Hot Wheels is one of approximately seventy companies of the Mattel, Inc. line, the world's largest (revenue-based) toy importing company. Hot Wheels itself, at several points in the last couple years, has been valued at more than General Motors!

Look below the jump to see their very cool offerings.

In 1968, Hot Wheels introduced the first line of slot cars and, each year thereafter, offered up new editions. To date, there are some 10,000 different models. The cars are built under license from the major auto manufacturers, with technical help and blueprints obtained from their "big brothers."

The icon of the Hot Wheels line is the combination of the miniature cars and the segmented track units. They are available in a huge variety of types and color for the cars, and combination of loops, jumps, and straightaways for the track. You can mix and match Hot Wheels in a virtually unending program to get exactly what you like. The track layouts are limited only by the height of the start point (gravity being what it is, of course.)

Radio control cars and robotics are another segment of Hot Wheels that really can excite your imagination. You can find r/c sports cars, regular and monster trucks, luxury vehicles, even a robotic bug --- how cool is that !

The radio control kits come complete with the vehicle and a controller; the batteries generally are your responsibility, but that seems to be little enough to supply for so much fun. Radio control used to be some complicated -- it still is, with airplanes and helicopters -- but the car controllers, these days, are fairly simple to operate. Besides, the worst you can really do is run your Hot Wheels vehicle into a couch leg, a wall, or a tree. Not much to worry about, there. Happy about that.

Action figures and accessories are also available from Hot Wheels. From Batman to Crash Test Dummies, you'll find a great assembly of iconic stars from a variety of your kids favorite movies. Check them out; you'll be happy you did.

Hot Wheels cars offer the best of several worlds -- slot cars for a rainy day, inside, and radio control outside at just about any other time.

Great fun.