Volvo’s electric performance brand Polestar is teaming up with Mattel’s Hot Wheels to help unleash the creativity of young aspiring car designers.
Their 2024 Design Contest challenges young designers to surprise and thrill the judges with submissions inspired by the imagination of their youth.
The winning design will become an actual Hot Wheels model car, available for sale across the world.
While entrants are being encouraged to use their imagination to the max, they won’t have complete freedom as their design will need to incorporate Polestar’s design DNA.
Furthermore it must be possible to translate the design into a 1:64 scale Hot Wheels die-cast vehicle, and the submission must include visuals showing the vehicle’s interior design and immediate surroundings.
But there will be a helping hand for those shortlisted. These successful entrants will receive one-on-one coaching by Polestar and Hot Wheels design professionals, who will help refine the submitted designs towards final selection.
“Dreams have the power to inspire and transport us beyond what we thought possible. This is a chance for all participating designers to really push that Polestar envelope and let their imagination run riot,” said Polestar design head Maximilian Missoni.
The Polestar Design Content, launched in 2020, has already highlighted top talent from around the world and many of the students have gone on to work for the Polestar Design team or in the wider professional design industry.
“Both Polestar and Hot Wheels dedicate time, energy and skill to ensure design is at the core of our vehicles,” said Ted Wu, VP and Global Head of Vehicle Design, Mattel.
“The Hot Wheels design team has always challenged the conventional approach and the Polestar Design Contest allows the design community to showcase their skills and wow us with something we have never seen before, and we cannot wait to see the submissions.”
Entries for the competition open on March 5 2024 and the submission deadline is April 16. The winner will be announced during the final quarter of this year.