Skip to main content

Age of inflation: 1967 ‘Bumblebee’ Camaro SS going up for auction

Say what you want about Michael Bay, but the man has good taste in cars. When he’s not bathing our childhood heroes in massive CGI explosions or awkwardly zooming in on female characters, the Transformers director is busy driving his Ferrari 458 Italia, Bentley Continental GT, Lamborghini Aventador, or Porsche 911 Turbo.

Until recently, Bay was the proud owner of a 1967 Chevrolet Camaro SS, the very same model that played Bumblebee in Transformers: Age of Extinction. The muscle car is due to receive another owner soon, as the car will be sold at the 2016 Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction in Scottsdale, Arizona in January.

The one-off was heavily customized for its appearance in the 2014 blockbuster, and features an LS-series Corvette engine (the particular model is not specified), six-speed manual gearbox, custom suspension, a 9-inch Ford rear end, a roll cage, and Wilwood brakes. On the aesthetics side, the SS wears a satin black exterior with yellow accents, three-piece racing wheels, custom LED headlights, bespoke carbon fiber fender flares, and of course, graphics from the Transformers franchise. The car also equips a touchscreen navigation system and leather seats from a late-model Camaro.

Transformers: Age of Extinction was almost universally panned by critics, but according to Box Office Mojo, the movie grossed over $1.1 billion worldwide. Another sequel starring Mark Walhberg — the fifth in the franchise — is planned for release sometime in 2017.

DT Cars editor Alexander Kalogianni recently got a chance to take his very own Bumblebee on a trip around the southern United States. His 2016 2LT Camaro may not have saved the planet from hostile aliens or evil robots, but the bright yellow two-door proved a loyal companion just the same. Check out the video from his trip around the bayou here.

Andrew Hard
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Andrew first started writing in middle school and hasn't put the pen down since. Whether it's technology, music, sports, or…
Tesla and Elon Musk sued over use of AI image at Cybercab event
tesla and spacex CEO elon musk stylized image

Tesla’s recent We, Robot presentation has run into trouble, with one of the production companies behind Blade Runner 2049 suing Tesla and its CEO, Elon Musk, for alleged copyright infringement.

Tesla used the glitzy October 10 event to unveil its Cybercab and Robovan, and also to showcase the latest version of its Optimus humanoid robot.

Read more
Qualcomm wants to power your next car with the Snapdragon Cockpit and Ride Elite platforms
Qualcomm Snapdragon Cockpit Elite and Ride Elite automotive platforms

It’s been a big year for Qualcomm. Alongside its massive launch into laptop chips through the Snapdragon X Elite series, Qualcomm is now entering the automotive space. The company has announced the new Qualcomm Snapdragon Cockpit Elite and Snapdragon Ride Elite platforms at its annual Snapdragon Summit, which it flew me out to attend.

The two platforms are designed for different purposes, and can be used togetheror separately. The Snapdragon Cockpit Elite is built for in-vehicle infotainment systems and services, while the Snapdragon Ride Elite is built to power autonomous vehicle systems, including all the cameras and sensors that go into those systems.

Read more
Scout Traveler and Scout Terra forge a new path for EVs
Scout Traveler and Scout Terra.

Electric vehicles are inseparable from newness, whether it’s new tech, new designs, or new companies like Rivian, Lucid, and Tesla. But the Volkswagen Group’s new EV-only brand also relies heavily on the past.

Unveiled Thursday, the Scout Traveler electric SUV and Scout Terra electric pickup truck are modern interpretations of the classic International Harvester Scout. Manufactured from 1961 to 1980, the original Scout helped popularize the idea of the rugged, off-road-capable utility vehicle, setting the stage for modern SUVs.

Read more