrate their history with the fastest thing they've ever built in the 2023 SVE YENKO/SC Camaro Stage II. This is a car every muscle car fan should be talking about.
The 1150 Hp SVE YENKO/SC Camaro
Specialty Vehicle Engineering is a company that works with GM to produce enhanced versions of their vehicles to be sold exclusively through GM dealerships. In the past 30 years they've produced over 65,000 specialty vehicles for GM, but none is quite as exciting as the order they got to make 100 examples of the 2023 YENKO/SC Camaros. You know who Yenko was and what "SVE" stands for, so what's with the S/C? Well, quite simply that stands for "Super Car" and this Camaro variant definitely qualifies.
SVE is making 50 each of the Stage I and Stage II YENKO/SC Camaros. The Stage I delivers 1100 horsepower and 910 pound-feet. of torque, which is pretty awesome, but the Stage II unleashes 1150 horsepower and 960 pound-feet of torque. The custom-built 416 C.I.D. (6.8L) engine features a blueprinted LT-1 aluminum block, forged aluminum pistons, CNC ported high-flow LT-4 cylinder heads, and a big honking supercharger. It also has an extra-large throttle body, upgraded fuel injectors, and a stainless steel dual-mode exhaust system to squeeze some extra ponies out.
The Stage I is only available with an automatic transmission, while the Stage II comes exclusively with a manual. To keep both versions glued to the road, the YENKO/SC has magnetic ride control, an electronic limited-slip differential, and a unique performance-tuned suspension, with unique bushings, springs and stabilizer bars. The forged multi-spoke wheels are mounted with performance tires from Nitto, 285/30ZR20s up front and 305?30ZR20s in the back.
Both versions are offered as coupes only, because the fixed-head style is stiffer than a convertible and the power under the hood requires some serious rigidity. The body color painted carbon fiber hood and exposed carbon fiber hood scoop add some style, while the front splitter and rear spoiler help keep the car stuck to the street. There is of course YENKO branding inside and out including the cool side stripes and even the break calipers.
Is the YENKO/SC Camaro The Fastest Muscle Car Ever?
The SVE YENKO/SC Camaro is being touted as the most powerful American muscle car ever made, but is it? With the 1150 horsepower of the Stage II, it probably is, but does that mean it's the fastest? Again, it could very well be, but it's only been on the dyno tester, not the track, so nobody knows.
The 2023 COPO Camaro has an optional 632 cubic-inch (10.35-liter) Big Block ZZ632 V-8 engine that produces 1,004 horsepower and 876 pound-feet of torque. While obviously that's not as much power as the YENKO/SC, it's probably a track monster. There's no evidence that anyone has officially run one of these beasts yet, but a 2022 COPO Camaro blistered the quarter-mile in 8.12 seconds.
Of course the 2023 COPO Camaro is a track-only vehicle, while the YENKO/SC is amazingly a street-legal ride. Of the street legal production cars with the fastest quarter-mile times, most of them are all-electrics or European exotic supercars, with the exception of the 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170. The 1,025 horsepower Mopar destroyed a quarter mile in 8.9 seconds at 151 mph. Clearly the YENKO/SC needs to line up against the Demon 170 to crown the king of American muscle.
The 2023 YENKO/SC Camaro Is A Vanishing Breed
Much in the same way that Dodge is ditching the Challenger and Charger for 2024, the Camaro is being phased out. Car and Driver reported last month that the 6th generation Camaro will be the last, with Chevrolet saying that it will be discontinued after the 2024 model year. The final Camaros will roll off the factory floor next January, and then there are no more. Chevrolet said, "this is not the end of Camaro's story," but they haven't named a direct successor to the iconic muscle car. It's unclear if Chevy is going to send the Camaro out like Dodge did with the Last Call Challengers and Chargers, so the YENKO/SC might be the last chance to nab a truly special Camaro.
Neither SVE nor Chevy has announced a price point for the 2023 YENKO/SC Camaro yet, but it's safe to assume it's going to be a six-figure ride. With 1150 horsepower and limited to 100 vehicles, these suckers won't be cheap. Also, there's a very good chance that the lucky few who land of these machines will turn around and flip them at a huge mark-up.
As depressing as it is that Camaros are going away and the YENKO/SC is so rare and expensive that almost nobody will ever get their hands on it, it's okay to appreciate a truly spectacular American muscle car. With the sheer awesomeness of this vehicle, it's kind of weird that almost no one is talking about it. Not only is it insanely powerful, it very well could be the exclamation point on the storied history of the Chevy Camaro.