Hot Hot Wheels

Iconic Toy car maker Hot Wheels celebrated its 40th anniversary this year.

Mattel, it's famed maker, seeked real automobile designers, whom surely had grown up inspired by the toy cars themselves, to come up with designs for its miniatures.

Hot Wheels invited major automakers to submit ideas that would be turned into a line of 1/64 scale toy cars. Six car companies sent at least three designs apiece, which were judged by a panel that included Hot Wheels executives and designers as well as editors from the Los Angeles Times, Car and Driver magazine, and Men's Journal magazine.

In fact, all the designers who took part admitted that such an opportunity to design for Hot Wheels was a dream come true and were built upon ideas that had been boiling for years since they were kids. Pretty much like how many girls dream of dressing up Barbie when they were growing up.

Let's take a peek at the winning designs which we'll be able to purchase off the shelves soon. Wow.:p

The Winner: Hot Wheels HW40.
'Cos this'll win. It's an in-house design. Duhz. (It's too over-the-top; my least favourite actually)

Chevroletor
Designer: Amaury Diaz-Serrano
The Chevroletor is based on a combination of the 1957 Chevrolet Corvette SS and several speed record cars from the 1930s. Diaz-Serrano has models of both - as well as a model of Arnold Schwarzenegger as The Terminator - in the vast toy collection he drew upon for inspiration.

Dodge XP-07
Designer: Mark Reizen
It was like a Dodge version of the Batmobile. This one would be turbine powered, just like the experimental Chrysler turbine cars of the 1960s.

Ford Gangster Grin
Designer: Steve Gilmore
The bullet shape in the center of the car's grill was inspired by a similar shape on a 1949 Ford. The overall shape of the car was inspired by customized Mercury cars of the 1950s. Fellow designer-colleagues commented that the car had a "grin" to it, which inspired the name.

Honda Racer
Designer: Guillermo Gonzalez
The Honda "H" emblem formed the basis of this twin-hulled design. Each half of the car resembles one of Honda's 1960s Formula 1 race cars. The tiny V10 replica engine is, likewise, modeled on a 1960s Honda racing engine with the added impact of exaggerated exhaust pipes.

Lotus Concept
Designer:Russell Carr
Carr, Lotus's chief designer, is responsible for the modern look of Lotus sports cars. That look, taken to a thick-muscled extreme, is embodied in this model. Even on a small scale, the Lotus Concept looks fast, quick and light.


Mitsubishi Double Shotz
Designer: Gary Ragle
The "plan view," or the way car looks from above, is of utmost importance in a car that will be pushed around on the floor.
From overhead, you would be able to see that the Double Shotz has two engines, one in the front and one in back. The Mitsubishi faithful wll recognize them as models of the same engines used in the Mitsubishi Eclipse and the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution.


As one would have noticed by now, both in the eventual designs and the thoughts that inspired them, these miniatures have true car lovers in mind.

Enthusiasts of the respective car brands will not only be able to relate to the cars as though they were the real deal, they'll secretly be hoping the possibility of whipping out cheques at the showrooms as well.

When these miniatures reach the Toy stores this Christmas, expect to see throngs of rabid and weeping fans made out of grown men, bull fighting to lay their calloused hands on them. ;)

Palpable.

Hot wheels. Hot stuff.