Hot Wheels Turns Transformers Bumblebee Into a Transforming 1:64 Volkswagen Beetle

Hot Wheels is adding Bumblebee to its Transformers crossover, and this one does more than simply put the Autobot’s colors on a die-cast car. The new Hot Wheels x Transformers Bumblebee starts as a 1:64-scale 1967 Volkswagen Type 1 Beetle and actually converts into robot mode. Mattel describes it as the third 1:64 Transformers Bot release in the collaboration.

Bumblebee is based on the classic G1 version of the character, with Hot Wheels giving the familiar yellow Beetle a slightly weathered look. The car has a matte yellow finish, Autobot graphics, tinted blue windows and custom Real Riders wheels. The body itself is made from ZAMAC die-cast metal.

The transformation is the main attraction. Once converted from Beetle to robot, Bumblebee has 13 points of articulation, allowing the figure to be posed rather than simply displayed standing upright. Mattel says the articulation can also be used for action scenes with the backdrop built into the packaging. That packaging was clearly designed with collectors in mind. Bumblebee comes in a premium window box that can display the piece in either vehicle or robot form and can also be used for storage.

The figure is priced at $65 and is a Mattel Creations exclusive design. Mattel currently limits purchases to three per customer. Mattel’s Hot Wheels Collectors page lists the next Transformers Bot arrival for September 17 at 9 AM PT, with Bumblebee featured as the upcoming release.

For Transformers collectors, the choice of vehicle is an important part of the release. Rather than turning Bumblebee into a modern sports car, Hot Wheels went with the 1967 Volkswagen Beetle closely associated with the character’s classic look. The weathering also gives the release a different feel from a typical pristine Hot Wheels casting. Mattel says the finish is meant to suggest a character that has already been through plenty of battles rather than a freshly restored show car.

At 1:64 scale, the new Bumblebee also keeps the Transformers crossover within the familiar Hot Wheels collecting format while still delivering a working transformation and articulated robot.

The Hot Wheels x Transformers Bumblebee is priced at $65 through Mattel Creations, with the release scheduled for September 17 at 9 AM PT.