Polestar, the Swedish electric performance car brand, has announced the winner of its 2024 Design Contest. This year’s contest, held in collaboration with the legendary automotive brand Hot Wheels, invited contestants to submit designs inspired by its renowned 1:64 scale and Polestar’s distinctive design language.
Shashank Shekhar, a professional designer from India, won first prize for his rugged off-roader, ‘Polestar TRX’. The concept, with its exaggerated proportions and sleek surfaces, presents a bold interpretation of Polestar’s normally subtle design philosophy. The design becomes the first Polestar to be included in Hot Wheels toy car series, with the die-cast collectable available for consumers in the summer of 2025.
“I’m thrilled to win. This will be the first design in my career to be produced, so it’s a big deal for me. I never thought that someday, something I have created would end up as a Hot Wheels car. It has been a great journey, and I’ve had an amazing time so far. Something like this gives you a lot of confidence as a young designer,” said Polestar Design Contest winner Shashank Shekhar.
For more than 50 years, Hot Wheels has driven automotive performance and design; driving car culture for fans of all ages. Hot Wheels at its core is about accepting challenges and pushing design limits to create authentic die-casts that reflect car culture. This special edition of the Polestar Design Contest opened the door for designers to reach new heights in creativity and innovation, further linking the two powerhouse brands.
Polestar has established a rich history in supporting and collaborating with aspiring student and professional vehicle designers through its design contests. From the start, the connection with the Polestar Design Community provides guidance and encouragement for all entrants before the Polestar Design team engage in one-to-one coaching with the shortlisted finalists to refine their designs towards final selection.
Italy’s Powei Chen was awarded the runner-up prize for his colourful ‘Cyber Shaker’, which nods to both past and present with its eye-catching cyberpunk design. Roman Moor’s classic Le Mans submission from Germany received an honourable mention for his ‘Polestar Track Toy’ concept, which impressed the four-judge panel that included representatives from Polestar and Mattel.
Now in its fourth edition, the Polestar Design Contest is an exciting opportunity for both professional and student designers to showcase their visions of automotive design. Since the first contest, the competition has highlighted top talent around the world, with many of the students going on to work for the Polestar Design team or in the wider professional design industry.
This year’s unique partnership with Hot Wheels encouraged participants to push their creativity even further, resulting in some of the most exciting concepts to date.
“We were looking for innovative ideas with this theme, and the submissions definitely exceeded our expectations. We saw some of the most daring designs to date. I can’t wait to see what the ‘Polestar TRX’ collectible will look like in real life,” says Juan-Pablo Bernal, Head of Interior Design at Polestar and curator of the @polestardesigncommunity Instagram account.
The 2024 contest attracted over 1,200 participants from around the globe, making it one of the largest editions of the annual competition to date. Judges were instructed to seek out designs that reflected the playfulness and vibrancy of the Hot Wheels brand while still incorporating elements of Polestar’s signature minimalist design aesthetic.
“It was a pleasure for Hot Wheels to collaborate with Polestar for this innovative design contest. This year’s winner accepted the challenge and was inspired by both Hot Wheels and Polestar, bridging the two brands together,” says Ted Wu Senior Vice President and Global Head of Design of Vehicles and Building Sets at Mattel. “We are looking forward to seeing the ‘Polestar TRX’ in a 1:64 scale and welcoming this die-cast to be included in our Hot Wheels history.”
