Hot Wheels is still touring the United States in search of the next custom-built car it will add to its catalog of 1/64-scale models. The next stop for the Legends Tour is a virtual one, so it’s open to entrants from all over the nation, and the company previewed four of the cars that will compete for a chance to move on to the semifinals.
Streamed live on the company’s Facebook page, the August 26, 2021, stop will feature 10 cars that are as wild as they are wildly different. While only four of them have been revealed, we like what we see so far. One is a 1957 Ford Anglia that has received long list of airplane-inspired modifications. It has been stripped to the bare metal, its front end has been stretched to fit a much bigger engine than the one Ford anticipated, and its rear half gains a number of fins. We’re intrigued by the air vents labeled “jet intake” — what’s hiding behind the rear seats? We’re even more puzzled by the fact that this Anglia seems to be fitted with two steering wheels.
What’s arguably even cooler about this Anglia is that it was built by a team of high-school hot-rodders in Arizona. It’s the work of Keep Hot Rodding Alive, a free safety and shop program instructed by Kenny Earls.
The next finalist showcased by Hot Wheels is a 1967 Pontiac Firebird extensively modified with extra-wide wheels tucked under punched-out wheel arches, side-mounted exhaust outlets, and a full body kit, among other changes. It’s followed by a 1996 Nissan Hardbody that’s a throwback to the 1990s, when tuning small trucks was all the rage. This one features a custom paint job with orange flames, a new-look grille, and a full body kit that allows it to add Widebody to its resume. It wears the Hot Wheels logo on both fenders, so it’s a natural fit in the Legends Tour.
Last but certainly not least, one of the stars of the August 2021 stop is a 2003 Nissan 370Z that doesn’t look all that modified from the tip of the front bumper to the rear edges of the doors. Everything beyond that has been cut off and replaced by an assortment of tubes bent and welded to look like a 350Z’s rear end. Only the factory rear lights remain; everything else looks custom built. We’re betting there are quite a few mechanical modifications as well.
Hot Wheels hasn’t revealed what the other six finalists are, so it’s difficult to predict who will win. Regardless, the winner will compete against previous 2021 Legends Tour winners for the honor of being scaled down into a Hot Wheels model. So far, the list of cars that will move on to the semifinal rounds scheduled for later in 2021 include a custom-built include a custom-built roadster named Lulu the Speedster, a 1941 GMC Baja truck, a 740-horsepower 1969 Dodge Charger known as Scraptona, a chopped 1929 Ford Model A called Loosie, and a 1975 Opel Manta.
