New Models
  • Peg It on GarageMonkey
AUTOS: Hot Wheels Camaro Comes To Life
Life-size version of the Mattel toy to debut at SEMA, and it will be available in showrooms as a special edition early next year.
Viknesh Vijayenthiran  | http://motorauthority.com  |  Posted October 29, 2012   Las Vegas, NV
The Camaro Hot Wheels special edition is painted a vibrant blue with graphics and logos. (Photo: Chevrolet)
We’ve seen plenty of life-size Hot Wheels cars in the past, including a previous Camaro, but none of these has ever been offered for sale. Well, none that you could actually hop into and drive.

That is until now, as the latest Hot Wheels car to be developed will not only be sold as a miniature toy, but also as a real car.

The Hot Wheels flame logo is emblazoned on the fenders, grille, trunk and various places in the interior. (Photo: Chevrolet)
The latest is the Chevrolet Camaro Hot Wheels Edition, which debuts this week at the SEMA show in Las Vegas and will be offered for sale nationwide from early next year.

This will be the first full-size production Hot Wheels car offered for sale by any manufacturer. It will be offered as a $6,995 upgrade on 2013 Chevrolet Camaro and Camaro Convertible, and like the toys on which it’s based, numbers will be limited.

The special Hot Wheels touches include a bright metallic paint scheme, special graphics and red-lined wheels. The hood and taillight surrounds get some matte-black touches, while the fenders and trunk lid feature Hot Wheels flame badges.

The upgrade is designed for 2LT (V6) and 2SS (V8) Camaro trims and includes a number of accessories lifted from the Camaro ZL1. These include the ZL1 rear spoiler, upper grille, front splitter and side skirts, and a set of 21-inch wheels in black.

A number of trim features from the Camaro ZL1 are included, such as the upper grille, front splitter, side skirts and 21-inch wheels. (Photo: Chevrolet)
On the inside, a black leather-trimmed interior is accented with red-and-black seat stitching with the Hot Wheels logo embroidered on the front seats. The instrument panel and door inserts are black, with the Hot Wheels flame on each door. Hot Wheels Edition sill plates also distinguish the car.

No changes have been made to the engines, so 2LT trim comes with a 3.6-liter LFX V6 rated at 323 horsepower, while 2SS trim gets a 400-horsepower 6.2-liter L99 V8 when equipped with an automatic and a 426-horsepower 6.2-liter LS3 V8 when fitted with manual.

Buyers of the manual 2SS trim also get a dual-mode exhaust system, as do buyers of the 2LT model with either transmission. Similar to the system found on the Camaro ZL1, the vacuum-actuated exhaust provides a quieter driving experience at low engine speeds and a more aggressive sound during hard acceleration.

Chevrolet’s MyLink infotainment system is also standard on all Camaro Hot Wheels Editions.

Note, the original Custom Camaro 1:64-scale toy from 1968 was one of the original 16 Hot Wheels issued and remains one of the most valuable among collectors. With this being the first Hot Wheels toy transformed to a real car that will actually be sold to the public, it’s sure to be quite the collectable one day as well.

This story originally appeared at Motor Authority.
viknesh_vijayenthiran's avatar

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Viknesh Vijayenthiran

MORE BY THIS AUTHOR