CHP Camaro: Final 455-hp patrol car is a stunning send-off
The last CHP Camaro is about to hit the road. The California Highway Patrol has readied its final Chevrolet Camaro SS 1LE patrol car, which the agency calls “the final CHP Camaro” and says will roll out next week, Motor1 reported Wednesday, Sept. 30. The fully marked car, with push bar and emergency lighting, appeared this week on the CHP Fleet Operations Instagram account.
Inside the final CHP Camaro
Under the hood is a 6.2-liter V8 making 455 horsepower and 455 lb-ft of torque. The 1LE badge matters: it marks the track-focused suspension package rather than a standard V8 Camaro with a light bar bolted on, and that hardware is built for stability at freeway speeds. Independent testing has clocked the car at roughly 175 mph, according to Motor1.
Beyond the roof light bar, the CHP setup adds lights in the grille and side skirts. One retro touch nods to the agency’s past: a roof-mounted whip antenna like those on 1970s CHP Camaros, paired with a modern digital dash.
A CHP Camaro tradition that began in 1979
The partnership dates to 1979, when the CHP tested its first Camaro Z28 as a high-speed pursuit car alongside its sedans. Since then, the Camaro has cycled in and out of the fleet as a specialty unit, including models in 1991 and 2002, Motor1 reported.
The supply has now run dry. Chevrolet built its last sixth-generation Camaro on Dec. 13, 2023, nearly three years before this car entered CHP service.
Where the car will patrol
The CHP had not said which division will receive the car. The agency covers about 105,000 miles of California highways, so the assignment will shape how much pursuit work the Camaro sees.
What’s next after the last CHP Camaro
No more sixth-generation Camaros are coming. Chevrolet has hinted at a next-generation Camaro, but it remains unconfirmed, Motor1 noted, leaving Dodge and Ford muscle cars to fill the specialty patrol role for now.
For more on the nameplate, read our look at the rumored 2027 Chevy Camaro and the Pontiac G8, another V8 police cruiser, or browse our special interests coverage.