General Motors didn’t announce any product news at the 2009 Chicago Auto Show, at least not directly. Instead, Chevrolet used the opportunity to show off five movie cars that will star in the Dreamworks and Paramount Pictures motion picture “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.”
In doing so, Chevrolet unveiled a car that many spectators will find to be the star of the show. That car is the Chevrolet Stingray Concept, which plays the role of the Autobot Sideswipe in the “Transformers” sequel.
Corvette fans will love the Stingray. It looks like styling study that could define the next-generation Corvette.
“This vision concept is part of the free exploration of future products that I encourage for our creative, talented design team to develop,” said Ed Welburn, GM vice president for global design.
The Stingray Concept pays homage to the 1959 Stingray racer developed by styling legend Bill Mitchell and the 1963 Corvette Stingray split-window coupe. The car has wide shoulders, swoopy fender shapes that seem to drape over the wheels, a hint of the Coke-bottle shape of the 1963-67 Corvettes, a new take on the rear split-window design and even a new Stingray badge that looks like a top view of the sleek sea creature.
Corvette enthusiasts may be disappointed to hear Welburn’s take on the Stingray’s future: “It’s not part of any future production program. Its main role today is as a character in a movie.” Of course, that could change if public sentiment suggests the Stingray could be a successful future Corvette.
Four other Chevrolets will join the Stingray as Autobots in the movie. Fans of the first movie will remember Bumblebee, the next-generation Camaro that played a key role in the original 2007 movie. This is a different version. The original movie car was actually a fiberglass-bodied replica of the concept car first shown at the 2006 North American International Auto Show.
The new Bumblebee is based on the 2010 Camaro production model, which goes on sale this spring. Of course the car is modified, with the requisite black and yellow paint, different wheels and a more aggressive hood scoop and front fascia. GM says some of the modified components will be offered as accessories.
The other automotive characters are Jolt, a stylized Chevrolet Volt; Skids, a slightly customized version of the Chevrolet Trax concept car first shown at the 2007 New York International Auto Show; and Mudflap, an electric green version of the Chevrolet Beat that also debuted in New York alongside the Trax. Chevrolet recently announced that the Beat will be offered as a 2011 production model called Spark.
Visitors to the show will see all five cars displayed together, along with a 20-foot-tall replica of Bumblebee in robot form. The colorful cars and giant robot are sure to be hits with kids and movie fans alike.
The relationship between Dreamworks, Paramount and GM was made possible by Michael Bay, director of both movies. Bay, a friend of GM for a decade, toured the GM design studios with Welburn and used what he saw there as characters in the new movie.
None of the cars used in the movie were supplied by GM. Instead, GM’s designers turned over the production math data, or the vehicle schematics, to Paramount Pictures, which had the movie cars built. GM says it did not pay a placement fee to get its cars in the new movie.
It’s not surprising that GM was willing to work with Bay again. The original “Transformers” movie was one of the top 20 grossing movies of all time. GM says that after the first movie, awareness for the new Camaro jumped 97 percent, and the movie and subsequent DVD sales helped Chevrolet identify 500,000 people who were possibly interested in buying a new Camaro.
“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” will arrive in theaters on June 26.
