How many times have you heard it? “The difference between the men and the boys is the size of their toys.”
That hoary proverb applies directly to the Camaro Hot Wheels Edition Chevrolet unveiled at the Specialty Equipment Market Association trade show, which opened Tuesday in Las Vegas.
A Camaro was among the first batch of Hot Wheels cars manufactured by Mattel in 1968. But this is the first time a full-size production Hot Wheels car has been offered for sale by any manufacturer, General Motors said in a news release.
Producing a Hot Wheels car at full drivable size is a beguiling dream. The Hot Wheels Edition Camaro, which will be sold only during the first quarter of 2013, carries the exterior flourishes of the ZL1 model, with Kinetic Blue paint, black 21-inch wheels with red accents and exaggerated aero effects treatment from grille to spoiler. It will be available in coupe and convertible models – in 2LT (V-6) and 2SS (V-8) trims, blending the ZL1 bodywork with graphics that include a two-tone matte hood graphic and rear taillight blackout panel.
The interior is coordinated, with black leather trim and red and black seat stitching. The seats bear the Hot Wheels logo, and each door has a Hot Wheels decal. If you glance down as you get into the car, you will see the Hot Wheels sill plate.
The Hot Wheels special edition option package will cost $6,995.
There have been several experiments in creating full-sized Hot Wheels, but this is the first time one has gone into production. Harry Dean Bradley is credited with designing the first 16 Hot Wheels, which were released in 1968. The most distinctive Hot Wheels car he did was the Deora. In 2003, for Hot Wheels’ 35th anniversary, Mattel ordered up a full-sized Deora II. It was built with the help of customizer Chip Foose and the custom builder Five Axis. It was powered by a Cadillac Northstar V8 engine.
In another marketing campaign a few years ago, Hot Wheels invited major automakers to submit ideas by designers of full-size cars to turn into toy cars. Six companies agreed. The designers noted the freedom Hot Wheels offered: wheel and fender relationship are no problem and there’s no need to worry about driver visibility.
But building a Hot Wheels car is not just a matter of running the dimensions of a full-sized car through a calculator, dividing everything by 64. Hot Wheels designers have to alter the shapes of production vehicles so they look right as models — so they look like themselves.
In truth, what Chevy is selling is really an options package, like Nascar or the old Looney Toons packages. It , the company says, with a package price of $6,995. It really should come with a blister package box.