AcceleRacers (Video Series)

Hot Wheels AcceleRacers is an animated series of movies by Mattel. It is computer-animated, produced by Mainframe Entertainment out of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, which also produced ReBoot. Available on DVD and VHS, it has also been shown on Cartoon Network's Toonami.

The show takes Mattel's Hot Wheels toy cars and puts them in a ReBoot-like situation, with racing somewhat reminiscent of Tron. This is a sequel series to Hot Wheels Highway 35. Both shows take place in California.

AcceleRacers toys have been given at McDonald's.

Plot
Dr. Peter Tezla uncovers the technology of the ancient during his excavation. He discovers that intense when a band of humans have to race against the evil racing drones, working for the evil android Gelorum, drivers to see if they have the courage to win the ultimate race and the ultimate power that comes with it. And you wonder why the tagline is "Drive to Survive!"

Metal Maniacs
The Metal Maniacs are a racing team in the movie series Hot Wheels AcceleRacers.

The Metal Maniacs are a group of muscly, wrestler-like drivers whose vehicles are a mixture of scrap metal and racing car components. They have a raucous and reckless driving style, and the cars to match.

Their rivals are the Teku racers.

Members

 * Tork Maddox (voiced by Adrian Holmes)
 * The current leader of the Metal Maniacs. Tork has a rivalry with Nolo Pasaro, the current leader of the TEKU who blames Tork for the death of his older brother, Tone. In truth, Tork did not cause Tone's death, but allows Nolo to blame him because Tork believes himself to be responsible nevertheless. When Nolo comes to terms with the fact, they eventually become friends. Tork also loves sports, fighting, and racing. His first and only car in the Acceleracers series is "Hollowback"


 * Taro Kitano (voiced by Kevan Ohtsji)
 * A former racing champion, he is a millionaire that has climbed Mount Everest twice. A calm and collected racer who respects the TEKU's Vert Wheeler and Karma Eiss. He used to date Lani Tam, but they broke up as she later commented, "They didn't talk much". He appears to be attracted to the equally calm and collected Karma, whom he admits is an extremely good driver. His first car in the series is a Plymoth Roadrunner. His second car is "Rivited"


 * Deezel "Porkchop" Riggs (voiced by David Kaye)
 * Undefeated in racing until he raced against Team Teku. He has a rivalry with Teku member Shirako Takamoto, this is mainly due to the fact that he doesn't like the music Shirako listens to. Porkchop has a strong relationship with Maniac mechanic Mitchell "Monkey" Mclurg. He initially drives the car "Jack Hammer" and motocycle "Jaw Jammer", but changes to the car "Piledriver" towards the end of the series. He has a childhood fear of water.


 * Mark Wylde ("Markie", "Wylde") (voiced by Will Sanderson)
 * A former member of Vert's old team, the Wave Rippers. Far from the innocent racer who reconciled with his older brother, Kurt Wylde, at the end of Highway 35, Mark is aggressive, short-tempered and easily riled by his older brother and Tork. Apparently before the Acceleracers saga began, Kurt talked Markie into joining a "business deal", but ended up arrested when things went wrong and he refused to give up. After two years in prison, Mark joined the Metal Maniacs and refused to acknowledge his brother for abandoning him. He is determined to prove himself, even if he means breaking the rules. After the Metro Realm, he gets extremely angry towards Monkey and Tork, at Monkey for losing his car to the Sweeper, and at Tork for letting Monkey take the car in the first place. After this, Tork doesn't let Mark drive in the Realms because of his determination to get back at Kurt, other than winning. This doesn't really matter, because Mark doesn't finish Flathead Fury until Breaking Point. His first car is "Spine Buster", his second is "Flathead Fury".


 * Mitch "Monkey" Mclurg (voiced by Andrew Duncan)
 * The jumpy (both figuratively and literally) mechanic of the Metal Maniacs, who has a bit of a crush on Lani Tam. He'd rather be in the garage than on the race track, but is a capable racer nonetheless. He formulates the more powerful "Nitrox-3 1/2" fuel and constructs Sparky the Robot from recovered Racing Drone parts. He dislikes his real name and prefers to be called Monkey. Monkey's first car is "Rollin' Thunder"; his second car is the "Rat-ified". Together, he and Porkchop drove the truck "Old Smokey".

Teku

 * Nolo Pasaro (voiced by Dexter Bell)
 * After his brother Tone died, Nolo took over leadership of the Teku. Aggressive, many of Nolo's early actions seemed to stem from his hatred of Tork - whom he blamed for his brother's death. A jealous leader, Nolo also doesn't seem to like any question of his judgment or abilities - which caused major strife between him and Vert (who was just itching for a chance to take over and prove himself).


 * Nolo puts his hatred of Tork aside during the Metro Realm when Tork saved him from the Racing Drones. Interaction between Nolo and Tork was still strained in Breaking Point most likely due to the vacuum left by Nolo's past hatred. But at least Nolo isn't foaming at the mouth any more - which leaves time for Nolo to become a better leader of the Teku.


 * During the events in The Ultimate Race, Nolo had finally let go of his hatred for Tork; they are working together in the Cosmic Realm and in the Racing Drones Headquarters. Nolo finally admits that Tone's death was the result of Tone's careless driving and not Tork's fault. At the end of the movie, Nolo hangs up Tone's necklace on a Highway 35 sign and joins Tork to go look for Vert.


 * He drives the car "Synkro", but later replaces it with "SpecTyte" and briefly drives "High Voltage".


 * Vert Wheeler (voiced by Andrew Francis)
 * The winner of Highway 35. Eighteen years old, Vert Wheeler is now a member of the Teku team helping Dr. Tezla. Vert, at one time believed he was the better driver and leader - and was at constant odds with Nolo Passaro, the leader of the Teku. After repeated personal failures in both Ignition and Speed of Silence, Vert finally realized that he's not as good as he thinks he is. He gave up and left - disappearing before the Metro Realm. After some time away for personal reflection, Vert returned in Breaking Point just in time to race in the Junk Realm. His time away seemed to mellow his relationship with Nolo.


 * During The Ultimate Race, Vert was again feeling sorry for himself. Regretting his decision to not accompany the other drivers on the rescue mission to the Racing Drones' Headquarters, Vert stayed behind when the Cosmic realm opened. It worked out for the best though, as he was the only one to avoid capture - following Gelorum into the Ultimate Race. During the race, Vert showed his maturity. Staying level-headed and using his driving skills flawlessly, he was able to keep up with Gelorum who had access to all the AcceleChargers. At the end of the Ultimate Race, Vert was granted the honor of being a true AccleRacer by the Acclerons.


 * Vert declined to follow the Acclelron to its home world, instead choosing to return to help his captured friends. He says wisdom is a circle, what you receive you must give back. He succeeded in helping them escape, but was subsequently caught by the Silencerz.


 * He first drives "Deora II", a repaint of his car from Highway 35, but later switches to "Power Rage" and then "Reverb". He also drives motorcycle "Nightlife".


 * Kurt Wylde (voiced by Brian Drummond)
 * Mark Wylde's older brother.Now quiet and standoffish, it’s a much calmer Kurt that's attempting to prove himself in AcceleRacers. Kurt is still facing the consequences of his actions in the World Race, however, through suspicions from the other drivers and out-right hostility from his younger brother, Mark Wylde. It's been suggested on the AcceleRacers website (The Cartoon Network) that Kurt is substituting his relationship with Nolo in place of the failed one with Mark.


 * A major sub-plot in AcceleRacers is the relationship between Kurt and Mark Wylde.Mark ended up in prison because of a deal Kurt involved him in. Kurt, fearing personal ruin, failed to help Markie with the subsequent legal troubles.


 * In The Ultimate Race, Kurt redeems himself by bringing together the Teku and Metal Maniacs in the rescue effort to get Markie from the Racing Drones. Markie seemed to forgive Kurt after that. Additionally, Kurt has been shown in a number of flashbacks opposing Mark's membership in the Metal Maniacs – after Mark’s prison sentence.


 * He drives "Sling Shot", a repaint of his car from Highway 35, before changing to "Battle Spec".


 * Shirako Takamoto (voiced by Kirby Morrow)
 * Primarily concerned with other things besides being first to the finish line, Shirako almost always seems like he's back towards the rear of the pack. When he does take the lead, it’s during times when he can also look good doing it. Porkchop seems especially irritated by Shirako and his loud music (which Shirako listens to at almost all times).


 * He drives the car "Bassline" and motorcycle "Nightlife".


 * Karma Eiss (voiced by Lisa Ann Beley)
 * Calm and collected, Karma is all about overcoming challenges - the harder the better. Additionally, it seems that overcoming challenges means overcoming them perfectly to her. Determined to find the best way to solve problems, she's usually the first one to figure things out. Karma also worked with the captured RD-S1 in Speed of Silence to discover a better understanding of the Racing Drones, how they drive and how to beat them.


 * Karma seems to have a lingering distrust of Kurt because of his shadowy past with Gelorum. On the other hand, Karma may be developing a relationship with Taro - a result of their similar personalities. Karma's car is "Chicane".


 * Tone Pasaro (voiced by Craig Veroni)
 * Tone Pasaro was Nolo's older brother and founder of the Teku team. During a race with Tork Maddox, Tone lost control of his car, crashed and died in the explosion.


 * For Nolo, Tone serves as a guide from the spirit world through various flashbacks. Though Tone taught his brother many useful social and driving concepts, Nolo's anger toward Tork over the accident colored many of Nolo's actions.


 * In Speed of Silence, Karma Eiss expresses her opinion that Tone was not quite the driver that Nolo remembers. Later in the movie The Ultimate Race, Nolo finally admits that Tone's death was caused by Tone - not Tork.


 * Tone was driving Synkro during the flashbacks of the fateful race where he lost his life.

Racing Drones

 * Gelorum
 * RD-L1 (Racing Drone, Lieutenant 1)
 * RD-S1 (Racing Drone, Soldier 1)
 * RD-W1 (Racing Drone, Worker 1)
 * MD-01 (also known as RD-M1 [Racing Drone, Motorcycle 1])
 * Brian "Zone" Kadeem (joins the team at some point after being mutilated and tortured by Gelorum)
 * Also a special "sweeper driver"

Silencerz

 * Major Jack "Rabbit" Wheeler driver of the Iridium & (Vectra) Magnesium, fathered Vert (also drove Anthracite in cosmic realm)
 * Various unknown drivers who never talk or show their faces which are hidden by helmets.
 * Various unknown technicians in strange outfits that hide their faces who also never talk
 * Several X-88 floating robots that have the same functions as Gelorum's recon drones.

Other

 * Dr. Peter Tezla (voiced by Michael Donovan): Dr. Tezla abandoned his Cubes and went into hiding in the Acceledrome where he conducted research centered on the Wheel of Power. Once he discovered the nature of the Wheel of Power and the Racing Realms, Dr. Tezla recruited former World Race drivers to help him compete in the Racing Realms for the powerful AcceleChargers. Hunted by Gelorum and the Racing Drones, Dr. Tezla is a very secretive man sharing information only if he decides the person needs to know it. This generates some distrust amongst those he leads - especially Kurt Wylde who has never trusted Tezla. Despite his secretive nature, his most trusted companion is Gig, a floating computer/robot. Dr. Tezla was crippled in the attempt to keep the Drones from the Wheel of Power - he now walks and stands with the aid of motorized braces. Dr. Tezla also has some sort of connection with the Silencerz. When questioned about this apparent connection, he claims to be the victim of theft. Later we learn that Dr. Tezla used to work for the Silencers, but then left them taking some of their technologies.


 * Lani Tam (voiced by Venus Terzo): A former World Race driver of the Wave Rippers team, she now works for Dr. Tezla in the Acceledrome as crew chief, medic and mechanic.
 * Lani's Love Life: She was with Taro at the end of the World Race, but the relationship seems to have gone sour by the time of the events in the AcceleRacers (Taro was hard to talk to). Though Lani periodically shows that she may have feelings still for Taro, the actions are never reciprocated. Lani may be developing feelings for Nolo, however, as they are seen together quite often in the movies and have an easy-going relationship with each other. Finally, there's Monkey who is seriously head-over-heels in love with Lani. Lani has no interest in Monkey and, in fact, seems a bit disgusted by him.


 * Gig (voiced by Kasper Michaels): A floating computer/robot, Gig is Dr. Tezla's seemingly loyal companion and side-kick. An X-88 robot, Gig was stolen from the Silencerz when Dr. Tezla left that team. Dr. Tezla thought he'd reporgrammed Gig, but it turned out that Gig was playing the part of the spy - feeding Dr. Tezla's information back to the Silencerz. Gig's deception was discovered by Lani in the movie The Ultimate Race. Shortly thereafter, Gig gave his life to destroy the Racing Drones army by personally detonating the Nitorx 2 storage tanks in the Acceledrome. The AcceleRacers website (Cartoon Network) hints that Gig's electronic brain is vulnerable to tampering.


 * Brian Kadeem (voiced by Cusse Mankuma): Kadeem, a former World Race driver, led the drivers into the Storm Realm, but was lost when he fell from the track. Captured by the Racing Drones and taken to their headquarters. After interrogation, his body was integrated with robotic parts making him into a cyborg under Gelorum's control. Kadeem was last seen falling off a very high building in the Racing Drones HQ.


 * Banjee Castillo, Alec "Hud" Wood, and Dan Dresden: Lost in the Racing Realms while driving for Dr. Tezla. We know that Banjee was in the Swamp Realm some time before Ignition as his car is seen briefly - wrecked and half submerged in the water.

Racing Realms
There are 16 major Racing Realms in AcceleRacers and 10 minor ones (26 in all). These tracks are more dangerous than the ones on Highway 35. This is another test for the drivers built by the Accelerons. Highway 35 was only the beginning. The Wheel of Power can open these realms at anytime it chooses. The known Racing Realms are:

Card Realms

 * Canyon Realm: A Racing Realm that criss-crosses over a deep canyon with sheer drops.
 * Chrome Realm: A Racing Realm that has huge silver spheres and gives racers a difficulty telling what is a reflection and what is not.
 * Wind Realm: A Racing Realm with savage vortices of wind as well as tornadoes, flying debris, and swaying tracks.
 * Solar Realm: A Racing Realm with solar flares and intense heat.
 * Labyrinth Realm: A Racing Realm with a tangle of twists and turns that is infested with Maze Minotaurs.
 * Blizzard Realm: A Racing Realm with vicious snowstorms, zero visibilities, fierce sleet, and deep snow.
 * Cybergrid Realm: A Racing Realm with a supercharged track as well as a maze of 90 degree turns and electric countermeasures.
 * Reactor Realm: A Racing Realm with toxic spills and patrol machines.
 * Desert Realm: A Racing Realm filled with quicksand, dangerous rock passages, sandstorms, and giant scorpions.
 * Micro Realm: A Racing Realm where all cars become toy size.

Movie Realms

 * Fog Realm: Little is known about the Fog Realm except that it was completed prior to the events portrayed in AcceleRacers.
 * Monument Realm: Little is know about the Monument Realm except that it was completed prior to the events portrayed in AcceleRacers.
 * Warped Realm: A Racing realm where there are no laws of pysics, not even gravity. It was completed prior to the events portrayed in AcceleRacers.
 * Storm Realm: The Storm Realm is a Racing Realm with tracks that loop and curve around the sides of clouds, as if they were clinging to colossal mountainsides. The Storm Realm is an electrically charged world of flickering lightning and booming thunder. This realm tests a driver's ability to focus and avoid distraction.
 * Swamp Realm: The Swamp Realm is a Racing Realm that features a winding track that curves through and around gigantic jungle trees growing from fetid swamp below. Giant worms, giant mosquitoes, and hungry creatures lurk in the shadows and are ready to take out the drivers. The track itself is alive and continuously growing, forcing drivers to constantly choose the best terrain at any given moment.
 * Cavern Realm: The dark and daunting Cavern Realm features sudden turns and stops, unexpected drops and dips, and sections of track that veer into total darkness as well as falling boulders and giant bats. The Accelerons designed the Cavern Realm to test a driver's ability to drive in the dark while avoiding obstacles. As such, stalactites and stalagmites appear throughout the course.
 * Lava Realm: Huge flaming boulders, lava eruptions and magma geysers are just some of the dangers that drivers face in the Lava Realm. With flowing lava a constant threat, drivers will need to master tire dexterity if they hope to stay off the sidelines and stay alive.
 * Water Realm: The track in the Water Realm runs above, on and below the surface of the ocean. Sections of track that are completely submerged run through translucent tubes. Periods of breaks prevent flooding, but allow cars, sea creatures, and some water to pass through. Ravenous sea creatures wait for unsuspecting drivers in the darkness. The Water Realm will test a driver's ability to avoid hydroplaning and spinning out.
 * Metro Realm: The Metro Realm offers a vast night-time cityscape to explore, eerily deserted and dotted with neon signage and streetlights. The interconnecting streets of this bizarre metropolis will force a driver to master the skills of braking and cornering.
 * Cliffside Realm: Drivers will need to navigate hairpin turns while avoiding rockslides, falling trees and large flying vultures if they hope to make it to the end of the Cliffside Realm. Mastering the art of drifting (which means taking tight turns while minimizing loss of speed) will be essential.
 * Ice Realm: With a track made of ice that can crack and collapse at any moment, the Ice Realm presents a chilling challenge for any driver with it being on a glacier. Competitors will need to be good at negotiating slick surfaces if the want to make it to the finish line.
 * Neon Pipeline Realm: The Neon Pipeline Realm is a unique Racing Realm features a track running inside and around the outside of a huge pipeline. Drivers will have to race at all angles (and even upside-down) on their way to a win. Mastering drafting will take them one step closer to success.
 * Junk Realm: The Junk Realm is a Racing Realm that will take drivers through a junkyard filled with scrap metal and rusty old cars. Piles of junk crash down on the track, threatening to crush drivers underneath. There's also problems with piles of debris on the road, magnetized lifters, compactors, wrecking balls, and a big metal fire-breathing dinosaur known as the Mechanized Destroyer. The Accelerons designed this realm to test a driver's ability to hit the apex of a turn.
 * Ruins Realm: The Ruins Realm is a Racing Realm with an atmosphere that evokes Easter Island and Stonehenge. The Ruins Realm is peppered with colossal statues and stone buildings. With an ancient marble track that threatens to collapse at any time, drivers must hone their skills if they want to win.
 * Cosmic Realm: The Cosmic Realm is a Racing Realm that features a track composed of colorful planetary rings that lie suspended in space. Meteor showers and black holes are just a few of the hazards that this realm contains. Drivers will need to pick the correct driving line to make it out alive.
 * Racing Drones HQ: The final stop in the ultimate race is the Racing Drones Headquarters: a vast, tangled ruin of what was once Hot Wheels City. Strange machines and mysterious deadly challenges lurk around every turn. Only the best and most skilled drivers will be able to compete here. There are many dangerous paths and every turn lies a new challenge for the racers. They have to choose the right line if they want to make it out alive.
 * The Sphere: In the race between Vert and Gelorum, after both racers have passed all the previously encountered realms, they entered a place where the track is surrounded by white light. The show gives little information about that place, except that the winner is supposed to win a chance to race against the Acceleron at the end of the track.

AcceleChargers
AcceleChargers are items given to whoever wins each racing realm. The AcceleChargers helps a vehicles in different locations depending on the realm you're in or what conditions you are driving in. The AcceleChargers are:


 * Canyon Realm AcceleCharger: Won by Racing Drones.
 * Chrome Realm AcceleCharger: Won by Racing Drones.
 * Wind Realm AcceleCharger: Allows driver's car to move through the strongest gusts of wind Won by Racing Drones.
 * Solar Realm AcceleCharger: Won by Racing Drones.
 * Labyrinth Realm AcceleCharger: Won by Racing Drones.
 * Blizzard Realm AcceleCharger: Allows traction on any terrain. Won by Racing Drones.
 * Cybergrid Realm AcceleCharger: Won by Racing Drones.
 * Reactor Realm AcceleCharger: Won by Racing Drones.
 * Desert Realm AcceleCharger: Won by Racing Drones.
 * Micro Realm AcceleCharger: Allows car to alter size. Won by Racing Drones.
 * Fog Realm AcceleCharger: Allows driver to see clearly in foggy conditions. Won by the Racing Drones.
 * Monument Realm AcceleCharger: Allows the vehicle to become two dimensional. Won by the Racing Drones.
 * Warped Realm Accelecharger: Allows the vehicle to teleport out of trouble. Won by the Racing Drones.
 * Storm Realm AcceleCharger: Protects the vehicle from lightning. Won by Racing Drone Lieutenant.
 * Swamp Realm AcceleCharger: Creates an organic road of vines beneath your car. Won by Nolo Pasaro.
 * Cavern Realm AcceleCharger: Allows the driver to see in total darkness. Won by Porkchop Riggs.
 * Lava Realm AcceleCharger: Creates tires that always remain in perfect condition. Won by Racing Drone Lieutenant.
 * Water Realm AcceleCharger: Gives the car the ability to drive over water. Won by Racing Drone Lieutenant.
 * Metro Realm AcceleCharger: Creates a force field around the car. Won by the Silencerz.
 * Cliffside Realm AcceleCharger: Allows the car to take hairpin turns without slowing down. Won by Racing Drone Lieutenant.
 * Ice Realm AcceleCharger: Gives the car the ability to drive over slippery terrain. Won by the Silencerz member who drives Covelight.
 * Neon Pipeline Realm AcceleCharger: Allows the car to drive upside down. Won by the Silencerz.
 * Junk Realm AcceleCharger: Creates a frictionless bubble around the car. Won by Kurt Wylde.
 * Ruins Realm AcceleCharger: Allows the car to pass through any objects. Won by Silencerz.
 * Cosmic Realm AcceleCharger: Gives the car the ability to control gravity. Won by the Silencerz.

Trivia

 * It is interesting to note that the realm cars and semi-trailers are almost identical to their human counterparts despite being Acceleron inventions. It is possible that Highway 35 and the racing realms were not the only secrets left by the Accelerons.
 * In the speed of silence, Karma says that the captured racing drone has mastered the skills needed to win the storm,swamp,cavern and lava realms. But in Ignition, that racing drone was captured before it encountered the swamp,cavern, or lava realms. As seen in the Swamp Realm though, the realms have opened before.
 * Some of the cars from Hot Wheels: AcceleRacers appeared in the 2007 video game Hot Wheels: Beat That!, developed by Neversoft, published by Activision and distributed by Mattel Games and Activision Blizzard.

AcceleRacers Hot Wheels Guide

 * To see a complete list of all die-casts of AcceleRacers by Hot Wheels, please check out our guide below, listed by year.
 * AcceleRacers