Name the Hot Wheels monster truck

Not satisfied with building a real Hot Wheels track and sending a Team Hot Wheels driver down it at the Indy 500 back in May, Team Hot Wheels has now got its own lifesize monster truck, that will be driven by a Team hot Wheels driver at Monster Jam events in 2012 and 2013. Makes good sense to me, since I’d expect a large part of the audience at Monster Jam shows to be into Hot Wheels.

“Monster Jam embodies what Hot Wheels is all about – over-the-top action, awesome power, showmanship and giving fans the ultimate in fantastical vehicle experiences,” said Simon Waldron, vice president of marketing for Hot Wheels. “We’re ready to take on Monster Jam in a big way with Team Hot Wheels and give fans the opportunity to name our truck.”

You can check out the truck in the video below, before hopping over the Team Hot Wheels site to help your kids vote on the name. Warning—they’ll also see lots of cool toys on the site which they’ll probably want. The site also offers free games which feature Hot Wheels products.

Name choices for the new truck are:

Team Hot Wheels™ Firestorm®
Team Hot Wheels™ Motor Mauler®
Team Hot Wheels™ Jaw Crusher®
Team Hot Wheels™ Wrecker Breaker™
Team Hot Wheels™ Gasket Case™

The winning name will be announced on March 24, 2012, at the Monster Jam World Finals in, where else? Las Vegas. I rather like Gasket Case myself.

Whatever it ends up being called, the new truck is sure to make a name for itself. It’s apparently the first monster truck to be built with current laminate technology. It’s built of Kevlar, carbon fiber and E-glass. It’s 11 feet high, 17 feet long, and weighs 10,000 pounds, which is apparently half what an equivalent truck made of fiberglass would weigh. Under the hood is a 1,500 horsepower engine.

“The newly built Team Hot Wheels monster truck has an extremely unique body style and look which will make it stand out from the other monster trucks in a way that is consistent with the Team Hot Wheels brand,” said Charlie Mancuso, president of Feld Motor Sports® (producer of the Monster Jam events). “Keep an eye out for some exclusive videos that will be released in a couple months featuring Monster Jam and the Team Hot Wheels monster truck.”

The truck can be seen in person at various Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam events across the United States, beginning with a January 6 and 7 performance in Des Moines, Iowa. Take ear plugs, it’s sure to be loud.