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Behind The Scenes: Hot Wheels Design Studio [w/Video]

Hot Wheels' vice president of design Felix Holst has spent some time chatting to Cool Hunting about the brand's design philosophy at its Design Studio at Mattel's headquarters in El Segundo, California, in a new video. According to Holst Hot Wheels has evolved from being focused on muscle cars and V8 engines to being all about technology as a reflection of the new generation they're designing for.  He explains the benefits of designing over 240 vehicles a year that aren't limited by rules and regulations, saying in a studio that's driven by pushing the boundaries, it's a question of just how wild they can get.  The video really captures not only the men's passion for their jobs but the fun they have doing it. Small wonder Holst says he'd never go back to car design, and reveals the studio is packed with qualified car designers who chose Hot Wheels over conventional jobs in the industry.  We also hear from Hot Wheels Car Maker's designer Julian Payne, who explains how the new Car Maker – which gives you the chance to mold your own custom Hot Wheels at home – works.

Volkswagen Golf Economy Range launched

Volkswagen has released a range of Eco cars - The VW Golf Economy Range With the obsession by car makers with CO2 emissions (but only because Governments structure their targets on CO2 levels) the aim of these Eco Golfs is to trim CO2 levels down, and they’ve succeeded in getting the whole Golf Economy Range under 120g/km, and the Golf BlueMotion down to 107g/km. Three versions of the 1.6 TDi are offered – a 90PS version, a 105PS version and a 105PS BlueMotion version. VW has achieved the lower emissions with aerodynamic tweaks, longer gear ratios and regenerative braking.

Lexus offers IS 350C F-Sport Special Edition

Lexus is livening up its IS 350C with the introduction of the F-Sport Special Edition model. With accessories taken from the Lexus F-Sport parts catalog, the limited-edition offers open-air driving enthusiasts a better-handling and more aggressive-looking IS C right off the showroom floor. Building off the 306-hp IS 350C, Lexus installs Bilstein-developed shocks, shorter springs, thicker antiroll bars and newly styled 19-inch wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport tires.