Gashapon machines — those spring-loaded capsule dispensers resembling oversized gumball machines — hold a special place in Japanese culture, with entire arcades dedicated to the collectible toy format. That same enthusiasm for surprise collectibles extends to the McDonald's Happy Meal, which is adding the Toyota GR GT3 race car to its lineup later this month.
Toyota and McDonald's have partnered with Tomica, the Japanese manufacturer of die-cast miniature vehicles in the same vein as Hot Wheels. The GR GT3 joins the Happy Meal roster alongside a Nissan Skyline police car, a Hino fire truck, and a Toyota TownAce carrying an enormous hamburger.
To announce the collaboration, Toyota released a promotional video with unmistakable Speed Racer energy. Backed by driving rock music, the roughly one-minute clip pits young child drivers against each other in an intense competition between GR GT3 liveries.
The video also launches a livery design contest open to the general public. Specifics are limited for now, but Toyota confirmed entries are welcome from anyone. Judges will select the winners, who will receive special prizes — the exact nature of which hasn't been revealed yet.
The GR GT3 Happy Meal toy is exclusive to Japan and enters the rotation on April 10. Toyota also confirmed a mystery model joins the lineup on May 7, which many expect to be the gold McDonald's-branded GR GT3 visible in the promotional footage.
