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(from Honda Press
Release) Honda is announcing the arrival of the
Honda Racer™, a much-anticipated 1/64th scale Hot Wheels® car
designed by Honda R&D Americas, Inc., in Torrance. The Honda model,
along with designs from five additional automakers, were selected as
part of the Hot WheelsDesigner's Challenge™ as a way to celebrate
the die-cast brand's 40th anniversary. The Honda Racer arrives on
store shelves in May 2008.
"The Honda Racer
combines the excitement of Honda's racing heritage with Hot Wheels'
reputation for speed, power, performance and attitude," says
Guillermo Gonzalez, senior designer of Honda R&D Americas, Inc., and
designer of the Honda Racer. "The core concept is built around our
idea for an 'ultimate racecar' and leverages the design freedom made
possible by a scale model car."
The key element to the
design of the entire car is that the body is in the shape of the
Honda "H" emblem. The exterior shape resembles an imaginative
side-by-side racecar of 1960s vintage that encloses a driver and a
navigator. The general shape, styling and paint scheme is further
inspired by Honda's early participation in Formula 1 racing and its
1967 RA 273™ racecar. The white and red paint scheme, the open
cockpits, large exhaust system and open wheels are all elements
inspired by the historic Honda racecar.
A powerful Honda V-10
VTEC® engine sits between the piloting team. If brought up to scale,
the engine would displace an amazing 2.0 liters per cylinder. A set
of velocity stacks and an intake that receives air through the body
of the car sits between red DOHC valve covers to provide a
technologically-advanced look. The exhaust system is a giant set of
twisted, yet balanced tubes that reside high above the engine,
complementing the power plant design at the back end of the car. The
dynamic expression of technology, history and detail is evident
throughout the design of the car.
"Sure, it is awesome to
play with the cars on the orange track again, but I discovered that
designing a Hot Wheels car is very different and in some ways more
liberating than designing a production car," says Gonzalez, a native
of East Los Angeles who considers automotive design to be his dream
job. "For example, the primary design constraint is that the car had
to fit on the orange track and perform a loop. Aside from that, the
possibilities are without limit."
Mattel invited auto
manufacturers to participate in the Hot Wheels Designer's Challenge
as part of the die-cast brand's 40th anniversary celebration. The
design of the Honda Racer debuted at the 2007 Specialty Equipment
Market Association (SEMA) show in Las Vegas in October as a 1/5th
scale model.
Starting in mid-August,
the Honda Racer 1/5th scale model and other cars from the Designer's
Challenge will be part of the Hot Wheels 40th anniversary road trip
traveling along historic U.S. Route 40, stopping at multiple cities
along the way. The tour starts at the Mattel headquarters in El
Segundo, California, in August and ends at Watkins Glen, New York,
in early September. See
www.hotwheels.com/40th for more information.
Honda Racer Technical
Specifications
Layout: Mid engine/ rear
wheel drive
Seating Capacity: 2
Length x Width x Height (cm): 7.0 x 3.0 x 2.2
Curb Weight: 40 grams
Body/ Frame: Real die-cast metal, plastic
Fuel: Gravity and a child's imagination
Engine: Die-cast Honda V-10 (theoretical)
Valvetrain: DOHC VTEC, four valves per cylinder (theoretical)
Displacement: 20 liters/1220 cubic inches (theoretical)
Suspension: Solid front and rear axles
Tires: Low-friction hard plastic
About the Hot Wheels® Brand
Hot Wheels® cars
revolutionized boys' toys in 1968 with an original line of
super-fast, customized cars built for speed, power, performance and
attitude. Now, 40 years later, Hot Wheels® is a global lifestyle
brand that represents the coolest cars imaginable in scales from
miniature to full-size. Hot Wheels® cars are also popular
collectibles for adults and each year, introduces a new line-up of
innovative vehicles, track sets and playsets.
About Mattel
Mattel, Inc., (NYSE:
MAT, www.mattel.com) is the worldwide leader in the design,
manufacture and marketing of toys and family products. The Mattel
family is comprised of such best-selling brands as Barbie®, the most
popular fashion doll ever introduced, Hot Wheels®, Matchbox®,
American Girl®, Radica® and Tyco® R/C, as well as Fisher-Price®
brands, including Little People®, Power Wheels® and a wide array of
entertainment-inspired toy lines. Mattel is recognized as one of
2008's "100 Best Companies to Work For" by FORTUNE Magazine and
among the 100 Most Trustworthy U.S. Companies by Forbes Magazine.
Committed to ethical manufacturing sustainable business practices,
Mattel marked a 10-year milestone in 2007 for its Global
Manufacturing Principles. With worldwide headquarters in El Segundo,
Calif., Mattel employs more than 30,000 people in 43 countries and
territories and sells products in more than 150 nations. Mattel's
vision is to be the world's premier toy brands -- today and
tomorrow.
About Honda
Honda is one of the
world's leading producers of mobility products including its diverse
line-up of automobiles; motorcycles and ATVs; power products; marine
engines; personal watercraft; jet engines; and, aircraft. Founded in
Japan in 1948, Honda began operations in the U.S. in 1959 with the
establishment of American Honda Motor Co., Inc., Honda's first
overseas subsidiary.
