When it was released in 2007 by Hasbro, the Transformers film was a massive hit with the masses. It amassed $709.7 million at the box office. The movie gave a different and more realistic feel to Optimus Prime’s words, “Autobots, transform!” And one of the most iconic characters of the movie series was the robot, Bumblebee. Though the movie did not revolve around this single bot, its cheeky and witty characterization captured the people’s hearts. It even made its way to a spinoff, Bumblebee, in 2018, and the Hasbro Transformers video game worldwide.
Little is known about him, but we’re here to dish out all the fantastic facts about this Autobots scout robot who was the protector of Sam Witwicky (played by Shia LaBeouf) and Mikaela Banes (played by Megan Fox). It ultimately played a vital role in the defeat of not only the wretched Decepticons but also the Decepticon hardtop figure, Megatron.
From its original 1984 build down to its 2018 version, you are in for one hell of a ride! Just check out the details on what car Bumblebee is in Transformers 1 until its most recent developments in The Last Knight, Revenge of the Fallen, and Age of Extinction.
The Original Bumblebee Transformer 1984
A yellow Volkswagen beetle appears
Initially, in the toy series as well as the TV cartoon, the Original Bumblebee Transformer (1984) was the first Transformers film and was characterized as a small classic car, a Volkswagen Beetle, based on the classic European Type 1 Volkswagen Beetle. The tiny insect that inspired it had the same name; his body also had yellow body paint with black stripes, like a type of sports car. This is the earliest version of Bumblebee’s car forms and where the first movie where Bumblebee appears.
This was the original version of Bumblebee even before the live-action movies were set in motion. But compared to what car is Bumblebee in Transformers 1, the one in the film was indeed an upgrade to it. Though the bug had some charm to it, Director Bay wanted to avoid using the bug as it might be too similar to another famous bug, Herbie, thus ushering in the use of the muscle car, the Camaro from Chevrolet, in the movies.
Bumblebee as Camaro 1977
Bumblebee’s alternate mode
Speaking of a Camaro, when Sam decided to buy his first car from a car dealership in the live-action movie released in 2007, he settled on a rusty old Bumblebee as a 1977 Camaro, about which, at first, he knew nothing but a car with rust patches and in need of major changes.. This was Sam’s first encounter with the Autobots, a group of human ally cars that transforms into robots who are being led by Optimus Prime—fighting Megatron, the Decepticon hardtop figure states.
The car, Camaro, manufactured by Chevrolet, was first released in the spring of 1977 in response to Pontiac’s Trans Am increasing sales. And for the first time, it outsold Ford’s Mustang with 218 853 coupes produced. It had a 195 hp (145 kW; 198 PS) 350 engine to boot; the Camaro could go from zero to 60 in just 8.1 seconds is quite the muscle car it is.
The Bumblebee car in Transformers 4
Bumblebee’s alternate mode continues
Bumblebee stands in fame and was already a cool car to boot; what’s even more remarkable is the upgrade that happened to the Bumblebee car in Transformers 4, Age Of Extinction. Comparing that to what car is Bumblebee in Transformers 1, the 2014 Chevrolet fifth-generation Camaro was a much-needed upgrade to emulate the changes happening to the movie elements and the characters from Revenge Of The Fallen.
This fifth-generation Camaro was a pony car manufactured by Chevrolet between 2010 and 2015. It included a redesign of the front and rear ends with thicker black stripes, marine-grade vinyl seats, riveted hood scoops, and a body painted yellow. This resulted in a broader and lower, more contemporary appearance. The facelift also meant giving the Camaro a wider front fascia as well as a more narrow upper opening, which updated the iconic halo ring and plasma cannon.
The Bumblebee car in Transformers 5
By the time the 5th movie was released, changes to what car is Bumblebee in Transformers 1 were nothing short of amazing. Now sporting a new look, the Bumblebee car in Transformers 5, The Last Knight, became a 2016 Chevy Camaro. Bumblebee has a special place for the motor brand in his mechanical heart.
Now a Camaro SS sixth-generation looks, it sported significant changes in both physicalities and under the hood. The Camaro body was 2.3 inches shorter than the 5th generation. The Camaro was also 0.8 inches narrower and 1.1 inches shorter in height. As for the engine, it had three choices—namely, the 2-liter LTG Ecotec turbocharged straight-four that had 275 hp, the 3.6-liter LGX V6 engine with a 335 hp power output, and the 6.2-liter LT1 V8 engine that has a 455 hp power output. That’s a cool spec for cars like a Camaro concept model from Chevrolet.
The Bumblebee car in 2018
Volkswagen beetle reminded from film’s prequel
When the 2018 spinoff movie titled Bumblebeewas released, fans of the scout robot were shocked that the Bumblebee car in 2018, Bumblebee depicted no features of any Camaros nor modern Camaros from Chevrolet; instead, it featured a beetle with a bee-shaped air freshener. For the true fans of the character, especially those who know their Camaro Bumblebee from the ground and up, this shock was not because of disappointment but rather a cheer to the movie’s intent to depict the bot returning to its roots of regular cars. It makes sense as the film was supposed to be a prequel, a long time before the Transformers even existed in the century.
The plot revolves around the earlier times of Bumblebee on Earth. At the same time, he interacts with the first human being he encounters in the modern world, Charlie Watson (played by Hailee Steinfeld). Charlie first met him in a battered and beaten car where it damaged Bumblebee’s vocal processor,
Dubbed “the people’s car,” the first-ever “Bug” (as it’s affectionately known worldwide) was initially commissioned by the Nazi leader, Adolf Hitler. He wanted to have a car that was cheap, simple and could be mass-produced with ease. Bela Barenyi of Mercedes-Benz is credited with coming up with the initial design in 1925; lead engineer Ferdinand Porsche finalized it in 1938.
Conclusion
This cheeky, witty scout robot will forever become an icon in any live-action universe. It doesn’t matter what car Bumblebee is in Transformers 1 or beyond film; he will always be a fan favorite no matter how he evolves. What appeared to be a flaw in the beginning, turned out to be a fantastic main character. It made perfect sense to create a separate film focusing solely on him. Nobody would ever paint their Camaro body yellow with black stripes like Bumblebee did because it is unfashionable. They could give it a shot, but it won’t have the same impact as it once did with Bee the Autobot. After all, all of this has become his trademark throughout history.
Bumblebee is evidence that it doesn’t matter how small you are; being one of the smallest Autobots out there shouldn’t prevent you from hearing the call of those who need help, whether it’s from another transforming Autobot or a human being. Bumblebee is an excellent example of this. A mechanical heart is still considered to be a heart by medical professionals.
Now, people of cars repeat it with us one more time, just for fun. “Autobots, transform!”
