Chevrolet->ke199 has made its presence felt at the 2016 Beijing Motor Show,->ke2062 but it’s not for the reasons you might think. Sure, SUVs->ke145 and electric cars->ke1030 have dominated the scene in Auto China, but the American automaker brought one car that’s neither SUV nor electric. You might recognize it as a Chevrolet Cruze and while it is a Cruze for all intents and purposes, it’s actually a one-off, showpiece that’s been inspired by the 2011 movie Tron: Legacy.

Unofficially, it’s called the Chevrolet Cruze Tron Legacy Edition and it’s a product of a collaboration between Chevrolet and The Walt Disney Company China. So what is a car with ties to Mickey Mouse doing in a place like Auto China? It’s actually simple. For those who may be unaware, Disney’s latest theme park – Shanghai Disney Resort – will be making its grand opening on June 16, 2016. For its part, Chevrolet is the official automotive partner of the theme park and so, to commemorate Disney’s latest theme park – and first in China – Chevy and the Walt Disney Company China teamed up to create the Cruze Legacy Tron Edition as a tribute to both Disney itself and the 2011 sci-fi movie.

True to its roots, the Cruze Legacy Tron Edition is littered with styling nods to the iconic light cycles that were used in the movie. The exterior and interior of the Cruze both received the same two-tone, metallic blue on black finish, the same two colors associated to the light cycles. It may not be the most important vehicle that has been showcased in Auto China, but for the purposes of raising awareness and driving up publicity ahead of Disney Shanghai Resort’s highly anticipated opening in June 2016, the Cruze Tron Legacy Edition might as well be the only car of consequence to show up in Beijing.

Continue after the jump to read the full review of the Chevrolet Cruze Tron Legacy Edition.

Exterior

There are no dramatic changes to the car’s body, so this Cruze retains most of its styling characteristics. But since this car was built to commemorate the 2011 sci-fi movie, it wouldn’t be complete without some nods to the distinctive black and metallic blue accents that have become one of the defining characteristics of the Tron movie franchise.

As such, the Cruze was dressed up with a black body paint and complemented with metallic blue accents on the roof, grille, and bumpers. The headlights have also been tinted to illuminate the same metallic blue glow from the movie. Sadly, the wheels are all normal, but they do have the same blue illumination as the rest of the body. Although it’s easy to appreciate the effort put into this one-off Chevrolet Cruze, the actual task of replicating the vehicles used in Tron are easier said than done.

Interior

Not that it should come as a surprise, but the treatment is similar in the interior. The whole cabin is dressed up in the same two-tone black and metallic blue finish. While most of the interior features black leather, metallic blue accents and contrast stitching on just about every surface of the cabin create that distinctive nod to the movie franchise. Other design items like the gloss black trim, blue accents, and ice blue ambient lighting finish off an interior that looks far more impressive to the eye than the exterior modifications.

Drivetrain

Chevrolet didn’t announce the exact engine and performance specs of the Cruze Tron Legacy Edition. The one-off showpiece car likely comes with one of these two engine options: a naturally-aspirated 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine or the turbocharged, 1.4-liter engine. The former is good enough to produce 112 horsepower and 107 pound-feet of torque while the latter can pump out 147 horsepower and 173 pound-feet of torque.

This particular variant also comes with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission that allows the Cruze to sprint from 0 to 62 mph in just 9.9 seconds to go with a top speed of 124 mph. It’s not as fast or as awesome as the Tron Lightcycle, but for its purpose as a commemorative build to celebrate the opening of Disneyland Shanghai, I don’t think that engine specs matter.

Conclusion

I’m a big fan of the Tron movie franchise, so I got my geek on when I first saw this commemorative Chevrolet Cruze. Obviously, I know that this car is unlikely to go on sale anytime soon, so I’m not even entertaining the idea of Chevy taking that route. But I gotta say, if it did hit the market, it would be incredibly hard for me to resist the temptation.

Granted, it’s not the kind of car that will be universally loved. I showed it to my brother and he hated it off the bat. I get it. It’s not really aesthetically pleasing to the eyes, especially if you don’t know where it’s based from. But since I’m a fan of Tron, I know the rationale behind the design and that’s why I love it from bumper to bumper