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Full-Scale Fun: The Camaro Hot Wheels® Concept

Dazzling exterior inspired by Spectraflame® finish on ’68 Hot Wheels Custom Camaro

2012-02-16

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TORONTO (February 16, 2012) – 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 in Canada at the 2012 Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto. It made its original debut at the 2011 SEMA Show in Las Vegas– 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 colour 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:

1. Over Chrome Green paint with ghosted Hot Wheels logo on the quarter panels
2. Satin black ground effects (splitter, rocker and rear fascia-side extensions)
3. Satin black wheels with milled face and Torch Red stripe: 20x10-inch (front) and 20x11-inch (rear)
4. ZL1 grille with Hot Wheels badging
5. Hot Wheels badge on the decklid
6. Euro-style taillamps with new inner smoked lens 
7. Euro-style rear fascia with new diffuser and exhaust bezels
8. ZL1 rear spoiler
9. Chevrolet Accessories Modified Satin Black Stripe
10. Black aluminum “CAMARO” fender badges with milled face
11. Black aluminum hood insert with milled hood vent extractors
12. Chevrolet Accessories Synergy Series gill decals
13. Black leather-wrapped  IP and door inserts with Torch Red accents, and cut-and-sew flames
14. Hot Wheels sill plates
15. Hot Wheels cut-and-sew embroidered logos in the front seatbacks
16. Chevrolet Accessories pedal kit
17. Chevrolet Accessories footwell and cup holder lighting (red)
18. Brembo brakes: six-piston front with two-piece rotors and four-piston calipers (Chevrolet Official Licensed Product)
19. Suspension lowering kit by Pedders (Chevrolet Official Licensed Product)
20. Chevrolet Accessories strut tower brace
21. Chevrolet Accessories black engine cover
22. Chevrolet Accessories exhaust system

Under the hood is the all-aluminum 6.2L LS3 V-8 backed by the Tremec TR6060 six-speed manual transmission.

Collector’s model

Based on the full-size Concept, a collector’s edition 1:64-scale model has been produced in a limited quantity. With only 7,000 units worldwide, of which 2,000 have been made available in Canada, this is truly a collector item. To find out how you can get a 1:64-scale Hot Wheels® Camaro® Concept car, follow @ChevroletCanada and @HotWheelsCanada, speak to a Chevrolet or Hot Wheels Representative at the Canadian International Autoshow or visit www.Facebook.com/ChevroletCanada or  www.Facebook.com/ToysRUsCanada 

It will be the 18th 1:64-scale Hot Wheels Camaro model produced since 1968, all with a variety of colours 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 in Canada

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 120 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 to gas-free" solutions including Cruze Eco and Volt. Cruze Eco consumes just 4.6 L/100 km on the highway while Volt offers up to 80 kilometres of electric, gasoline-free driving and an additional 500 kilometres of extended range. 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 can be found at www.chevrolet.ca, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/chevroletcanada or by following @ChevroletCanada on Twitter.

About the Hot Wheels® brand

Since 1968, Hot Wheels® has been passionate about creating thrilling vehicle experiences through innovative product and content. Hot Wheels® began as a line of 16 1:64-scale die-cast vehicles; today, it has evolved into a true, global lifestyle brand for boys of all ages, with segments that range from aftermarket parts to licensed apparel to branded digital content from Team Hot Wheels™, a real-life race crew of professional drivers performing over-the-top stunts. For consumers to learn more, visit www.HotWheelsLive.ca and www.Facebook.com/HotWheels.

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