GM, Transformers' product placement marketing match

General Motors hosted a pre-Oscar fashion event this spring at Paramount Pictures in Hollywood. The car company showed off some of the vehicles starring in the highly successful Transformers action-adventure movie released last week. Here, Tyrese Gibson, who plays USAF Master Sergeant Epps in the movie, leads a Pontiac Solstice down the runway.

Four GM cars are being used as the basis for Transformers in the film: the Hummer H2, the Pontiac Solstice, the GMC Topkick, and a new Chevrolet Camaro (shown here) planned for 2009.

The Camaro converts into Hasbro's ultimate Transformer action figure--Bumblebee. In toy robot mode, Bumblebee is 14 inches tall and features lights; battle and conversion sounds; and an animated head, arms and wings. It also fires missiles. The head has a sound detection system and responds to noises.

This souped-up Hummer H2 was modified as a rescue vehicle and transforms into Autobot Ratchet. The Autobots are the good guys, as Transformers fans will remember, the mechanical heroes who fight the evil Decepticons.

This GMC Topkick medium-duty truck is also the Autobot Ironhide, the bodyguard of famed Autobot leader Optimus Prime. Can anyone guess which vehicle Optimus Prime--who used to transform into a red semi truck--is officially modeled after?

Autobot Jazz converts from a Pontiac Solstice in a hardtop format.