Carrera: Hybrid Racing Tracks for Action-Packed Fun
Carrera racetracks have been providing fun for children and adults for decades. Carrera celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2023, as did the well-known Pustefix brand. Carrera, Austria's largest toy manufacturer, has its headquarters in Salzburg.
4 major trends in the toy sector in 2024
Mr. Krings, Managing Director of Carrera/Revell, identifies 4 major trends in the toy sector: Licenses, digitalization. Kidults and natural materials. The topic of licenses, the drive "back to natural materials", digitization of toys and the "kidults". Carrera has something to offer for every area. The product range includes 98% of all relevant licenses, from Super Mario to Star Wars and Volkswagen.
Carrera Hybrid racetrack: Analog play & gaming
At the exhibition stand, Carrera Hybrid vehicles race around the track. Carrera Hybrid is the combination of video game and classic toys. Previously, the racetrack was only equipped with the familiar slot. The reason for this was the speed of the vehicles, which had to be kept on the track with a plastic wedge. If you extrapolate the scale, Carrera vehicles reach speeds of up to 600km/hour. It goes without saying that this enormous speed carries every car out of the bend. Carrera Hybrid, on the other hand, comes close to reality. There is no slot, the vehicles, such as a Porsche, accelerate and brake like on a real track and show the corresponding cornering behavior. The initially cold tires warm up after a few laps and have more grip.
Real-life car racing thanks to sophisticated software
How can this work? The solution - software. The cars are controlled by software that is specific to each car. This means that if you control a Porsche GT3, it also drives like a Porsche GT3. A BMW drives like a BMW, an Audi like an Audi. A sensor permanently detects where the car is on the track and scans the route. Up to 16 cars can race against each other. This type of real, realistic driving has never been seen before in this form. It's a lot of fun. As you would expect from a video game, there is an integrated menu on the smartphone for adjusting the gearshift, clutch, tire and braking distance settings and many other features.
Simple operation & quick setup of the Carrera Hybrid racetrack
The setting works very easily and offers settings such as driving against an AI or various opponents, but also the option to drive alone. After starting, you steer using the smartphone's tilt function, with the accelerator on the right and the brake on the left. Anyone can start the game with a glance at the tutorial. As an added bonus, the racetrack can be set up easily within 3 minutes, with a further 5 minutes required for installation and initial instruction of the app. The apps will be available in stores in fall 2024.
Carrera is for everyone - racetracks for all ages
Carrera will continue to serve the classic audience and now also technology-savvy racing drivers. The target groups for Carrera tracks are divided into toddlers with the First tracks, children aged 6 and over with the Go tracks and children aged 12 and over with the 132 and 124 digital tracks. In most cases, the love of digital tracks results in a lifelong hobby. Carrera enthusiasts will certainly buy a hybrid track to go with their classic tracks in many cases. Children are enthusiastic about Carrera tracks because they can play with current licenses such as Paw Patrol, Spidy or Batwheels or Mario Kart on the Go track. Carrera Hybrid is about a different kind of driving. Classic tracks go from high speed, Carrera Hybrid appeals to realistic driving, which suits the gamer mentality. The huge group of gamers has generally abandoned the haptic toy, promising more fun on the screen. Carrera Hybrid is ultimately a physical gaming instrument that brings this fun back.
