First Coast Gears: Redesigned Bumblebee Camaro creates a Buzz

TV, movies and cars have gone together for generations, with one of the current favorites being Bumblebee, the yellow autobot from Transformers.

SLIDESHOW: Bumblebee and the Transformers 4 vehicles

The movie series has been a boon to Chevrolet, which used the original movie to re-introduce the Camaro to a new generation of fans, well before it went back into production.

To make movie production deadlines, GM took its Camaro concept design and grafted it onto a 2005 Holden Monaro, morphing it into Bumblebee, the lovable yellow autobot that could transform itself from a worn-out 1969 Camaro to one that was still a "dream car" at the time of the first movie's production.

SLIDESHOW: "Transformer" Camaro and other cars at Cars & Coffee

Since GM used Transformers as the fifth-generation Camaro's big coming out party (the concept was shown to automotive enthusiasts prior to the movie), that's raised speculation as whether the next Transformers movie might provide yet another clue as to the Camaro's future. Transformers 4 Director Michael Bay is showing off what he calls the "Bumblebee 2014 Camaro Concept" on his website.

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My take, don't count on Bumblebee's latest restyle to be a dead ringer for a production Camaro as he was back in 2007. Chevrolet has already unveiled its mid-cycle redesign for the 2014 Camaro, which doesn't follow the Bumblebee design. Although, if the new Bumblebee design proves a big hit, GM could in theory rush Bumblebee into production for 2015, just as the Malibu has received significant style changes for three model years in a row.

Bay's concept will no doubt have Transformers fans talking, like St. Augustine's Falcon Propps. Propps has what may be the most eye-catching tribute to Bumblebee on the First Coast. Chevrolet built an official Transformers Special Edition in 2012. Propps instead opted to get a base SS Camaro and customize it himself to mimic Bumblebee.

"I bought it about two years ago and just started adding," said Propps. He started with the doors. "They call them lambo doors. I actually had a friend of mine in St. Augustine install them for me. That took three days."

Propps brought along his Camaro, complete with a Florida Bumblebee license plate and sound effects from the movie, to last Saturday's Automotive Addicts Cars and Coffee cruise-in at The Florida Times-Union.

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Now we want to know what you think of the Bumblebee 2014 Camaro Concept? Vote in our cyber-survey by going to the Web version of this story at http://jacksonville.com/gears. You'll also find additional photos of the latest Transformers cars along with a slideshow and two video reports from last Saturday's Cars and Coffee.

Bill Bortzfield: (904) 359-4226

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