Hot Wheels Designer’s Challenge: leading automotive manufacturers come out to play

Major automotive manufacturers recently showcased their visions for the automobile of the future as part of the LA Auto Show Design Challenge, but now comes a competition of a very different kind. Clean fuel and artificial intelligence take a back seat as speed, power, performance and attitude become the key criteria in Mattel’s 40th anniversary Designer’s Challenge™ in which leading manufacturers were invited to create an original vehicle for the company’s die-cast Hot Wheels® toy range… but there is one special requirement: each vehicle must be able to perform a loop on classic Hot Wheels® orange track.

“This is the first time in Hot Wheels history that we’ve turned outside the company to seek new car designs; and who better to go to than our automotive partners who have been a part of Hot Wheels history for the last 40 years?” said Geoff Walker, vice president, Wheels marketing, Mattel Brands. “We couldn’t be more thrilled with the results of this program, and we’re anxious to see the designs come to life as 1:64-scale models on store shelves next spring.”

Dodge, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Lotus and Mitsubishi are participants in the Hot Wheels® Designer’s Challenge™. The top three designs from each automotive manufacturer were selected and presented to a panel of judges that included editors from the Los Angeles Times, Car and Driver, and Men’s Journal, along with Hot Wheels® designers and executives.

The designs selected include:

The selected designs will be released as 1:64-scale models in the 40th anniversary Designer’s Challenge™ product line, which will hit store shelves in spring 2008.