Tuesday 30th October 2012

Chevy to sell Hot Wheels Camaro

Homage to die-cast toys marketed to big kids

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Never has the phrase "I've got a new toy" been so apt to describe a car. This is the Chevrolet Camaro Hot Wheels Edition, which will go on sale early next year in the ultimate homage to the die-cast toys that got a generation of kids switched onto fast cars.

True, the souped-up Hot Wheels phenomenon was more of an American thing compared to our more production faithful Matchbox fare, but any British kids who got hold of them found the shiny-wheeled cars were pretty epic down their orange gravity tracks.

One-off '67 Camaro also gets the treatment

The first one available in 1968 was actually a Camaro. Any 40-something blokes with long memories might just associate the special edition's black/bright 21in wheels with red rim stripe as belonging to their early toy. There's also a matt black stripe down the bonnet and roof, and any memories faded too badly by beer and gasoline fumes will be jogged by the flaming Hot Wheels logos.

There are other bits to account for the $7,000 extra on the coupe and convertible models, but because this is American muscle, you'll still be horrified by the price they pay over there.

The special edition LT2 coupe with the 323bhp V6 is the equivalent of £22,975 including destination tax, while the 426bhp V8 manual is £27,430. That's WITH all the Hot Wheels gubbins.

Powered by a modern 6.2 V8 with 430hp

The car is currently being shown at the annual SEMA tuner festival in Las Vegas alongside another Hot Wheels Camaro recreation, this time the original car that become the first toy.

This stunning looking one-off is based on a 1967 Camaro and comes painted in a match of the Spectraglide blue paint of the original Hot Wheels, as well as wearing a similar wheel design to the production homage.

And as SEMA isn't just for showing off, it comes fitted with GM's crate 6.2-litre, 430hp LS3 V8 engine that can be bought off the shelf for $7,790 (£4,850).

Now THAT's a toy we'd like to get our hands on. Perfect for a recreation of that really very strange 1970s Matchbox Superfast Mini with an engine bursting from the bonnet and an airman poking his head out of the roof.

[DanDC5]

Those wheels are hideous.