Oakville boy finalist in ‘Dream Car’ global design competition

When it came time to design a ‘dream car,’ Oakville’s Ziyu Alan Wang made sure his was powered by the want to spread joy.

The seven-year-old’s “Twinkle Twinkle Music Car” caught the eye of judges and on Wednesday (Apr. 12) Wang was named one of nine Canadian finalists in the Toyota Dream Car Art contest.

The annual global design competition aims at getting kids to come up with innovative solutions to some of society’s biggest challenges.

From environmental issues to social tensions, Wang and the eight other finalists from across the country each designed a unique vehicle to help make the world a better place.

The Oakville native, who was a finalist in the under eight category, will now have his innovation compete against other designs from around the world.

“The vision, creativity and innovation presented in the design ideas of Canadian children and youth is truly impressive,” said Larry Hutchinson, President and CEO, Toyota Canada.

“With the reoccurring themes of peace, environmental sustainability, and happiness, it’s clear to see that these are the leaders of tomorrow.”

Ziyu’s entry is designed to fly over the Earth’s atmosphere while playing live concerts to “spread joy to the universe.”

The “Twinkle Twinkle Music Car” allows Humans – as well as all other forms of life in space – to enjoy the peaceful melodies.

“The imagination and ingenuity expressed through the concepts of these designs were filled with hope and a deep desire to build a better world,” said Dr. Bonnie Schmidt, President, Let’s Talk Science

“Judging this year’s competition was inspiring and made it very difficult to select just nine finalists. Congratulations to all the participants who shared their dream car. Our future is in good hands.”

Finalists were announced in three age categories, including under eight, eight to 11 and 12 to 15.

Other finalists along with Wang in the under-eight category were:

Brianna Law (age 7, Richmond, BC). Brianna’s entry – “Healicorn that Spreads Love” –      is a unicorn-shaped vehicle with the power to heal the environment and spread love to all people. A multi-terrain solution, it filters the Earth’s bodies of water to rid them of garbage,      while also putting out wildfires on land.

Phoebe Zhang (age 5, Richmond Hill, ON). Phoebe’s entry – “Mobile Candy Shop” –is a mobile candy store providing children with a safe and trusted way to purchase candy in their neighbourhoods.

The Canadian judges tasked with assessing the Canadian-wide entries were Regina Chan, Managing Director, AutoNerve Media, Hutchinson and Schmidt.

Wang and the other eight Canadian will now be entered into the World Finals of the contest for a chance to win a prize valued at $5,000 USD. Each Canadian finalist also received a $250 online retail gift card to KiwiCo.