We recently showed you the "leaked" photos of what could have been a production Volt on the set of Transformers 2. As our man Sam correctly noted in the comments following his post, the movie prop was exactly that - a fiberglass shell covering a pre-existing platform. What platform would you use to make a movie prop like this and who would you call to make it? We'll put it this way: Friends, this is the worlds only Saleen Volibu (or Malibolt if you prefer) in existence. Yes, that famous re-builder of Mustangs crafted a very production-Volt-like shell of fiberglass and lovingly slipped it over the gasoline-powered drivetrain of a Chevy Malibu. No word if it was even a Malibu hybrid or what, if any, kind of noise director Michael Bay has decided a Chevy Volt should make. Hit the jump for a bonus slow-motion annotated video of the Saleen Volibu.

[Source: Edmunds via GM-VOLT.com]

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Is the vehicle pictured above the production Chevy Volt? It sure looks like it. It has the right greenhouse profile and judging from the head and tail-lights it looks an awful lot like the teaser shots that GM has been releasing lately. Perhaps the most telling detail though is the visible at the base of the A-pillar right in front of the mirror. The letters on that badge sure appear to spell out VOLT!. The car in this photo was shot during filming of Transformers 2 somewhere in Long Beach. So far calls to our contacts at GM are going unanswered but let you know as soon as we hear something. Thanks to Tony for the tip!

UPDATE: This is indeed the Volt! A video of the shoot has turned up that shows the car from above and clearly shows the rear end with a Chevy bowtie badge and prominent Volt logo. You can check out the video here and screen caps in the gallery below.


[Source: Transformers Live Action Blog]

The first installment of Transformers pushed some serious gas guzzling on movie audiences by way of the upcoming Chevy Camaro (with V8 power, naturally) and a Hummer. Our esteemed Mr. Blanco was less than impressed by the movie's lack of green credentials. After all, being nothing more than a movie, a perfect opportunity presented itself to introduce the movie-going world to clean transportation. It now sounds as if Mr. Bay and General Motors have seen the green-tinted light, as rumors now suggest that GM's upcoming green poster-child will indeed make an appearance in the highly-anticipated Transformers sequel. We anxiously look forward to seeing the Chevy Volt in production form in the next Transformers movie, and it would be some serious icing on the cake if we witnessed it transform into some kind of awesome gas-guzzling-robot butt-kicker along the way.

Remember too that GM will be showcasing another gas-saving vehicle in the upcoming flick in the form of the Chevy Beat. For our two-wheeled fans in the reading audience, Mr. Bay will also be featuring a female robot in the form of a Pepto-pink Buell.

[Source: Reuters]

General Motors enjoyed an advance marketing bonanza for the Chevy Camaro by having it play one of the Autobot heroes in Transformers last summer. People who were otherwise unaware of GM's ponycar revival got a heavy dose of it in the blockbuster, and it has been on everyone's (not just enthusiasts') radar ever since. It looks like the General will once again have a heavy presence in the film's sequel. Last week, for example, it was revealed that the HUMMER HX concept will be seen.

Now, we get word of another new model's appearance on the set. And this time, it's something ABGers might be interested in. While filming at the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum, Transformers fans with cameras at the ready snagged the Chevy Beat hiding out under a cover. As you can see in the photo above, the Beat is parked next to the Camaro that's reprising its role as Bumblebee. The Beat's appearance is about as close as we'll get to official confirmation (for now) that we will see the Beat in North America after all. Popping it in Transformers 2 will generate a ton of interest in the little hatchback, which is obviously a natural market fit in this new era of $4.00/gal gasoline. Like the Camaro last summer, there's no better way to present the new model to a wide cross-section of the general public than by putting it front-and-center in a sure-fire box office blockbuster. Thanks to Cory for the tip!



[Source: TFLAMB]