Be sure to note the Hello Kitty tailpipe…

Unless you are living in a Unibomber-style shack or the Sudden Valley real estate development, it’s hard to avoid at least occasional glimpses of the “Hello Kitty” character. First introduced in 1974 and making her initial US appearance in 1976, Hello Kitty has become one of the most recognizable icons of Japanese “kawaii” (“cute”) culture, and earns the Sanrio company more than $5 billion a year.

That’s a lot of cash for a cat with no visible mouth, and it comes via licensing a vast number of products, ranging from the mundane (purses, clothing, stationery, and plush toys, just to name a few) to the bizarre (yes, the Hello Kitty “personal massager” actually exists, and is a real, sanctioned Sanrio product).

Of course, anything as popular worldwide as HK also spawns unauthorized fan tributes, both serious and ironic, up to and including pistols and rifles themed in Hello Kitty’s signature pink-and-white style.

Which brings us to this formerly red RS Camaro, which received a full wrap (including door jambs) from Toronto-based Restyle It to transform it into what you see here. Thanks to our friends at Pfadt Racing, we were made aware of the AutoEvolution piece highlighting this project, and now we bring it to you.

Is the owner of this car just really into Hello Kitty, or is it a tongue-in-cheek (and fairly expensive) way to get attention? It’s hard to say without more information, but we have to at least give them props for keeping it tasteful – we’ve seen far worse when it comes to HK-themed vehicles…