Jaguar and Hot Wheels Wants You to Build the "Ultimate Track Challenge"

Feeling up for the challenge? Then perhaps you--or someone you know who studies in any US or Canada university--might join Jaguar's "Ultimate Track Challenge". In partnership with Hot Wheels, the contest will choose the most interesting and complex track design in the contest. The winning entry, which will be chosen by Jaguar, Hot Wheels, and Guiness World Records, will be awarded a $50,000 grant to that school’s engineering program.

In case you're wondering why Guiness World Records is mentioned as part of the judges, then you might remember that Jaguar had just announce that it had broken the Guiness World Record for the most number of loop-the-loops with a Hot Wheels car using only the force of gravity. Shown at the Chicago Auto Show, this event was validated by an official Guiness World Record representative, who awarded Jaguar's F-Type Hot Wheels model for completing seven loop-the-loops in the challenge. The previous record was two loops.

Originally, there were 13 or more loops found on the Hot Wheels circuit at the Chicago Auto Show, but Guiness officials only counted seven loops in their official tally. One loop, according to Guiness, should only use the force of gravity to run the car in succession completely.

The entire track built at the Auto Show measured around 70 feet, and was built using only existing Hot Wheel Track sets. There were no power boosters.

It's for this reason why Guiness is part of the roster of judges for this competition. Fresh from the F-Type's record-breaking win on a Hot Wheel track, Jaguar is now paying homage to its victory by encouraging automotive designers and engineers to make a new and more challenging track design.

“We are committed to developing the next generation of automotive engineers and enthusiasts,” says Stuart Schorr, vice president of communications for Jaguar Land Rover North America. "We applaud the move to invest in the next generation—but what about letting the middle schoolers in on this one? They’d probably have the Hot Wheels tracks in their basement already. You can never be too young to play with Hot Wheels."

Hot Wheels is a brand of die-cast toy cars created by American toy maker Mattel in 1968. Since then, many automobile manufacturers have licensed Hot Wheels to make scale models of their cars, even to the extent of allowing the toy company to use the design's original blueprints and detailing.

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