Source: Mattel

The fourth annual Hot Wheels Legends Tour is nearing the end of its search for the next real-life ride to become a 1:64-scale die-cast Hot Wheels vehicle.

This year, five North American finalists will join the Nov. 4 International finalists to face off at the Global Grand Finale on Nov. 13.  Last night, Mattel popped the virtual garage door to reveal the five “built, not bought” finalists from the U.S. and Canada that are in the running to be inducted into the Hot Wheels Garage of Legends and immortalized in toy form to be played with by kids and collectors everywhere.

2021 Hot Wheels Legends Tour North American Finalists

Source: Mattel

1991 Porsche 911 Baja

  • Owner: TJ Russell
  • Location: Sun Valley, California
  • About: Chosen as the Mobil 1 Fan Favorite vehicle, the Baja 911 is a true race-ready, Baja 1000 legal reimagination of the iconic Porsche 911. It features a one-off custom suspension design, race-optimized integrated roll cage and fuel cell, all-wheel-drive, light-weight composite body paneling, and a naturally aspirated Porsche 3.8 liter flat-six engine.

Source: Mattel

2020 Lulu Custom Aluminum Racer

  • Owner: Paul Kalenian
  • Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico
  • About: The Lulu is a one-of-a-kind, fully street legal, race-inspired ride. Garage built from sketch to street in just seven months, this Heli arc, all-aluminum monocoque/bulkhead design features a rear, structurally mounted turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 325 hp and 24 PSI. The brainchild of 70-year-old Paul Kalenian, Lulu loosely replicates Mickey Thompson’s 1963 Harvey Aluminum race car.

Related: Mattel Q3 Earnings: Sales Grew 24% During the First 9 Months of 2021

Scraptona 1969 Daytona Charger Superbird (pictured top)

  • Owner: Christopher Palmer
  • Location: Macomb, Michigan
  • About: The “Scraptona” is a junkyard dream build. Powered by a Richard Petty Racing NASCAR engine, this 740 HP retro-rod turns the better half of 8,300 RPM and is a no-nonsense Alabama knockout. Sporting the right amounts of patina and performance, this stop’s winner is the epitome of garage spirit.

Exoskeleton 2003 Nissan 350Z

  • Owner: Ashley Robinson
  • Location: San Mateo, California
  • About: What began as a wrecked car that was overlooked by most people, this 2003 Nissan was brought back to life by Robinson, who envisioned a Z that stood out from the crowd. With exoskeleton styling mimicking the 350Z’s original body shape, this custom build features forged internals, twin turbos, and many more top-to-bottom modifications that make this car a serious Hot Wheels Legends Tour contender.

Source: Mattel

High Class 1968 Mercedes Benz 250S

  • Owner: Kevin Clarke
  • Location: Penticton, British Columbia, Canada
  • About: For Clarke and his friend Coleby, this 1968 Mercedes started off as another bad idea. But when tragedy struck — just a week later — Coleby passed away. Clarke decided to finish this project in his friend’s memory. After taking every usable part off of a 1973 Camaro, and many late nights, “High Class” was born. Now finished, this Mercedes-Benz 250S features a custom-built 395 SBC, 6-71 supercharger, a Ford 8.8 rear axle from a junkyard Explorer and ’94 S10 chassis. The interior also sports custom gauges, seats, floor mats, and more. For Clarke, this is more than just a car – it’s therapy, a conversation starter, a learning experience, and most importantly, a tribute to his friend.

To date, three cars have become die-cast toys based on Hot Wheels Legends Tour winners. The 2018 2Jetz and 2019 Nash Metropolitan are available now while 2019’s Custom 1970 Pontiac Trans Am will be making its way to retail in the months ahead.

About the author

James Zahn

James Zahn

James Zahn, AKA The Rock Father, is Editor-in-Chief of The Toy Book, a Senior Editor at The Toy Insider and The Pop Insider, and Editor of The Toy Report, The Toy Book‘s weekly industry newsletter. As a pop culture and toy industry expert, Zahn has appeared as a panelist and guest at events including Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC) Wizard World Chicago, and the ASTRA Marketplace & Academy. Zahn has more than 30 years of experience in the entertainment, retail, and publishing industries, and is frequently called upon to offer expert commentary for publications such as Forbes, Marketwatch, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, Reuters, the Washington Post, and more. James has appeared on History Channel’s Modern Marvels, was interviewed by Larry King and Anderson Cooper, and has been seen on Yahoo! Finance, CNN, CNBC, FOX Business, NBC, ABC, CBS, WGN, The CW, and more. Zahn joined the Adventure Media & Events family in 2016, initially serving as a member of the Parent Advisory Board after penning articles for the Netflix Stream Team, Fandango Family, PBS KIDS, Sprout Parents (now Universal Kids), PopSugar, and Chicago Parent. He eventually joined the company full time as a Senior Editor and moved up the ranks to Deputy Editor and Editor-in-Chief.

archivearrow-chevron-downarrow-chevron-left-greyarrow-chevron-leftarrow-chevron-rightarrow-fatarrow-left-blackarrow-left-whitearrow-right-blackarrow-rightarrow-roundedbookscalendarcaret-downclose-whiteclosedocumenteditorial-archiveeyefacebook-squarefacebookfilesgifthamburgerheadinghearthomeinstagram-squareinstagramlatestlinkedin-squarelinkedinmailmedia-inquiresmessagenewsopen-boxpagination-leftpagination-rightpauseplayprintproduct-archiverecent-productssearchsharesort-filterspotifysunteamtiktoktime_purpletimetrendingtvtwitter-squaretwitteryoutube