Autoblog

Click above for more shots of the "Mystery Vette"

Someone slipped Jalopnik a new pair of shots of the mysterious Corvette concept that's appearing in next year's Transformers sequel. So far, we've seen good views of the car from the front and side, but rear-end shots had yet to surface. Well, that's over. The concept -- now a confirmed product of the GM Design studios (note the plate in back), has large ducts in back that mimic the openings in front and presumably also hide the car's taillamps. Four big centrally-mounted exhaust outlets poke through the bodywork as well. Frankly, the rear view is the car's least appealing, with that chunky boattail mixed in with all those sharp angles. There's also a new detail shot of the front quarter, which focuses on that very traditional Corvette fender shape. Is it just a movie character or also a concept that GM's going to drop on us somewhere along the line? Your guess is as good as ours, and the trickle of spy shots is probably far from over.

[Source: Jalopnik]

Click above for more shots of the mystery Transformers Corvette

The upcoming Transformers sequel, which is known as Revenge of the Fallen, is shaping up to be chock-full of new characters and, therefore, vehicles. The GM love fest continues with new cast members like the Chevy Beat and Trax siblings, a mystery Corvette and even the Chevy Volt. With all of these new additions, along with what appears to be the entire cast from the first edition, keeping up is proving a bit difficult. With that in mind, those of you who don't mind viewing a few spoilers before actually seeing the flick, check out the ongoing and recently updated character guide over at FiLM Grenade.

Still can't get enough Transformers action? Check out some conceptual art done by Tim Flattery. Though these particular drawings were made for the first film, the characters didn't make it into the movie. Some sources are claiming that we could see them appear in the upcoming sequel. Thanks for the tips, 04volk and 94 Taurus Owner!

[Source: FiLM Grenade]

Click image for photo gallery

This much we know. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen will have some sort of Corvette concept portraying one of the Autobots (well, we assume it's an Autobot). We also now know that there are at least two movie cars, as you can see in the shot above. Do we officially know that these are Corvettes of some sort? No, but the fender shapes, split rear window, and the port aft of the front wheel are familial styling cues that seal the deal. We're dying to know if this is just a movie creation or a concept that's in the pipeline to be revealed publicly at some future time. And if this forecasts what we should expect in terms of a C7, well, we're okay with that, too.

Also snagged in this photo set: the Chevy Beat and Trax, a military-style dune buggy, a pair of Can-Am Spyders, Optimus Prime, and Ratchet. Thanks, Andrew!


[Source: Seibertron]

Just how important is the Chevy Volt for ailing General Motors? Obviously, that's a rhetorical as GM is making it out to be the second coming of the horseless carriage. The money being invested into the latest battery technology and the sophisticated platform which carries it proves that the General is placing massive wager on plug-in electric cars. And you can bet that it will be hyping the Hell out of them too. We already reported on the fact that the Volt will be a centerpiece of General Motor's upcoming Centennial celebration, and now we hear that the production Volt could join GM's other upcoming gas-saver, the Chevy Beat, by making an appearance in the highly anticipated Transformers sequel.

Die-hard Camaro fans have been anxiously awaiting its formal introduction since it strutted its stuff in concept form in the first installment of Transformers. Thankfully for Volt aficionados, along with just about anyone else looking to save a few bucks on their fuel bills, we shouldn't need to wait nearly as long after its big-screen debut for a shot at driving off the showroom floor in a shiny new electric car, assuming the Volt actually arrives on schedule for its 2010 launch.

[Source: Reuters]

We knew the Chevy Beat was making an appearance in the overly-named Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. The new news is that one of its "triplet" siblings, the Chevy Trax concept, is joining it, as you can see above. The two are chasing/following Bumblebee on Philadelphia's JFK Boulevard. Proof of GM's new commitment to building more smaller, fuel-efficient cars, you ask? Eh, well, as you may remember, Trax and the third triplet, Groove, were not slated for production like the Beat, so this is (unfortunately) probably just a movie special. At least one Autoblogger is happy, though (raises hand), because Trax is the one he voted for last year. Transformers Live Action Movie Blog wonders if the Beat and Trax might be portraying the Autobot "Twins" in the sequel. Sacrilege? Well, if the movie Bumblebee can be a Camaro instead of a VW beetle, there's no reason Sideswipe and Sunstreaker can't be Chevy-branded "world cars" instead of twin Countaches. If that turns out to be the case, though, it does kinda make one wish Lambo paid to be part of Michael Bay's party instead of Batman.

[Source: Jalopnik via TFLAMB]

Click above for a photo gallery courtesy of AB reader Aleks Witko

Thanks to reader Aleks Witko, who sent in the enclosed shots of the SS-ified (but certainly not sissified) 2008 edition of Bumblebee. The Transformers crew was shooting scenes at Drexel University in Philly, and Aleks scored some nice overhead shots of the car down on the street below. (One nice thing about movie sets: the lighting's going to be good.) Even better (for him), he reports, " Lucky for me, I also got to meet Megan Fox." Lucky, indeed.


[Source and Photos: Aleks Wytko]

Autobot Bumblebee wasn't quite himself at the end of Transformers -- as in, there were quite a few chunks of him missing. For Transformers 2: Rise of the Fallen, the producers gave Bumblebee a solid buffing out, and he's returned with a new front spoiler and some stripes. The hood scoop and spoiler -- especially seen from the side -- give the already bulldog-ish Camaro a nice goose on the badass scale. If this is the treatment that the Z28 will get, we're all for it. Click the link for more pics and video from the set. Thanks for the tip, Ed!

[Source: Transformers Live]

If leaked documentation, which you should avoid if you don't want to read any plot spoilers, regarding the upcoming Transformers sequel is accurate, it appears that Mr. Bay may be bringing a motorcycle-based female robot to the big screen. We've heard that the character known as Arcee was considered for the initial film but was discarded so as not to confuse the audience with multiple gendered robots. If the rendering seen above is any indication, though, we'd imagine that Arcee's pinky-purple coloring would get that point across right away. There are two female riders listed on a leaked Call Sheet for the upcoming movie, and it appears that they are to be riding the oddly-colored Buell in the film.

Also revealed in the leak is information that leads us to believe that a certain Decepticon may make an appearance as an SR-71, along with what could either be the shapely Audi R8 or the mystery car we showed you yesterday. If the German supercar did show up, it would end the all-GM lovefest and be rather interesting to see morph on-screen, as well. Consider our interest piqued, as if we already weren't.

[Source: Comic Book Movie]

To all of you Autoblog sleuths out there, it's time to go to work. The silver car in the picture above was spotted on the set of Transfomers 2 filming in Pennsylvania. The wheels (cartoonishly large out back) and lines, and the fact that GM is a major player in the film, would seem to suggest it's some sort of GM product or concept -- although not the Corvette ZR-1, as some have claimed. It's also got the same concept mirrors that GM loves to use and kind of looks like Bumblebee's evil Decepticon twin. The shooter also said that the car has scissor doors like a Lamborghini. Follow the link to see more pictures from the filming, and let us know what you think the mystery car is.

[Source: Transformers Live via Shoot for the Edit]

Click above for more images of the HX in Transformers 2

These may not be the happiest of times at HUMMER, but it looks like the brand's bitchin' HX concept is going to get some silver screen love. No, not in G.I. Joe, but in Transformers 2. "Destro," a Joe fan over at HISStank.com, posted some TF2 set pics that clearly show the HX on hand in the role of a military vehicle. This is further confirmed over at Slashfilm, where you can see it in yet another batch of photos. While GM decides what to do about HUMMER, the tough-looking, flex-fuel HX concept is going to get some play in what's likely to be next Summer's big event movie. And because it's cool, people are probably going to want to know more about it, just like the first movie made the still-unreleased new Camaro a star in the eyes of the general public. Unfortunately, any plans to turn the HX into the production H4 are now, in all likelihood, very much up in the air at best. Not that it wouldn't be a good starting point for a HUMMER reinvention or anything.


[Sources: HISStank, Slashfilm via The Movie Blog]