When I was a child, I had a collection of Matchbox cars that I still have today. When Hot Wheels cars came out in 1968, I started purchasing those. I spent the last week in the real-life 2018 Chevrolet Camaro Hot Wheels 50th Anniversary Edition.
I’ve driven many hot-looking cars over the years, but I’m not sure I’ve had one that garnered so much attention.
Comparing Camaros? You may find our 2016 and 2017 model reviews helpful.
Maybe it’s the Crush Orange paint job, or the satin hood and trunk stripes, or the 20” wheels, or the beautiful front and rear end, or perhaps the terrific ground effects. Maybe it’s all that, but whatever the case is, people love this car.
It’s not all about looks however, it’s also about what is under the big vented hood. That’s where you’ll find the huge 6.2-liter that is putting out 455-horses. That engine is hooked to an 8-speed automatic that you can shift from paddles on the steering wheel.
The pleasant surprises keep coming when you open the door to reveal a beautiful orange and black two-tone interior and flat bottom suede steering wheel.
As you sit down, you see a beautiful gauge cluster covered by dual hoods to keep the sun off the gauges. You can scroll through the center area for vehicle information. If you look through the windshield you’ll see the head-up display that will give you current speed and also it reads the speed limit signs and posts the speed limit.
The center console houses the mode switch to go from Tour to Sport to Track, to Snow/Ice. I spend most of my time in Track mode and suspect everybody who owns this car does too.
One cool feature is the round air vents above the shifter. You turn them to adjust the automatic temperature controlled air conditioning.
Above that is the Chevy MyLink 8” color screen where you operate the audio system, Bluetooth, Navigation, Onstar, real-time weather and traffic, and there is a cool Projection feature. With your phone plugged in, it’ll put all your apps up on the screen. You also get 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot, and Apple Car Play or Android Auto.
The Camaro technically has a back seat, but it’s not for human consumption. Watch your headroom if you are over 6-feet tall, it’s going to be pretty tight in the front.
This car is the 2SS package and it comes very well-equipped with park assist, rear camera, blind spot monitoring, and keyless entry with remote start.
You also get heated and cooled power seats, heated steering wheel, Brembo performance brakes, and cross-traffic alert.
Options-wise, the Hot Wheels package runs you $5000. The 8-speed tranny, terrific exhaust system, navigation system, and magnetic ride control will set you back $4500.
I love the 50th anniversary Hot Wheels badging on this car. You’ll find them on the two front fenders, on the rear, and on the lighted step plates when you open the door.
A car that looks this good also has to perform, and the Camaro certainly does. It sounds great, the acceleration is outstanding, and it handles very well, especially in Track mode.
Fuel economy is rated at 17 city and 27 highway but I’m not getting that, probably because I can’t help but bury my foot in the accelerator.
MSRP, as equipped, is just over $52,500, which I have no problem with considering odds are good this is a future collector car, and you could make a fun daily driver out of it if you don’t need a back seat.
The Hot Wheels Package is available on the Coupe and Convertible 2LT and 2SS models.
