It turns out that GM was a bit surprised when video and images of the Chevy Volt on the Transformers set, according to Edmund's
Inside Line. The
first images that proved the use of the car in Transformers 2 first appeared on this blog last week. This was shortly followed by videos (
here and
here) that showed the car being prepped and driven, something that General Motors has not even demonstrated for the general public.
The most important part, for Transformers fans at least, is the website reporting that the car is not an alt mode for any Transformer character in the movie.
Inside Line has learned the Volt was only filmed for a day or two, and that it's not going to be a Transformer. With such a short time on the set, the Volt is expected to appear in the movie very briefly, and not as a Decepticon or Autobot, so it will not have a Transformer nickname.
In regards to GM's reaction to the premature release of images regarding the car:
"It's obviously different from the original (2007 Chevrolet Volt concept)," said GM spokesman Rob Peterson in a phone conversation with Inside Line Friday morning. "But this is not the final version at this stage."
He added: "What you know you're not going to get is an Aztek," a reference to the Pontiac that was widely disparaged as one of the ugliest vehicles ever built.
Peterson confirmed that the Volt is "taking part in the Transformers 2 movie." He did not know the Volt's nickname in the movie and admitted that he was "caught off guard" by the video and the ensuing buzz. Peterson said he did not know such details as the name of the color of the car, which appears to be either a deep blue or purple, although he said it may have been "Photoshopped."
"I've never seen that vehicle and I've never seen that color," he said. "You can tell it caught me off guard. I didn't even realize it (the Volt) was out of the state of Michigan."
He did admit that the vehicle in the video was "representative of the production vehicle," which he said would be "revealed fairly soon." But Peterson would not give any more specifics about when and where the Volt would debut.
Edmunds also provided a few caveats to be aware of the model Transformers is using.
If Peterson says the movie Volt is not the final production car, it's likely that he's just choosing his words very carefully. The Volt's extra-large wheels and supersized badges, enlarged to gain the attention of the final movie audience, could be the only visual details that separate the movie Volt from the production version.
And like the Camaros from the original Transformers movie that were only built to look like the 2010 Camaro, the movie car could also be wearing the Volt's final body shell, but is actually a Chevy Cobalt or Malibu underneath the skin.
GM says what you see in the Transformers 2 video only hints at the design of the production version of the Chevrolet Volt, but the differences are likely to be negligible.
Obviously the car images and videos have not been photoshopped. More then likely the Volt was given a custom paint job specifically for the movie to enhance its visuals and make it distinct from the other cars. Personally, that purple/blue paint job is pretty sweet and GM should consider making it available for the model when it comes out.
As for whether its a TF alt mode, I don't know. It's too early to know either way at this point since its only been seen on one set, the Queensbay Bridge/Shoreline Drive, so far. If its not a Transformer, it seems that Chevy missed a chance to really promote the car considering that the movie will be coming out just a few months before the car is likely to start hitting dealerships.
