Hot Wheels at Full Speed: New Designs and What’s Next | Ep. 117
About this episode
Hot Wheels design manager Craig Callum breaks down how toy cars go from sketches and CAD to shelf-ready details, why “analog” play is resurging, and how initiatives like the Hot Wheels Brickshop and Legends Tour keep fans building at home. The show then pivots to industry news with journalist Gary Vassilash: GM’s rumored Camaro return, Tesla’s possible Model 2 comeback, Kia/Hyundai body-on-frame pickups, and fresh uncertainty around Scout Motors’ timeline. AutoGuide Garage reviews include the Land Rover Defender Atka and Polestar 4, followed by a mailbag on EVs like the VW ID4 and why some early EVs are getting paused.
Hot Wheels
"Hot Wheels have been a favorite for enthusiasts of all ages, and this week we catch up with the man behind the wheels, senior design manager Craig Callum."
Hot Wheels is a toy car brand that’s been around for decades. It’s famous for making lots of different car designs that feel fast and exciting.
Hot Wheels is Mattel’s long-running die-cast toy car brand. It’s known for fast, stylized designs and for influencing how many people first get interested in cars and motorsports.
Polestar 4
"... Defender Atka. That was fun, and Gary drove the Polestar 4. We close things out with a mailbag where we fig..."
EVs
"We close things out with a mailbag where we figure out what's next for EVs, like the VW ID4. I'm Greg Migliore, stick around, we've got a great show for you."
EVs are electric cars that run on batteries instead of gasoline. The show is likely talking about what’s coming next for electric cars—like new models and improvements.
EVs (electric vehicles) are cars powered primarily by electric motors and rechargeable batteries. In the context of a “mailbag” about what’s next, the discussion likely covers charging infrastructure, battery tech, pricing, and upcoming models.
3D CAD
"You know, we work with a lot of manufacturers' data. So we use their 3D CAD to create the cars when they're licensed."
3D CAD (computer-aided design) is digital engineering software used to model a vehicle in three dimensions. In this context, it’s used to translate manufacturer data into accurate toy-car geometry when designs are licensed.
3D
"But I will, I'll give like a quick rough sketch, you know, and hand that over to a sculptor to create in 3D. But then some of our designers are designing in CAD straight away."
“3D” means making a model that has height, width, and depth. Toy designers use it to plan the shape of the car before they build the real thing.
“3D” refers to creating a three-dimensional digital model of an object. In toy design, it helps designers sculpt and test shapes before anything is manufactured.
turbocharger
"Yeah, they're looking for that kind of big turbocharger on the thing, on the exhaust sticking out the side, or, you know, all those things are so important to a kid."
A turbocharger is a device that helps an engine make more power. It uses exhaust gases to push extra air into the engine, which lets it burn more fuel and feel stronger.
A turbocharger is a forced-induction device that uses exhaust gases to spin a turbine, compressing more air into the engine. That typically helps an engine make more power without increasing engine size.
Lego
"You worked for Lego for quite a long time. In some ways, you've literally gotten to play in the toy shop here for a good chunk of your career."
LEGO is the company that makes those snap-together building bricks. The guest is saying they worked there for a long time and got to be creative through toy design.
LEGO is a building-toy brand made from interlocking plastic bricks. The speaker mentions working for LEGO, framing how a career in toy design can still connect to creativity and imagination.
Legends Tour
"Why don't you talk a little bit about the Legends Tour? That's something that I think has really gotten a new generation of fans just into what Hot Wheels could be."
Hot Wheels has an event called the Legends Tour where creators build and pitch car ideas. Those ideas then get highlighted by Hot Wheels, helping new fans discover real car creativity.
The Hot Wheels Legends Tour is a competition that invites builders and designers to create a car concept, then brings those ideas into the Hot Wheels ecosystem. It’s a way for real-world automotive creativity to influence toy design and brand storytelling.
JDM
"And I think, you know, but I'm seeing a trend, obviously, 90s vehicles are so popular right now. JDM is so popular right now."
JDM means “Japanese cars for Japan.” People use it to talk about Japanese car models and parts that enthusiasts really like.
JDM stands for Japanese Domestic Market, meaning cars and parts made for the Japanese market. In enthusiast circles, it often refers to specific Japanese models and the culture around them.
hot rod
"Yeah, yeah, I mean, I have a few. And I think, yeah, my own vehicles are probably as eclectic as the Hot Wheels line itself. Yeah, everything from a 30s hot rods and then I've got a 70s mini that I've owned since forever."
A hot rod is an older car that’s been modified to be faster and more exciting. People often change the engine and other parts to improve performance.
A hot rod is a modified car—often an older American model—built for performance and style. The term usually implies upgrades like engine tuning, suspension changes, and custom bodywork.
MG midget
"And then I've got a 55 Chevy with various different colored panels that kind of looks like it's falling apart, but underneath is actually brand new. It's got sort of 400 odd horsepower and a lot of fun. And then I've got yeah, an MG midget and another hot rod as well that I race on the beach in Denmark. So yeah,"
The MG Midget is a small British sports car/roadster. People like it because it’s light and fun, and it’s often used for racing.
The MG Midget is a small British roadster made by MG, known for being lightweight and fun to drive. It’s a common choice for enthusiasts and club racing because it’s relatively simple and responsive.
exterior styling
"there's a lot of freedom in expression for the exterior styling of a car,"
Exterior styling is the visible design language of a vehicle—shape, surfaces, lighting, and overall proportions. The speaker connects current technology maturity to more expressive exterior design choices.
Toyota Camry
"[1308.0s] Toyota sales of the Camry, it's 316,000 vehicles a year. And General Motors has no vehicle that's in [1319.3s] 2025 that sold over 300,000 vehicles unless you're talking about a pickup truck."
The Toyota Camry is a very popular Toyota sedan. The hosts mention its sales numbers to show how strongly people buy certain everyday cars.
The Toyota Camry is a mainstream midsize sedan and one of the best-selling cars in the U.S. The discussion uses Camry sales volume to illustrate what customers buy at scale.
Dodge Challenger
"[1441.3s] please, Marcaris. But I do agree with you that like the last generation, I would put the [1448.7s] Challenger is like the most emotional, visceral one. Then you'd have the Camaro and then the [1454.5s] Mustang could be, even though the Mustang is still a riot to drive,"
The Dodge Challenger is another big American performance/pony car. They’re saying it feels the most exciting and intense compared to the Camaro and Mustang.
The Dodge Challenger is a competing American pony car known for its bold styling and strong emotional appeal. The hosts rank it as the most “emotional, visceral” in the segment, then place the Camaro and Mustang behind it.
conning tower
"know, it was hard to see out of. Many times I compared it to being in like the conning tower of a submarine, not that I've ever been in the conning tower recently."
A conning tower is a part of a submarine where the crew controls the ship. They’re using it as a comparison to say the car is hard to see out of.
A conning tower is the raised control structure on a submarine. The host uses it as a metaphor for poor outward visibility—like being elevated but having limited sightlines.
Cadillac
"[1514.7s] sort of integrating a lot of like Cadillac and some of GM's best engineering learnings, Cadillac, [1521.5s] Corvette, with the brakes, with the chassis, with the platform."
Cadillac is GM’s luxury brand. They’re saying the Camaro borrowed some of the “smart engineering” GM developed for Cadillacs.
Cadillac is General Motors’ luxury brand. Here, the host is saying the Camaro benefited from engineering lessons GM learned across Cadillac models, especially around braking and chassis development.
Corvette
"[1514.7s] sort of integrating a lot of like Cadillac and some of GM's best engineering learnings, Cadillac, [1521.5s] Corvette, with the brakes, with the chassis, with the platform."
The Corvette is Chevrolet’s high-performance sports car. They’re saying GM used lessons from Corvette engineering to make the Camaro handle and brake better.
The Chevrolet Corvette is GM’s performance sports car. The host mentions it as part of the engineering “pool” that informed the Camaro’s brakes, chassis, and platform—aiming for better track-capable driving dynamics.
Elon Musk
"Tesla Model 2. Basically, it was off. It seemed like Elon [1601.1s] Musk decided he didn't really want to make cars."
Elon Musk is the leader of Tesla. They’re pointing out that his decisions and priorities can change what Tesla builds.
Elon Musk is Tesla’s CEO and a major public face of the company’s EV strategy. Mentioning him here emphasizes how leadership decisions and shifting priorities can affect which models get built.
Tesla
"sort of starting to see Tesla like two or 3.0 where like they've proven that one, they can make cars... And now all of a sudden it seems like they've dawned on themselves like, whoa, we've, you got to put out a new product at least every 10 years."
Tesla is the company that makes electric cars. The hosts are talking about whether Tesla will keep launching new models often enough to stay successful and sell a lot of cars.
Tesla is an electric-vehicle (EV) automaker that has moved from early, niche models to broader-market vehicles. In this segment, the discussion focuses on Tesla’s product cadence (new products every so many years) and whether a new model could drive meaningful sales volume.
body on frame
"If they're going to do a body on frame pickup truck for the United States and for North America... You know, this is going to be a body on frame vehicle."
A body-on-frame truck has the main structure (the frame) separate from the body. This is the classic truck setup and is often chosen for towing and durability.
“Body on frame” means the vehicle’s body is mounted on a separate ladder-style frame. It’s common in trucks because it can handle heavy loads and rougher use, and it changes how the suspension and drivetrain are packaged compared to unibody designs.
Hyundai IONIQ 5
"...maybe even a little bit more than the IONIQ 5, I don't know."
The IONIQ 5 is Hyundai’s electric SUV. The host compares it to Kia’s EV6 to talk about which one they prefer.
The Hyundai IONIQ 5 is used as a comparison point to the Kia EV6, highlighting how Hyundai and Kia share technology and platforms across brands. The speaker suggests the EV6 may be even better to them.
Kia
"the Hyundai Motor Group writ large, you know, the parent company of both of those individual companies, Hyundai and Kia, you know, look at this space and saying, hey, you know, Americans really like this stuff."
Kia is another car brand under the same big company as Hyundai. They’re aiming to sell a lot more cars in the U.S. and expand into new types of vehicles.
Kia is Hyundai Motor Group’s other core brand, and the segment frames it as a serious competitor in the U.S. market. The discussion highlights Kia’s stated sales goals and willingness to enter new vehicle categories.
Genesis
"We actually talked about this on the show last week, how like the Genesis sedan underpin the Genesis luxury brand, how the Palisades sort of launched the whole company into this large three-row segment where they had never played before."
Genesis is Hyundai’s luxury brand—think more upscale than regular Hyundai models. They’re using it as an example of how the company can successfully move into new markets.
Genesis is Hyundai Motor Group’s luxury brand. The transcript uses Genesis as an example of how Hyundai/Kia can build new segments and establish credibility with products that appeal to U.S. buyers.
fender flares
"It adds the big fender flares, the huge wheels, 22 inch diamond turned with gloss black."
Fender flares are the extra trim around the wheel wells. They can make room for bigger tires and also give the SUV a more rugged look.
Fender flares are extended panels over the wheel arches, often used to accommodate wider tires and add an off-road look. On the Defender, they visually emphasize stance and can help with tire coverage.
electric power steering
"I actually, it has electric power steering, which with defenders and different Land Rovers, for the last probably 10 years, I've really enjoyed the vibe of their steering."
Electric power steering uses a motor to help you steer. It can make steering feel lighter and more consistent, especially at low speeds.
Electric power steering (EPS) uses an electric motor to assist the driver rather than a hydraulic pump. It can be tuned for different steering “feel” and is common in modern vehicles, including many Land Rover models.
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