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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]

I had my issues with last summer's Transformers movie, as did some others, about the missed opportunities for green vehicle placement. Remember the HUMMER HX concept from Detroit earlier this year? Looks like it might be the biofuel beast to beat in the sequel. Even as GM considers ditching the HUMMER brand, some spy shots (apparently taken by someone called Marceli over at Releaselog) of the start of filming revealed the vehicle above on the set. Authentic? I have even less of an idea than you do, but speculation is running rampant all over the chat rooms about what the HX is doing there. Does it say NEST or NERT? Would it be for humans to drive or is this a new robot thing? We're sure to hear more as time moves on, but one things for sure: that's a HUMMER HX all dressed up for something.




[Source: Releaselog]

Just before the Transformers movie came out, Sebastian put up a post about what is wrong with the movie. The problem as he saw it is that a great opportunity was missed: the opportunity to push green technology in this big budget Hollywood film. Let's face it, GM spent lots of money to be featured in the movie, and what cars did they choose to spotlight? A turbocharged Solstice, V8 powered Camaro and a huge behemoth of a pickup truck. I also see a Hummer in the poster above. Note that their biggest star from the show circuit last year, the Volt, was conspicuously missing from the film.

Treehugger blogger Alex P. sent us a link to a story where he pointed out how big Transformers are in China. Apparently, really big... and he doesn't really like the message that the movie gives to the kids there. The auto industry in China is booming, and he feels that it doesn't need any more help in the form of the movie. He also shares a few links to other people making a similar argument. Do any of readers care to comment on this issue? Or, is it a non-issue? Feel free to share your opinion.

Related:

• Transformers want to do a sequel, but only if there's a hybrid involved
• Why the Transformers movie is terrible (no, it's not because Michael Bay is directing)
• We can't let Autoblog have all the fun! Vespa has a Transformers connection.

[Source: Treehugger]

Yes, I am looking forward to the live-action Transformers movie. I too was a child of the '80s, watched all the shows and had all the toys. My brother and I must have watched the cartoon movie a hundred times at home. Am I worried about the new movie? Will Michael Bay mess with a good thing? Maybe, but I am definitely going to see it on opening day anyway. Perhaps even the midnight showing, depending on who I can get to go with me. Perhaps you have followed the coverage of the Transformers movie on Autoblog. Have you secretly been yearning to do the same on AutoblogGreen? Good news then! We love to talk about scooters around here, and Vespa apparently has some tie-in with the movie. According to this page on Vespa's site, you can get a free ticket to see the movie if you test ride a Vespa. Well worth looking into, if you ask me.

[Source: Vespa USA]