Robots in disguise…  You got it right! This weeks iconic movie car is Bumblebee from the movie Transformers! We will be talking about the 2006 Chevy Camaro. I know that Bumblebee has had a few adaptations from the comics to the animated movies, however the ones I grew up loving was the Volkswagen Beetle Bumblebee!

In the movie Bumblebee first appears as a 1977 Camaro, which has rust and primer spots all over, obviously a work in progress but after Bumblebee hears a comment about his looks he scans another Camaro driving down the road and comes back as the hot looking 2006 Chevy Camaro Concept car.

Chevy had to make a one-off concept for the movie because the car did not come out until 2007. The body panels were used from the same molds that were on the 2006 concept car and the body was fit to a chassis of a Holden Monaro to make it capable of performing in the movie.

The fifth-generation Chevy Camaro is a Canadian manufactured muscle car produced by General Motors and marketed in the USA under the Chevrolet name. Production of Camaros started in 1967 and ended in 2002, after a long hiatus production started on the Camaro in March 16^th, 2009. It went on sale in April 2009 for the 2010 model year. The Camaro was made available in five different trim levels: LS, 1LT, 2LT, 1SS AND 2SS. Each trim level powered by different motors. The cars also came with a couple of different transmissions, 6 Speed auto or a 6 speed manual. The LS and LT trim levels are powered by the 3.6 L (3,564 cc or 217 cu in) GM LLT V6 producing 312 hp (233 kW) at 6,400 rpm and 273 lbf·ft (370 N·m) at 5,200 rpm. The SS with manual transmission is powered by the 6.2 L (6,162 cc or 376 cu in) GM LS3 V8 producing 426 hp (318 kW) at 5,900 rpm and 420 lbf·ft (570 N·m) at 4,600 rpm while the SS with automatic transmission is powered by a new variant of the LS3 called the GM L99 which produces 400 hp (300 kW) at 5,900 rpm and 410 lbf·ft (560 N·m) at 4,300 rpm.

On July 22^nd, 2009 GM Announced a Transformers Special Edition appearance package for the 2010 Camaro. The $995 appearance package can be applied to LT and SS Camaros with or without optional RS Package and could only be applied to order made in the Rally Yellow exterior scheme. The package includes an Autobot shield badge on the driver and passenger side panels underneath the camaro nameplate, the shield was on each center wheel cap, and embroidered on the interior center console. The transformer logo also was on the sill plates replacing the “Camaro” labeled plates, and high-gloss black center rally stripes with the transformers ghost logo embedded, resembling the Bumblebee Camaro. 1,916 units were produced with this package.

The movie really made this Camaro pop out to me and at the time I really wanted one of these! Especially with the transformers package! One problem was that recently I went to the auto show in Hartford, Connecticut and I sat in one. I have to say it was honestly horrible, the roof was cut so low and your visibility was horrible! Not what I expected for such a nice car. If you don’t have to sit in it the car is really nice but once you get in the car it does nothing for me and it wasn’t comfortable at all. But hey every car is not for everyone! See you next week for another Iconic movie car!