New 'Transformers 3' Characters Discovered

When we posted about “Transformers 3” filming in Chicago earlier today, we didn’t realize how many Cars.com employees were hanging out at the set/outside our offices over the weekend. Internet support specialist Michael Howe and business analyst Eric Prahl were on hand for the whole thing and posted a slew of photos on their Facebook pages.

How did they get so close to all the Autobots and Decepticons? “Ironhide and the two small cars weren’t being filmed; they just had them sitting out,” Howe said.  They got right up close to the filming, too.

What we’ve learned is not only are Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Ironhide and Ratchet back, so are the twins, Skids and Mudflap, with different paint jobs. There are also two new European luxury-car-based Autobots.

We’re not sure what their names will be, but there was a gorgeous red Ferrari 458 Italia and a not-so-shabby blue Mercedes-Benz E-Class amongst the caravan of Autobots in downtown Chicago.

What about the Decepticons? They’re bringing out three NASCAR racecars — with what looks like official numbers and paint jobs — outfitted with mountains of guns on the hoods, fenders … basically everywhere. We’ve got photos of them after the jump.

'Transformers 3' Car Carnage Hits Chicago

UPDATE: More images of the set and new Autobots and Decepticons here.

The crew of “Transformers 3” has begun its takeover of downtown Chicago. While most of the press has focused on the movie shutting down Michigan Avenue this coming weekend, streets near Cars.com HQ were commandeered this past weekend. These images were shot by the crew of Chicago Pizza Tours — yes, they take folks to the best pizza joints in the city — on the same streets made famous in “The Dark Knight.”

In most of the images, you only see the devastation left in the wake of the Transformers and not the robots themselves. It seems most of the action for these shots will be CGI, but one shot we have below does snag one of the Autobots, Ratchet, parked right outside our headquarters.