SS V8 coupe and convertible versions of the Hot Wheels Camaro will be powered by a 6.2-liter V8 engine.
Life Imitating art, or rather toys for boys and girls and toys for men and women? Chevrolet has confirmed that the Camaro Hot Wheels concept that debuted at SEMA will appear at Chevrolet dealerships early next year. This is the first time a full-size production version of a toy car has been offered for sale by an automaker after decades, if not more than a century of the opposite practice.
The original Custom Camaro 1:64th-scale toy from 1968 was one of the first 16 Hot Wheels sold and is now considered a collector’s item. The new real deal Camaro wheels will enter production during the first quarter of 2013 in what’s said to be a limited (by how many they can sell?) edition.
SS V8 coupe and convertible versions will be powered by a 6.2-liter V8 with a manual transmission rated at 426 horsepower (318 kW) and 420 lb.-ft. (569 Nm) of torque, or with an automatic transmission, which develops 400 horsepower (298 kW) and 410 lb.-ft. (556 Nm) of torque. Another version has a 3.6-liter V6 engine rated at 323 horsepower at 6,800 rpm.
Inside the pony car, a black leather-trimmed interior is has 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-style flame decal on each door. Hot Wheels Edition sill plates also are fitted, along with Camaro-logo floor mats with red edging.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
