Mitsubishi Motors Employee Gary Ragle Selected as One of Seven Winners in First-Ever Hot Wheels® Designer's Challenge™

October 30, 2007 -- Cypress, Calif. --
Toy manufacturer Mattel has announced that Mitsubishi Motors Research and Design of America (MRDA) employee Gary Ragle is among seven designer finalists to be selected in the company's first-ever Hot Wheels® Designer's Challenge™. MRDA was among six automotive manufacturers to participate in the challenge, which marked the first time Hot Wheels® has turned outside the company to seek new vehicle designs.

Mitsubishi Double Shotz

Created to represent the ultimate Mitsubishi vehicle and the spirit of the brand's future, the sleek design of Ragle's Mitsubishi Double Shotz celebrates the 4G63 engine and the Lancer Evolution. "The design takes the concept of the Lancer Evolution to the next level and ties it in with the enjoyment and imagination of the Hot Wheels® brand," said Ragle.

Mitsubishi Double Shotz

After being selected by a panel of judges that included editors from the Los Angeles Times, Car and Driver, and Men's Journal, along with Hot Wheels® designers and executives, the designs were unveiled at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas on October 30th, 2007. The Hot Wheels® Designer's Challenge™ product line will be available in stores in the spring of 2008.

Mitsubishi Double Shotz Concept [US]

New Program Marks First Time Mattel Has Invited Outside Designers to Bring Their Automotive Fantasies to Life with an Original Hot Wheels® Car

Mitsubishi Double Shotz Concept

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (October 30, 2007) - Hot Wheels® announced today its first-ever Designer's Challenge™, inviting designers from leading automotive manufacturers the chance to design and create an original Hot Wheels® vehicle. The Designer's Challenge™ was created as a way for Hot Wheels® to honor its automotive partners and have them actively participate in the die-cast brand's 40th anniversary celebration in 2008. The selected designs will be the basis of a new 40th anniversary Designer's Challenge™ product line, which will hit store shelves in spring 2008.

"This is the first time in Hot Wheels history that we've turned outside the company to seek new car designs; and who better to go to than our automotive partners who have been a part of Hot Wheels history for the last 40 years?" said Geoff Walker, vice president, Wheels marketing, Mattel Brands. "We couldn't be more thrilled with the results of this program, and we're anxious to see the designs come to life as 1:64-scale models on store shelves next spring."

Automotive manufacturer participants in the Hot Wheels® Designer's Challenge™ - Dodge, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Lotus and Mitsubishi - were tasked with designing a car that captured the die-cast brand's core essence of speed, power, performance and attitude, while also encompassing the distinct attributes of each company's automotive brand values. In addition, each car had to be able to perform a loop on classic Hot Wheels® orange track. The top three designs from each automotive manufacturer were selected and presented to a panel of judges that included editors from the Los Angeles Times, Car and Driver, and Men's Journal, along with Hot Wheels® designers and executives.

The designs selected for the Hot Wheels® Designer's Challenge™ line include:

* Dodge XP-07 (Dodge, designed by Mark Reisen)
* Gangster Grin™ (Ford, designed by Steve Gilmore)
* Chevroletor (General Motors, designed by Amaury Diaz-Serrano)
* Honda Racer (Honda, designed by Guillermo Gonzalez)
* Lotus Concept (Lotus, designed by Steven Crijns)
* Mitsubishi Double Shotz (Mitsubishi, designed by Gary Ragle)
* HW-40™ (Hot Wheels®, designed by Jun Imai)

The Designer's Challenge™ designs will be unveiled during a press conference at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas on October 30, 2007 at 10 a.m. PT. Items on display will include a sketch of the top design from each manufacturer, as well as 1:5 scale and 1:64 scale models of each design.

Mitsubishi Double Shotz Concept

-Mattel, MMNA