Maniacs was a short-lived series of very large-scale interactive Hot Wheels cars produced from 2007 to 2008. The cars in said series featured LCD screens which would project their drivers on them; the player could then engage in a series of rather crude minigames using the buttons on the hood, or interact with the car by spinning it around, smashing the front bumpers or doing other actions. Kevin Cao and Alton Takeyasu are known to have worked on this line, with Cao being a project lead. Ron Yavnieli animated some of the screens.
The series was not successful and was discontinued after a year, likely because parents would usually never approve of their kids playing around with toys producing such crude humor. Only two products were released before the series was permanently discontinued.
These Hot Wheels vehicles have come out in the following 1/64 scale versions:
Year | Model name | Color | Tampo | Base Color / Type | Window Color | Wheel Type | Country | Number | Photo |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2007 | Rusty Wheels | Red | Mud decals, "MANIAC MUDSLINGER" on sides | Black / Plastic | Black | Very large CM6 | China | L7787 | ![]() |
2007 | Jack Smack | Yellow | Hot Wheels logo, "MANIACS" on side | Black / Plastic | Black | Very large 10SP | China | L7788 | ![]() |