Two months ago, we blogged about the starring role of the up-for-production Chevrolet Camaro concept in the new Transformers film. Although, there have been objections from Transformer purists about the Camaro being cast as Bumblebee, since the Bee was originally a Volkswagen Beetle, these recent pictures might convince them otherwise. If you don’t know yet, the Bumblebee is the only Transformer that will be built for the movie, the rest of the Autobots and Decepticons will be CGI; and Bumblebee looks quite cool in these spy shots: one with the Autobot lying on its back and the other showing its full height. Check ‘em out.

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When the Chevrolet Sequel Concept was introduced back in 2005 at the Detroit Auto Show, it immediately drew raves because it was the first vehicle to fully integrate a hydrogen fuel cell propulsion system with a wide range of advanced technologies. These technologies included a lightweight aluminum structure, wheel hub motors, lithium-ion batteries, steer-and brake-by-wire controls. More than these sophisticated innovations, what made the Chevrolet Sequel stand out at the auto show was its being a clean and environmentally-friendly automobile that uses only clean, renewable hydrogen as fuel and emits only water vapor.

The Chevrolet Sequel is dubbed as the most technologically advanced automobile ever built. Why, you ask? Because it basically changes everything we know about automobiles. Instead of an internal combustion engine, the Sequel is powered by fuel cell propulsion. In place of mechanical systems, this concept car has electrical systems. And most importantly, the car uses hydrogen, instead of petroleum.

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It seems the return of the muscle cars is now certain. General Motors Corp is planning to revive the Chevrolet Camaro as a production vehicle as soon as 2008. This is according to a report by the Detroit Free Press. GM Chairman and CEO, Rick Wagoner is expected to announce the final plans for the production of the new Chevrolet Camaro at an automotive conference in Traverse City by Thursday. However, GM spokesman Christopher Preuss said last Sunday that he could not comment on the report.

The Chevrolet Camaro won the critics’ praise when it was unveiled last January at the NAIAS in Detroit. The Camaro was one of the most popular muscle cars. It started its run in 1967 and the last production model left assembly lines in 2002. Currently, only the successful Ford Mustang remains from the legendary muscle car era.

General Motors Corp. has recently unveiled two newly redesigned full size pickups ahead of their slated debuts as part of the automaker’s efforts to increase revenues and reassure investors of the success of its turnaround plan. Originally scheduled for a 2007 release, the new Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra will be on dealerships within the year.

Light-duty models will go on sale while Heavy-duty models will hit showrooms in the winter. The new Silverado and Sierra features a redesigned exterior and interior. They will also offer new powertrain, chassis and safety systems. GM claims the new designs are “sleeker and more aerodynamic” and will reduce wind noise and add more storage space.

Trucks are still a very important part of the lineup for US automakers even though sales have slumped this year. Pickup trucks along with sport utility vehicles comprise a vast majority of vehicles sold by U.S. automakers. In the truck segment, Ford’s F-Series is still the top selling model but the combined sales of the Silverado and the Sierra are greater.

The information gathered from more than 60 million visitors of Kelley Blue Books’ kbb.com, the most visited third-party auto web site in the net, comprised of the raw data of the latest most researched vehicles for the first six months of 2006. Included in the Top 20 list of America’s most trusted source of new and used automotive information are the following.

Honda Civic
Honda Accord
Toyota Camry
Toyota Corolla
Toyota Rav4
Honda Odyssey
Honda Pilot
Toyota Highlander
Chevrolet Tahoe
Honda CR-V
Ford Mustang
Nissan Altima
BMW 325
Acura TL
Toyota Sienna
Toyota 4runner
Ford Escape
Infiniti G35
Toyota Avalon
Mazda 3

On top of the list are Asian models, Honda and Toyota. Seven slots are occupied by Toyota and five by Honda, which are all included in the Top Ten. In place of the Chrysler 300 and Jeep Grand Cherokee, which has fallen off from the current list, are Toyota RAV4 and Chevrolet Tahoe. Together with the Tahoe is the Ford Mustang, the sole domestic models that made it to the most researched line-up.

Two utilitarian minivans came in at the 6th and 7th spots, the Honda Odyssey and the Toyota Sienna respectively. Three entry level luxury vehicles also made it in the list - the BMW 325, Acura TL and Infiniti G35 (pictured above) – which according to Jack R. Nerad, executive editorial director and market analyst of Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com have definitely become the brands and vehicles that the public aspires to drive and own.

It’s a go for the Dodge Challenger concept. At the Pepsi 400 in Daytona, Florida, DaimlerChrysler is expected to announce its plans to build the production version of the sensational, retro-styled Dodge Challenger concept it debuted earlier this year in Detroit. The Dodge Challenger stole the show at this year’s NAIAS with its old-school looks, a dead ringer for the original 1970 Challenger and its exciting 425hp, V-8 engine.

The new Dodge Challenger will be built with the same basic chassis found on the Chrysler 300 and the popular Dodge Charger. The first new Dodge Challenger is expected by 2008. This could be a renaissance of sorts for muscle cars in the U.S. automotive scene; after the resounding success of the Ford Mustang, General Motors Corp. is expected to bring back the Chevrolet Camaro, another popular pony/muscle car.

When it comes to pricing, Chrysler’s sales and marketing exec, Joe Eberhardt, said that the new Dodge Challenger may be priced a little bit higher than the Ford Mustang, which is currently priced at $19,000 to $26,000.

Much has been said about the current financial crisis that America’s top automakers are experiencing. Sales continue its downward trend as demand for large and midsized SUV’s fall. May sales figures were down by 4.6% compared to last year. However, America’s automakers are producing much improved vehicle models generating a lot of buzz. There have been a number of exciting new sedans and coupes introduced such as the Saturn Sky and Ford Shelby GT500. Impressive new vehicle models have also come out from Detroit’s Big Three over the last few years.

To find out which among these new American vehicles are the best, BusinessWeek.com attempts to rank the newest domestic cars of 2006 according to reported reliability, government crash-safety ratings and total cost of ownership. Data were gathered from various sources such as Consumer Reports (Reliability), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (Safety ratings) and Edmunds.com (total cost of ownership or TCO). TCO refers to the ownership expenses incurred over a five year time span including such costs as financing, taxes, maintenance, operating and depreciation costs. For this list, only cars with 2006 as the base model year were considered. Not all cars in the market were compared, however, due to the lack of complete safety and reliability data.

America’s best for 2006:

Small Car – Ford Focus

Sedan – Chevrolet Malibu

Wagon – Ford Focus Wagon

Minivan – Dodge Caravan

Small Truck – Dodge Dakota

Large Truck – Ford F-150

Luxury Sedan - Chrysler 300

Mid-Sized SUV - Jeep Grand Cherokee

Luxury SUV - Jeep Commander

Supercar/Exotic - Saleen S7

Hybrid - Ford Escape Hybrid

Coupe - Dodge Viper SRT10

Source: MSNBC

A few weeks ago we reported on the new role of the Chevy Camaro in the upcoming big-screen, live action adaptation of ‘Transformers’ – as Bumblebee, one of the original Autobot Transformers in the popular comics/series. There has been an outcry from Transformers fans due to the fact that the original Bumblebee in the series is a Volkswagen Beetle. Here’s the latest update on the much-anticipated movie – a glimpse of the Camaro Bumblebee apparently halfway through ‘transformation’ at the Transformers set. Thanks to the reader who provided us with a link to a forum thread featuring lots of photos of the Camaro as well as the Saleen Mustang police car that will also ‘star’ in the movie. ‘Transformers’ is a Dreamworks, Paramount and Hasbro production set to premiere on the 4th of July, 2007.

The legendary Chevrolet Corvette widely regarded as “America’s Sports Car’, zoomed to the top of 2006 list of the top ten “sexiest, hottest, and wildest wheels” released by Road and Travel Magazine. The other pony car, Ford Mustang, came in at second. Rounding up the elite list were the BMW Z4, Hyundai Tiburon, Honda S2000, Mazda MX-5 Miata, Mercedes-Benz SLK, Nissan 350Z Roadster, Dodge Charger, and the new Pontiac Solstice. As expected, almost all the cars listed were sports cars and coupes with the exception of the Dodge Charger, the only four-seater on the selection.

All these cars possessed one common denominator: pure sex appeal. Road and Travel Editor-in-chief Courtney Caldwell explained the predilection towards sports cars. She said that ‘sports cars are all about the sensations they inspire from how the supple leather feels on our skin to its aromatic splendor, from the youthful spirit felt driving one to the sun on our back and wind in our hair; Sports cars are about fantasy and self image. Just looking at one incites erotic thoughts and visions of grandeur. Owning one turns those images into reality!’

The other cars who made it to the list have already won accolades from other award-giving bodies. The Pontiac Solstice took home the ‘Most Sex Appeal’ award at the 2006 International Car of the Year Awards. The Dodge Charger won the coveted top plum: Car of the Year. Meanwhile, Nissan 350Z’s ads won for it the 2nd Annual Heart String Award for best car commercial, also given out by Road and Travel Magazine.

The results are in for this year’s fifth annual North American Concept Vehicle of the Year award. The jury of almost two dozen automotive journalists from across North America has chosen which among the 25 concept vehicles and 12 production preview vehicles that debuted in 2006 stand out above the rest. The award honors the vehicles that are most likely to shape the future of the automobile industry.

The Volvo C30 and the Aston Martine Rapide were adjudged as the 2006 Production Preview Vehicle of the Year. The Rapide, stylish, four-door, luxury coupe, impressed the jurors as much as the gorgeous Volvo C30 did. Meanwhile, the highly contested 2006 Concept Car of the Year Award went to the Chevrolet Camaro, highlighting the resurgence of the popularity of ‘Muscle Cars’.

In the Truck and SUV category, the Dodge Rampage emerged as the 2006 Concept Truck of the Year, besting other contenders with its innovative features like Stow-N-Go seating and dual-level cargo-bed. Meanwhile, in the Specialty Concept Category, the Ford Reflex snapped up the top spot. The Ford Reflex sport coupe also garnered the highest scores among the four finalists and emerged as the 2006 Most Significant Concept Vehicle of the Year.

The North American Concept Vehicle of the Year awards is given out annually for the five consecutive years now by the South East Automotive Media Organization or SEAMO.