Chevrolet treated those grown up children among us to the life-size Hot Wheels Camaro Concept at the SEMA show in Las Vegas.
According the GM, the Camaro concept was inspired by the 'Custom Camaro' - a dazzling Spectraflame 1:64-scale toy that was part of the original 16 Hot Wheels cars released in 1968.
The project was a collaborative effort between the GM and Hot Wheels Design studios in the USA. Each sketched its own ideas of a life-size Hot Wheels Camaro, compared notes and refined their visions until the concept hit the right note for each group of designers.
The synergistic project created a car that is instantly identifiable as a Camaro with styling cues - including flat-black graphics, red-line wheels and, of course, the dazzling metallic-green finish - that are classic Hot Wheels.
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 colour effect was achieved.
“The Camaro has been a mainstay in the Hot Wheels line-up 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.”