Since 2018, Hot Wheels has been holding a competition called the Legends Tour. Tuners from all over the world can show their creation. The final price is that your car will be released as a model car in scale 1:64. To do this, you first have to win the local competition. Unfortunately, the Legends Tour did not come to the Netherlands or Belgium.
The selection of the ten coolest, craziest and most creative cars in the world has now been made. The ten remaining contenders still have to go through a final election. Among the judges is none other than Jay Leno. Here are the remaining contenders for the 2023 Hot Wheels Legends Tour.
England: Michael Wallhead – MG ‘B-EAST’
Wallhead worked for eight years to bring the MG ‘B-EAST’ to life. Judging by the degree of recycling, sustainability plays a major role in this car. For example, Wallhead borrows the driveshaft from an old Range Rover, the axles from a Reliant Scimitar, brakes from a Nissan Silvia S14 and throttle body from a Triumph motorcycle. By the way, the seat upholstery is made of used jeans.
The engine gets some parts from a 3.0-liter V6 from Jaguar. Maybe it’s not that durable after all? Wallhead says Hot Wheels is the reason the MG looks like this: “Growing up I played with Hot Wheels and you always had your favorites – the one that was the fastest or the one that looked the coolest. Those memories inspired me when I designed the B-EAST,” he says Hagerty.
France: Thibault Lagardere – ‘Golgoth I’
It is somehow poetic that this great machine was built in the French town of Le Mans. Maybe you’ve heard of it. The car above is called ‘Golgoth I’ and is inspired by machines from before the war. These cars were mainly raced on the beach.
The creation of a certain Lagardere consists of an airplane fuel tank with some axles, four wheels, a kind of spoiler consisting of two wings, a flathead V8 engine and a free flow exhaust pipe. He could easily be on a poster. Man doesn’t need much more than that. Except for earplugs.
Germany: Philip Jäger – BMW 2002 Tii Touring
What do you get when you combine an exhausted, abandoned, crashed 1974 BMW 2002 Tii Touring with a V8 from a BMW M5 E39, and with two turbos too? High blood pressure, probably, but above all a serious challenger for the Hot Wheels Legends Tour 2023.
The Bimmer is almost fifty years old, but just look for a gray hair. Apparently the proud owner of the 2002, Philip Jäger, has worked for years to convert the old car into the ultimate drift machine. He gave the BMW a blue paint job, gold wheels and some funny stickers.
Indonesia: David Sebastian – Nissan Juke
Look, we like underdogs. This Nissan Juke is inspired by racing cars from the Japanese Grand Touring Championship and the DTM. Sign him up, we would say. A normal Juke was used for the base and not a Nissan Juke-R, unfortunately. Therefore, the power is not 700 hp, but 456 hp, which should also be enough.
When announcing his national victory, Hot Wheels designer Brendon Vetuskey complimented the Indonesian tuners. ‘I am amazed at the results of car modifications that Indonesia offers. The custom culture in Indonesia is very unique, taking everyday vehicles and transforming them into stunning and unparalleled works,” Vetuskey said, according to Oto Trend.
New Zealand: Chris Watson – ‘The Cyberpunk’
You saw him at the very top from behind. His name seems to reveal that he was inspired by a futuristic video game of the same name. Watson’s ‘Cyperpunk’ is originally a Mazda MX-5 from 1990, but with a ‘light refreshment’, as you say diplomatically.
Changes to the Mazda include a new rear light bar, a shark fin just behind the roof, 15-inch turbofan wheels and a paint scheme that turns the Japanese icon into something you’d find in a Back to the Future-movie. Good job by the way, what he did with the pop-up headlights.
Poland: Samuel Lechowicz – Daihatsu Hijet
Not exactly the first car you think of when thinking of a Polish entry. Anyway, welcome to the type of ‘car’ that the Legends Tour is designed for. You are looking at a Daihatsu Hijet from 1985. It lost its original engine and gets a motorcycle in the back. Yes really, one motorcycle. A new, creative way to scare yourself to death.
Surprisingly, a motorcycle in the cargo area was not on the options list in the past. And that’s not the only adjustment. Hence a custom-made floor and a completely new suspension. The final creation is great, although we do wonder how you keep that front bumper intact at the slightest bump in the road.
Mexico: Juan Carlos – Porsche 928 pickup
Mexico’s entry is a 1980 Porsche 928S. Its creator grabbed a blueprint of the car and started building it from scratch with one goal: turning it into a pickup. Thanks to the conversion, two bicycles, two surfboards, a foil board (a surfboard with a stick and a wing under the board) and a set of skis can now be placed on top of the 928 at the same time.
Furthermore, underbody protection has been fitted along the entire length, there is a specially designed roll cage and it has new off-road tires to give that little bit extra when the terrain is bad. We’d love to see him in action somewhere in the North Pole. Or how about participating in the Dakar Rally? First let’s take a shot at first place on the Legends Tour.
United States (Georgia): Michael Scire – Chevrolet Camaro
The story of Scire and his Chevrolet Camaro is without a doubt the most heartwarming. Scire bought the 1981 Camaro when he was 15 years old. At eighteen he spent countless hours working on the car. The end result of all those years of blood, sweat and tears is now on the Legends Tour.
The entire carriage is of course new and is 45 centimeters shorter than the original. In addition, the second generation of the Camaro received a hand-built 5.7-liter LT engine with a custom exhaust attached to it. That should make a great sound. We didn’t need the extra-extra-extra large wheel arches on the front, by the way.
United States (Texas): David Almanzan – Mercedes 300D
In daily life, Almanzan is an automotive technology teacher. Almanzan uses this Mercedes 300D of the W123 generation as a guinea pig. More than 260 students worked on the Merc during classes. The original diesel engine is still there and has also received some upgrades.
Notable adjustments are the wider wheel arches that accommodate the off-road tires and the raising of the suspension. Unlike the Polish entry you read about earlier, this 300D should have no problems with manhole covers.
United States (Arizona): Michael Brown – BMW Isettas
Just say no and you’ll get two. To complete the top ten, Brown brings a set of BMW Isettas. The first is called ‘Big Dill’, a 1957 Isetta that traded in its 298 cc engine for a 1,200 cc Harley-Davidson engine. Brown doesn’t share power figures, but it certainly has more horsepower than the original. A normal Isetta has to make do with 13 hp.
The other Isetta, the ‘Pickle Jar’, received a straight-six from Chevrolet. His biggest reason for existing is to drag his buddy ‘Big Dill’. The fenders on the front come from a Volkswagen Beetle while the extra fenders on the back come from a Ford Model A. If this one wins, would you get two scale models for the price of one?
