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.

Dodge to stop Viper production next July, new car set for 2012

The future of the Dodge Viper came into focus on Wednesday during Chrysler's strategy briefing for media and analysts. Ralph Gilles, recently named chief of the Dodge car brand, said that production of the current Viper production will cease at the end of next July. The final 500 cars have been earmarked to be special vehicles, Gilles said.

This week in 1994: We meet the Rolls-Royce Flying Spur

Rolls-Royce introduced the Flying Spur in 1994 as the fastest vehicle the brand had ever made. Its top speed was 140 mph and it flew to 60 mph in seven seconds flat with the help of the 6.75-liter turbocharged V8 under the hood. The only catch?