Corvette Stingray in Transformers movie

The Corvette Stingray will feature among several other General Motors products in the sequel to the 2007 action movie Transformers to be released here in June (see trailer video at end of story).

The Stingray concept has been tipped as the shape of the next-generation C7 Corvette with wide shoulders, four tailpipes, vertical headlights and sculpted fenders.

However, GM is tight-lipped about it going into production as a Stingray or the C7.

GM Global Design vice-president Ed Welburn said the idea of the Stingray Concept was to incorporate past design cues in a futuristic shape.

"By giving my creative team the freedom to design no-holds-barred vision concepts, it helps them push boundaries and look at projects from different perspectives," he said.

The car plays the character Sideswipe in the movie, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.

In the original cartoon, Sideswipe was one of the original crew members of the ARK, although it was a red Lamborghini.

GM has had the exclusive contract to provide cars for both the original movie and the sequel. GM cars in the sequel include the Chevrolet Volt rechargeable electric car, Camaro production muscle car due here in 2012 and the Beat and Trax subcompact concept cars which are intended to go into production.

Chevrolet North America vice president Ed Peper said the first Transformers movie helped GM reach younger car buyers in the 18 to 34 age group.

"Chevrolet is thrilled to again be part of one of the most anticipated movies in years," he said.

"Transformers gives us a great opportunity to connect with young people on their terms, with a dynamic, environmentally friendly image.

"The new characters represent the change going on in Chevy showrooms. From the exciting Camaro, the 21st century sports car, to the game-changing Volt, there's more than meets the eye at Chevrolet today."

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, is about humans caught in an intergalactic war between armies of giant robots that can change into cars, planes and other technological creations.

Stars Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox return as Sam and Mikaela, who know the secrets of the heroic Autobots, led by Optimus Prime.

In the sequel, they are under attack by the evil Decepticons because of something Sam has learned about the origins of the Transformers and their ancient history on Earth.

The US Department of Defense gave its official stamp of approval to the Michael Bay-directed film, in the hope it would lead to recruitment interest.

Movies such as Top Gun, regarded as a major boost for recruitment in its day, and the recent Robert Downey Jr. blockbuster Iron Man also received military cooperation for the same reason.

US military, some just returned form active duty in Iraq, were involved in the massive battle scenes for the movie.

The film crew was allowed on the dunes of the Army's New Mexico missile range and to follow jets and fighter planes through the sky from nearby Holloman Air Force Base.

More scenes were shot on the Navy's aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis, and Marines fill the ranks of the strike team battling the invading Transformers.

The film's Army liaison, Lt. Col. Gregory Bishop, said: "As far as I know, this is the biggest joint military operation movie ever made, in terms of Army, Air Force, Navy and Marines. I can't think of one that's bigger."

Military equipment used include two A-10 Thunderbolt II "Warthog" tank-killing jets; six F-16 Fighting Falcons; 10 armoured Humvees; the Army's Golden Knights parachute team; two Abrams tanks; two Bradley tanks; two missile-launcher vehicles; two armoured personnel carriers; and a quarter-mile of the missile testing range, cleared of unexploded ordnance and built into an Egyptian town and temple.