Updated: A Full-sized Hot Wheels Camaro From Chevrolet Is Unveiled at the 2011 SEMA Show.

It's Mean. It's Green. And it's modeled on one of the original die-cast Hot Wheels from 1968. The Chevrolet Camaro Hot Wheels Concept Car, unveiled at the 2011 SEMA show re-creates one of the original Mattel toy car designs from 1968.


above: the original Custom Camaros from Hot Wheels and below: A reissue of the 1968 Classic Custom Camaro Hot Wheels toy.


Inspired by the “Custom Camaro” – the dazzling Spectraflame 1:64-scale toy was part of the original 16 Hot Wheels cars released by Mattel in 1968. The project was a collaborative effort between the General Motors Design studio in Michigan and the Hot Wheels Design studio in California.



The bright green electroluminescent paint was applied by four painters with spray guns while the body of the 2012 coupe rotated on a rotisserie. The result is a chrome finish with ionized metal tinted green like the original Spectraflame finish on the toy.




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 color effect was achieved.



Here are the concept sketches:


The actual car revealed at SEMA (with an appropriate set design):



The interior:


and the original Hot Wheels Custom Camaro die-cast toy car:


And the new commemorative collector's model of the 2011 Hot Wheels Chevrolet Camaro Concept:


Hot Wheels will offer the above collector’s edition 1:64-scale model based on the full-size Concept. Purchase information is available at www.hotwheelscollectors.com, as well as the Hot Wheels and Chevrolet Camaro Facebook pages.



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

“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.”



Power for the Chevrolet Camaro Hot Wheels Concept comes from an all-aluminum 6.2 liter LS3 V-8 mated to a Tremec TR6060 6-speed manual transmission.

Chevrolet Camaro Hot Wheels Concept features include:

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

images and info from GM.com, EMGcartech and CarBodyDesign

UPDATED: Volvo Concept You Revealed. Scandinavian Luxury with Smart Pad Technology in a Sleek Sedan.

Concept You from Volvo Cars: Luxurious Scandinavian design with intuitive smart pad technology




Last week Volvo teased the public with this video:


Volvo now takes the next bold step in the evolution of the company’s next luxury car. The Concept You, revealed today at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, blends contemporary Scandinavian design and exquisite craftsmanship, with intuitive smart pad technology.



Concept You picks up where the Concept Universe, revealed at Auto Shanghai earlier this year, left off. With a full interior, Concept You gives the global car buying public an exciting glimpse of the craftsmanship and innovative technology that will be the hallmark of future Volvos.

Smart pad technology create an uncluttered interior
The Concept You explores new territories in Volvo’s search for the ultimate intuitive car. A number of touch screens are used to replace buttons and controls in order to make the driver totally connected, and in control. The technology also helps to create a refreshingly uncluttered interior.



The control centre in Concept You consists of four main areas; a digital Driver Information Monitor, a head-up display on the windscreen, a touch screen on the upper part of the centre console and a touch screen between the two individual rear seats. The wood/leather steering wheel has aluminium and glass paddles with integrated touch screens.





The touch screen in the upper part of the centre console remains in sleeping mode until the driver looks at it. A hidden infrared camera registers the eye movements and information is displayed on the screen. Another sensor registers hand movements and triggers the infotainment system’s control mode. The possibilities are different depending on if the screen is approached by the driver or by the front seat passenger. “Certain functions, such as surfing the web, are only accessible from the passenger side while the car is rolling. The technology knows who is the present operator and adapts itself automatically,” says Peter Horbury, Vice President Design at Volvo Car Corporation.

First-class craftsmanship and hand tufted wool carpets from Kasthall:


With a striking interior, Concept You offers luxury customers to experience true craftsmanship and Scandinavian design at its best.




The wooden floor, that echoes Scandinavian homes, is covered with a specially designed, hand tufted carpet from the world-famous Swedish brand Kasthall. Just like the rest of the interior it fades from dark in the front to light in the rear. The front texture has a sporty firmness, while the rear part of the carpet is luxuriously soft.



The four individual seats, blend chrome-free leather from Bridge of Wear with Dinamica ecological suede. The interior also integrates the luxury qualities of a tailor made suit into the car.



The back of the front seats and the door panels feature exclusive Italian fabric and designs from the Swedish fashion house Oscar Jacobson. “The interior is full of classic forms, materials and textures, used with a twist to create a special contemporary luxury experience. It is exceptionally refined, yet with all the simplistic assets that makes Volvo champions of the uncomplicated,” explains Peter Horbury.

Inspiration from Georg Jensen
The Concept You is Volvo’s largest and most luxurious sedan ever. Its fast and sculptural silhouette is emphasised by the liquid metal paint, and the 21-inch polished aluminium wheels with tyres from Pirelli. Up front, the grille – which has a more classic appearance than the Concept Universe – features details with the same, beautifully polished craftsmanship.



“The design of the wheels, the grille and details in the innovative headlamps has been inspired by the exquisite works of the world-famous Danish design house Georg Jensen. Their precious items capture the essence of Scandinavian design. Uncluttered, organic surfaces and superb craftsmanship that radiate timeless luxury. This design should feel handcrafted and durable enough to stand the test of time,” says Peter Horbury.

images and info courtesy of Volvo New updated photos courtesy of Pocket-Lint.

You can see a live unveiling of the car today at the Frankfurt Auto Show on Volvo's facebook page here.

The Evomobil. Ora-ïto Collaborates With Citroën For An Imaginative Vehicle.

above photos by Romina Shama

Evo Citroën - The Evomobil



Paris, France, April 2011 — Cit­roën has al­ways been con­sid­ered as the most in­­no­­vat­ing brand of the car in­­­dus­try. The brand has cre­at­ed some of the most sym­bolic cars be­­come the clas­sics as the DS. The lo­­go is al­­so an in­­sti­­tu­­tion.



Af­ter more than 3 years of col­lab­o­ra­­tion with Cit­roën on the de­vel­op­­ment of ar­chi­tec­­tu­ral pro­­jects, Ora-ïto turned to the man­u­­fac­­tur­er to de­vel­op his first ar­tis­tic pro­­ject. The icon­o­­clas­tic artist wasn’t dream­ing about another con­­cept car but a ge­net­ic tran­s­­for­­ma­­tion. An un­u­­su­al cre­a­­tion re­u­nit­ing more than 400 years of his­­to­ry, a re­flec­­tion on the evo­lu­­tion of the mo­­bil­i­­ty and the le­g­endary know-how of Cit­roën.



The ge­net­ic tran­s­­for­­ma­­tion is a fact re­­sult­ing from er­rors of copies dur­ing the cel­lu­lar di­vi­­sion. When they are caused by in­­ter­ven­­tions, they be­­come ex­tre­me­­ly rare. The monu­­men­­tal sculp­­ture cre­at­ed by Ora-ïto is the cross­ing of two ty­polo­­gies, a ma­­chine of the past and a cur­rent car, a sub­­­tle his­­toric and so­­ci­o­log­i­­cal tes­ti­­mony on the func­­tio­n­al mo­­bil­i­­ty of the XVI Th cen­­tu­ry mixed to the mod­­ern world.



On the edge of the hy­poth­e­­sis and the con­tem­po­rary art, this hy­brid ob­­ject is based on the ful­­fil­l­­ment of child’s dream with an ob­vi­ous com­mit­­ment for the ecol­o­­gy. In the vo­­cab­u­lary of Ora-ïto, we find a re­al as­ser­­tion ex­­press­ing and re­al­iz­ing the imag­i­­na­­tion.



This cre­a­­tion be­­comes by de­f­i­ni­­tion a vi­­sion in op­po­si­­tion with the ag­­gres­­sive uni­­verse of the car in­­­dus­try. In­­spired by the first Cit­roën car and based on his de­sign­er’s com­pe­­tences, Ora-ïto won­ders about the er­­go­­nomics of the in­­te­ri­or of the first mo­­bile mo­d­ule. He has worked on the codes, the DNA and the phi­lo­­so­­phy of this in­­­dus­try to mod­­ern­ize it with the pos­si­­bil­i­ties and the ex­ist­ing tech­nolo­­gies. As­­so­­ci­at­ed to the re­search and in­­no­­va­­tion de­­part­­ment of the dy­­nas­tic Cit­roën, he has de­vel­oped a sur­pris­ing and un­ex­pec­t­ed sculp­­ture join­ing all the pa­ram­e­ters and the tech­nolo­­gies ap­pro­pri­ate for the uni­­verse car man­u­­fac­­tur­ers, part­n­er of the in­­ter­­na­­tio­n­al fair of con­tem­po­rary art of Paris (FI­AC).





Bap­­tized “Evo­­mo­­bil” he cre­ates a mono­­typ­ic kind, which pos­sess­es on­­ly sin­­gle spe­­cie. The term “ge­net­ic tran­s­­for­­ma­­tion” is used to in­­di­­cate an ir­re­v­er­si­ble mod­­i­­fi­­ca­­tion of the ge­net­ic and hered­i­­tary in­­­for­­ma­­tion. If the tran­s­­for­­ma­­tion ar­rives up to cells then, it is passed on to the de­s­­cen­­dants of the mu­­tant in­­di­vi­d­u­al. This change can get a se­lec­­tive ad­­van­­tage. This is the base of the pro­cess of the evo­lu­­tion.




Ora-ïto has na­t­u­ral­­ly imagined others mo­d­ules to join the in­i­­tial pro­­ject. A con­t­i­nu­i­­ty of the imag­i­­na­­tion al­low­ing to mul­ti­p­­ly new ac­­tions and us­es of “Evo­­mo­­bil” as car op­­tions. He has named this “plugs” which are in­­de­pen­­dent and can be con­nec­t­ed on the front and the back of the ve­hi­­cle. In case, sev­er­al ge­net­ic tran­s­­for­­ma­­tions com­bine, we can say they share a com­­mon an­ces­­tral ge­net­ic pool. Ev­ery pod is orig­i­­nal and unique as a sculp­­ture that al­lies the dream to the for­­mal, the past to the tech­nol­o­­gy. The idea to work sev­er­al en­ti­ties al­lows all the “ge­net­ic tran­s­­for­­ma­­tions “ to spread an uni­ver­sal mes­sage on the evo­lu­­tion of the mo­­bil­i­­ty and gives to the car in­­­dus­try new di­rec­­tions nev­er in­­vesti­­gat­ed.


above: ORA-ÏTO is the la­bel and the name of the French de­sign­er who cre­at­ed, at the age of 19 the very first vir­tu­al brand.

Ora-Ito
Citroen