Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Cars
  3. Legacy Archives

Production-ready Chevrolet Code 130R rendering is the baby Camaro we’ve always wanted

Add as a preferred source on Google

A small, light, and powerful coupe is everything a driving enthusiast can ask for.

Small, light … and powerful? These are not words often associated with Chevrolet. 

Recommended Videos

If you haven’t heard the Code 130R concept, don’t feel ashamed. The 130R debuted back in the 2012 Detroit Motor Show and has lain dormant since.

Despite its absence from the spotlight, automotive photo manipulator X-Tomi thought the concept was worthy of production. Accordingly, he went ahead and created something the Code 130R should resemble, which – intriguingly – is only slightly different than the concept created by Chevy.

If Chevy were to take on the lightweight sports car market, currently comprising the Subaru BRZ, Scion FR-S, and Mazda MX-5, the Code 130R would have to be underpinned by a shortened version of the new Cadillac ATS platform

To me, X-Tomi’s 130R looks like something between a baby Camaro and Cruze. If the car were ever produced, the looks would suit it, considering the possible engine options are most likely small: 2.0-liter turbocharged units sourced from GM Euro brand Opel.

A fun, light, rear-wheel drive car would fit in nicely beneath the Camaro and Corvette. If Chevy could price it around the $20,000 mark, then it might just be a hit.

(photo credit: X-Tomi)

Joe Mahan
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Joe Mahan is an intern at Digital Trends working in the Cars section. He is currently a Junior at the University of Portland…
GM is giving OnStar AI smarts and a new way to monitor your parked car
GM's 2027 OnStar overhaul will introduce an AI assistant for natural-language vehicle controls and a new camera feature that records certain incidents around parked cars.
GM OnStar featured

Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.

General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.

Read more
Musk says you can’t just buy the Cybercab. It’s primarily for Tesla-owned cab service
Plan on riding a Cybercab, not parking one.
Tesla Cybercab at night

Missing out on the self-driving future is a tough pill to swallow, especially as a car enthusiast. But that is what Tesla handed us on Wednesday, without a hint of mercy.

During its October 21, 2026 earnings call, Elon Musk told investors the Cybercab is meant mainly as a ride service. Further, nearly all of them will be owned and managed by Tesla.

Read more
Tesla will let you add your Model Y to its Robotaxi fleet with the FSD V15 update
Tesla is targeting the second quarter of 2027 for owner-operated robotaxis, though earnings, insurance, and eligibility remain unclear.
Tesla Model Y on road with red brick building in background

Tesla is making steady progress toward letting owners turn their idle Model Y vehicles into a source of passive income. The automaker provided a concrete timeline during its latest earnings call and stated that the first customer cars could join its Robotaxi network in the second quarter of 2027.

FSD V15 will bring unsupervised driving to customer cars

Read more