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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.

Renault axe Espace, Kangoo, Laguna, Modus & Wind in UK

Renault Wind Gordini - just arrived, now it's gone Renault is axing the Espace, Kangoo, Laguna, Modus & Wind models in the UK in a drive to restore profitability. In an age when we’re use to car makers extending their ranges on an almost daily basis, Renault are going the opposite way by cutting four models from their range of cars in the UK. Out will go the Wind Roadster, the Espace, the Modus, the Kangoo and even the car that most would think of as one of Renault’s best selling models – the Laguna.

European car sales down 9.6% Jan 2013. VW Golf sales down 17.8%

Car sales in Europe continue to decline with sales down 9.6% in January 2013 and the top-selling VW Golf down by 17.8%. In fact, the UK was the only top five market to increase sales, with Germany down 8.6 per cent, France down 15.1 per cent, Italy down 17.6 per cent and Spain 9.2 per cent. Other notable drops included the Netherlands which saw a huge drop of 30.4 per cent, partly driven by tighter emission boundaries on company car taxation.