For several months already, toy car maker Hot Wheels has been looking for a passable prototype to base its new 1:64 scale model upon. After reviewing dozens of cars in the USA, company execs unexpectedly found this gem in Great Britain.
The drag racing-focused car is a modification of the Volvo P1800 Coupe made in 1961–1972 (watch the video for a glimpse of the original). Lee Johnstone made a gasser out of the car and has been regularly taking it to the drag strip since. His three daughters accompany him to all events, hence the name of the team: Johnstone & Daughters Racing.
Thanks to a Chevrolet V8 swap, the car pumps out 600 PS (592 hp / 441 kW) and covers the quarter-mile strip in 10.01 seconds, hitting 214 km/h (133 mph) near the finish line.
Hot Wheels had released toy cars based on gassers before, but this one remains to be approved for production. We will know if the company picks it or another car when the voting concludes on November 13, 2021.