Hot Wheels begins with the player choosing a vehicle. The player can choose from one of several Hot Wheels vehicles, or can choose to create a custom vehicle instead. Custom vehicles are created by the player in a factory, where the player chooses the design of the vehicle's front, middle, and rear sections, and car paint.

Once a vehicle has been selected, the player can drive around a side-scrolling city filled with various minigames and activities:

The player may also go back the initial showroom at any time to pick (or build) a different car.