Here are the 10 finalists in the 2023 Hot Wheels Legends Tour
The 2023 Hot Wheels Legends Tour is nearly over, and the brand has published the list of the 10 finalists that will compete for the chance to join its catalog of die-cast cars. This year, three of the finalists come from the United States while the rest are scattered across the globe.
We’re not surprised by the three American finalists: The list includes a heavily modified 1981 Chevrolet Camaro that looks like it’s already part of the Hot Wheels catalog, a lifted 1985 Mercedes-Benz 300D built by a high-school shop teacher and his students, and a matching pair of BMW Isetta bubble cars (Big Dill is powered by a Harley-Davidson-sourced V-twin engine; The Pickle Jar is a Chevrolet-powered tow truck).
The competition from overseas will be difficult to beat, however. Representing France, the Golgoth I is a hot rod built using an airplane fuel tank, a flathead V8 engine, and various parts from 1930s French cars that the builder had laying around. Across the Rhine, Germany’s winner is a lowered and widened 1974 BMW 2002 Touring turned into a drift car and powered by a late-model M5-sourced V8 engine.
England’s finalist is a Jaguar V6-powered MG B GT that took eight years to build. It reportedly reaches 60 mph from a stop in 4.2 seconds. Coming from Poland is a 1985 Daihatsu Hijet powered by a mid-mounted Yamaha motorcycle. You read that right; it’s not just the engine. Most of the bike is installed in the van, though the rear wheel has been removed. The engine spins the rear wheels via an extended chain.
Playing a game of geographical hopscotch takes us to Indonesia, whose finalist is a 450-horsepower first-generation Nissan Juke fitted with a six-speed manual transmission. It was inspired by the Juke-based race cars built for the Japan Grand Touring Championship. Flying further south, the 1990 Mazda Miata nicknamed The Cyberpunk represents New Zealand with a wild-looking exterior design and 3D-printed parts.
Back in North America but south of the border, the 1980 Porsche 928S pickup is equipped with a roof rack, a 10,000-pound winch, off-road tires, and skid plates to protect the underbody. It’s a really cool take on the ever-popular concept of an off-road-ready classic Porsche.
One of these 10 cars will earn the honor of winning the 2023 Hot Wheels Legends Tour. The finale starts on November 11 at 9 a.m. PT, which is noon in New York City and 6 p.m. in Paris. The event will be streamed on the Hot Wheels Facebook and Instagram pages. The winner of the event will get immortalized into a die-cast model, so it could end up displayed on your desk or stashed in your kid’s toy box.
