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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.

Cash for clunkers plan revives trade fight

Import brand automakers and dealers warned on Thursday that a vehicle scrappage proposal before the Senate would violate trade agreements and could weaken the economy. The Senate could vote on the plan on Thursday, which would offer $10,000 to any moderate- or low-income consumer who trades in a car or truck that is at least 10 years old and buys a new one that is more fuel-efficient and "assembled in the United States." The trade-ins would be scrapped rather than resold. The U.S.-made mandate "smacks of the protectionism that led to the Great Depression," said Barbara Nocera, the top Washington lobbyist for Mazda North American Operations.

CDN–GM/PATAC Interactive Design Competition China winners announced

The winners of the CDN-GM/PATAC Interactive Design Competition China have been announced during Car Design Night at The Waterhouse in Shanghai on April 20, 2013. The inaugural Chinese installment of the popular student design competition has been a huge success, with 1,241 submissions during the five-month process. February saw an amazing number of last-minute entries that ensured a tough decision when the judges, including Brian Nesbitt, vice president of Design at GM International Operations, Michael Simcoe, executive director – Global Design GMIO at Holden, Min Cao, chief designer/Advanced Design director at PATAC, Burt Wong, executive deputy director of PATAC Design Department at PATAC, and Holt Ware, executive Design director at PATAC, met to choose a winner last month.