Planet Hot Wheels Energy cars are the first series of die-cast Hot Wheels vehicles specially designed to complement the Planet Hot Wheels Web site. These six 1:64 scale die-cast Planet Hot Wheels Energy Cars come with special codes to enter on the site. Once the Energy Car code is entered on www.planethotwheels.com, a virtual version of the car will appear on screen, ready to race.

The Energy cars are a core component of the "Race Back to School... with Planet Hot Wheels" sweepstakes, debuting this month on Planet Hot Wheels. Players can enter the code from their Hot Wheels Energy Cars, basic cars or specially coded "Race Back to School" Hot Wheels merchandise, including T-shirts, folders and backpacks, for a chance to instantly win virtual and real-world prizes, along with being automatically entered for the grand prize -- a day with seven-time Supercross champion Jeremy McGrath and a personalized Hot Wheels-themed motocross bike. Codes also may be obtained upon request by writing to Planet Hot Wheels.

Nearly 500,000 registered users have joined the interactive online gaming and community site since its spring 2002 launch, helping make Planet Hot Wheels the ultimate destination for speed, power, performance and fantasy! Players can race online in real-time, competing head-to-head against their friends or computerized opponents for real and virtual prizes. Racers see their virtual cars become ready to roll in a fully rendered 3-D environment. They have the chance to earn points and gain position on the leader board while winning races and performing wild stunts; with those points, players can take their cars into the online "mechanic's shop" and upgrade them with the latest new parts, including hydraulic brakes, force fields, tailpipes, jet engines and spiked tires for the ultimate collection of Hot Wheels.

"Online gaming for kids is increasingly popular," said Amy Boylan, senior vice president of new media for Boys/Entertainment, Mattel Inc. "We are thrilled to be able to give kids the opportunity to play with Hot Wheels Energy Cars in the real world, as well as race them virtually at Planet Hot Wheels -- a wonderfully rich site with state-of-the-art graphics and real-time, 3-D racing action, in an environment that's safe for kids."

Six 1:64 scale die-cast Planet Hot Wheels Energy Cars are available now at major retailers for a suggested retail price of $2.99, with a new wave of Energy Cars hitting this fall. Each Energy Car comes with a free CD-ROM packed with previews of Planet Hot Wheels games, plus a component that will allow the user to build a sizzling online track when all six different CD-ROMs are collected. Hot Wheels cars in the basic line assortment also have an access code inside the package that can be used to log onto www.planethotwheels.com.

Hot Wheels cars thundered into the toy world in 1968. More than 30 years later, Hot Wheels is a global lifestyle brand and a leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of vehicles, playsets and tracks. In addition to leading the way with speed, power and performance, Hot Wheels cars are also cool collectibles for adults. For the latest information on Hot Wheels, make a break on the information superhighway and cruise over to www.hotwheels.com.

Mattel, Inc. is a worldwide leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of family products. With headquarters in El Segundo, California, Mattel has offices and facilities in 36 countries and sells its products in more than 150 nations around the world. For more information on Mattel products, please log onto our Web site at www.mattel.com.

Hot Wheels and associated trademarks are owned by Mattel, Inc.