2011 Chevrolet Camaro Hot Wheels Concept
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(from GM Press Release) Full-Scale Fun: The Camaro Hot Wheels® Concept
Dazzling exterior inspired by
Spectraflame® finish on
’68 Hot Wheels Custom Camaro
LAS VEGAS – Fulfilling
the wish of every child who has ever played with one, Chevrolet and
Hot Wheels® have created a life-size Hot Wheels Camaro Concept. The
car debuted at the 2011 SEMA Show – the aftermarket industry’s
premier display of automotive toys.
The Camaro Hot Wheels concept is inspired by the “Custom Camaro” –
the dazzling Spectraflame® 1:64-scale toy that was part of the
original 16 Hot Wheels cars released in 1968. The project was a
collaborative effort between the General Motors Design studio in
Michigan and the Hot Wheels Design studio in California. Each
sketched its own ideas of a life-size Hot Wheels Camaro, compared
notes and refined their visions until the concept hit the right note
for each group of designers.
“The Camaro has been a mainstay in the Hot Wheels lineup since
1968,” said Phil Zak, GM design director. “Several generations of
car enthusiasts grew up playing with Hot Wheels Camaros, while
dreaming of driving the real thing, so this was a once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity to make that dream a reality.”
There was a similar buzz of excitement in the Hot Wheels studio.
“The Hot Wheels and Camaro brands have been paired together since
their inception,” said Felix Holst, vice president of design for the
Mattel Wheels Division. “As part of the brands historic sweet 16,
the Camaro was the first Hot Wheels car ever produced. The
Spectraflame paint and redline tires of those first Hot Wheels cars
have been the dreams of guys for generations, and it was thrilling
to inject these elements into a Camaro for real.”
The synergistic project created a car that is instantly identifiable
as a Camaro with styling cues – including flat-black graphics,
red-line wheels and, of course, the dazzling metallic-green finish –
that are classic Hot Wheels.
The original Hot Wheels cars debuted with their metallic
Spectraflame paint finishes, and the Camaro Hot Wheels Concept
features a brilliant, chrome-style finish created in a similar
manner: a tinted top coat over a shiny base.
In the case of the original Hot Wheels lineup, the process involved
polishing the die-cast metal vehicle bodies and applying a metallic
lacquer to them. With the Camaro Hot Wheels Concept, the process was
decidedly more complicated.
“We are always looking for innovative ideas and processes that push
the boundaries of design – including paint finishes – and the Hot
Wheels concept definitely stretched our team to the limit,” said Zak.
“They had to essentially invent a new way to paint the car.”
The reflective finish was created using Gold Touch Inc.’s
Cosmichrome product, starting with the application of a primer coat
on an immaculately prepared surface. The primer coat was then
sprayed with a liquid-metal solution to create the mirror-smooth,
silver-chrome base coat. Afterward, the green tint was applied in
several layers until the just-right color effect was achieved.
“It may sound pretty straightforward, but no one had ever tried
using this process to paint a whole car,” said Zak. “The bodywork
and paint team experimented with several processes before spraying
the first body panel. There were so many variables that contributed
to getting the finish perfect, from the drying time to the air
pressure of the spray guns – none of which was known before this
project – and the team absolutely nailed it perfectly.”
Additional features of the Camaro Hot Wheels Concept include:
Under the hood is the all-aluminum 6.2L LS3 V-8 backed by the Tremec TR6060 six-speed manual transmission.
Collector’s model
Hot Wheels will offer a
collector’s edition 1:64-scale model based on the full-size Concept.
Purchase information is available at www.hotwheelscollectors.com, as
well as the Hot Wheels and Chevrolet Camaro Facebook pages.
It will be the 18th 1:64-scale Hot Wheels Camaro model produced
since 1968, all with a variety of colors and configurations. During
the past 44 years, literally millions of Hot Wheels Camaro models
have been produced.
The original Custom Camaro from 1968 remains one of the most
valuable Hot Wheels toys among collectors. That year, Hot Wheels
produced all the Custom Camaro models with Spectraflame paint –
except for one version in white enamel.
Today, examples of the Spectraflame Custom Camaro in excellent
condition can sell for $150 or more. Only 15 white enamel versions
are known to exist, and none are in their original packages.
“The value of a white enamel Custom Camaro is upwards of $3,000,”
said Holst. “But if one still existed in the package, the value
could be tens of thousands of dollars.”
About Chevrolet
Founded in Detroit in 1911, Chevrolet celebrates its centennial as a global automotive brand with annual sales of about 4.25 million vehicles in more than 140 countries. Chevrolet provides consumers with fuel-efficient, safe and reliable vehicles that deliver high quality, expressive design, spirited performance and value. The Chevrolet portfolio includes iconic performance cars such as Corvette and Camaro; dependable, long-lasting pickups and SUVs such as Silverado and Suburban; and award-winning passenger cars and crossovers such as Sonic, Cruze, Malibu, Equinox and Traverse. Chevrolet also offers "gas-friendly" solutions including Cruze Eco and Volt. Cruze Eco offers 42 mpg highway while Volt offers 35 miles of electric, gasoline-free driving and an additional 344 miles of extended gasoline range, according to EPA estimates. Most new Chevrolet models offer OnStar safety, security and convenience technologies including OnStar Hands-Free Calling, Automatic Crash Response and Stolen Vehicle Slowdown. More information regarding Chevrolet models, fuel solutions and OnStar availability can be found at www.chevrolet.com.