At CES this week, Carrera revealed its next generation of at-home racing geared toward families in the European market: Carrera Hybrid.
Carrera is known for its various slot car racing sets with different themes and licensed options. The company has offerings for fans across a variety of age ranges, such as its Peppa Pig First set designed for younger fans and collectible scale models of brands like Ferrari for the “kidult” market.
Throughout its history, Carrera has continued to update its sets to incorporate new technology. Now, the company is introducing Carrera Hybrid, a slotless racing set supported by artificial intelligence (AI) with cars that can switch lanes, race across different track types, and be steered with a mobile phone.
Two sets will be released with these new features in the fourth quarter of this year, exclusively in the European market: Devil Drivers and Speedway to Hell. Each set includes two Carrera Hybrid cars, with the Devil Drivers set featuring the Red Devil and the Black Devil, and the Speedway to Hell set featuring the Greeno and the Grello. Each set also has four high-speed straights, 10 bends, and a start/end straight. The tracks can be arranged in different ways to make each race different.
The cars can be raced using a free app available on both iOS and Android. The app scans the race track and simulates tire wear as well as allows racers to apply speed boosts to their cars, with intuitive steering by tilting the phone. The cars also have simulated driving behavior even when off track.
The new Carrera sets are coming later this year, offering a racing experience targeted at the whole family, with both having two modes: beginner mode designed for newer players and expert mode offering a more challenging experience.
