One of the things that saddens me the most about professional drifting is that we don't have a real global series after all these years. There are at least one or two big ones on every continent, but it's not enough.
Meanwhile, Mattel has found an alternative way to compete globally that doesn’t come with the expense of F1. The Hot Wheels Legends Tour is now in its seventh year and there are many signs that expansion is the way forward. The only sad thing about 2024 is that Australia/New Zealand aren’t on the list like last year.
Sure, I can think of a lot of other countries that deserve to enter the competition, because I’m sure there are a lot of exciting cars that would make a great little Hot Wheels collectible. That list includes Japan, Norway, and Greece, to name a few. But time will tell if Mattel officials feel the same way.
Earlier, I talked about the winner of the UK leg: the 1983 Classic Mini “Mentley,” which has a TVR engine under its hood. So for this story, I’m going to focus on this year’s top 10 semi-finalists, starting with the first US event and ending with the international ones. We’ll have to wait until November to see which of these cars (or any that follow) will join the Hot Wheels collection in the future.
Miami, FL
Photo: Mattel
This year's Legends Tour kicked off on May 11th in Miami, Florida. Mattel has uploaded several photos from each U.S. stop to the Hot Wheels Facebook page, but for now I'll only include shots of the winners.
You'll see several interesting cars: old Vipers, a 3000 GT with the graphics we saw on Brian's Eclipse in Fast and Furious, a MK V Supra with the MK IV Supra from the first film, several trucks, and some old-school Porsches.
But the judges ruled in favor of “Karma,” a customized 1965 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia that Jorge Lazcano worked on for two and a half years. We’ve only had two Hot Wheels Karmann Ghia castings before, one that ran from 2005 to 2006 and another that was available from 2006 to 2016.
Atlanta, Georgia
Photo: Mattel
On June 1st, the next destination was Atlanta, Georgia. In a sea of American muscle cars I noticed at least two old Skylines and an FD RX-7.
Someone showed up in a twin-engine hybrid Isetta Dragster. I'm kind of surprised someone didn't win, but maybe it was all show and no action. But Jose Retana came out on top, in his 1995 Nissan 240SX.
As you can see, the car has a Boss wide body kit, but it also sports an LS2 V8 inside. Hot Wheels collectors would be thrilled to see another S14 casting, because there can never be enough of them to go around!
Charlotte, North Carolina
Photo: Mattel
The show moved nearly 300 miles northeast, arriving in Charlotte, North Carolina, on June 15. One person arrived in a purple “wine peddler,” which was quite surprising.
I don't know if seeing a hearse was weirder than seeing a six-wheeler, but I couldn't have picked a better winner than the AMC Postal Jeep. This is what it looked like when it left the factory.
But now it's a full-fledged quarter-mile monster, with a big-block Chevy engine under the hood, complete with a drag racing parachute out back. Eric Wade built this vehicle to honor his late father, and it's likely one of the strongest contenders in this year's challenge.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Photo: Mattel
The focus shifted to Philadelphia for the final stop of the tour in June. The Safari-spec Honda Civic still needed some love, but the lifted Hummer looked spectacular!
I hope someone at Mattel took notes for future reference. It was also fun to see a Safari-like Volvo XC70 with a TH sticker, but it needs more than that to reach the global semis.
After all, the winner of the show had a 1927 Ford Model T with two Chevrolet 350 small block engines, four turbos, and six carburetors. You do the math. Joseph Venero worked on it for six years, and I can almost imagine it shrinking to the size of a Hot Wheels.
Detroit, Michigan
Photo: Mattel
In Detroit, Michigan for the fifth round of the 2024 Hot Wheels Legends Tour on American soil. I spotted a Rocket Bunny-equipped 240SX and a wild Chrysler 300C that were racing around on huge wheels with a kind of Donk vibe.
One jacked-up truck was so big you could almost miss the Hot Wheels logo in the background. In the end, Dimon Diesel’s 1985 Chevy Monte Carlo SS won for all the right reasons.
Inspired by the Hot Wheels Color Shifters its owner played with as a kid, it packs a massive supercharged Chevrolet 509 big-block engine that offers some serious 1/4-mile racing potential. We already have a Hot Wheels version of the 1986 Monte Carlo SS, but these cars are always cooler with a fan sticking out of the hood.
Chicago, IL
Photo: Mattel
People showed up to the Chicago event on July 27, and the selection of cars was formidable. I'm not even talking about modified cars: one competitor brought the car we saw in The Wraith: the Dodge M4S.
If the designers could get the scissor doors to work, it would be a spectacular Red Line Club outing. As rare as this vehicle may be, the judges opted for something even more unique: the Big Block Smart Car. Yes, it’s another 1/4-mile warrior, and it can cross the finish line in under 10 seconds at a speed of 137 mph (220 km/h).
It’s tiny but terrifying at the same time, and I’d love to see a Hot Wheels version of it – can you imagine how awesome the Super Treasure Hunt variant would be?
Indianapolis, Indiana
Photo: Mattel
While everyone is eager to see what cars will be on display in Dallas, Texas on September 7, let's focus on how things went down in Indianapolis earlier this month. I thought the Isetta converted into a camper was a fabulous idea and in a way it reminded me of the casting of RV There Yet.
This is the first show I've seen an FC RX-7 at, but Mattel already has two casts of my car. I'm surprised we don't have a miniature version of the Veloster yet, but I'd much rather have a replica of Hyrum Bingham's wild 1938 Roadster.
It might not be so good with Mainline wheels, so here's an idea for Mattel: why not make Premium versions of the winning Hot Wheels Legends cars instead of the basic ones? I can already imagine a mix of Car Culture Legends cars with the best we've had over the past seven years.
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Photo: Mattel
If you are not aware of how big the car scene is in Dubai, you may have been living under a rock. The question is, how many people with fancy cars signed up for the event?
I am sure that if Sultan Al Qassimi had brought one of his special vehicles, he would have won immediately. But perhaps the Legends Tour has not attracted so much attention in the Middle East.
That's not to say Sameh Helal's tuned Volkswagen Beetle isn't cool, but it's just the tip of the iceberg in the local car scene. Rolling with 400 hp and a custom widebody kit isn't as spectacular as it was 20 years ago.
Le Mans, France
Photo: Mattel
I would have expected someone to win the French stage using a Renault, Peugeot or Citroen vehicle. Instead, Alexandre Claudin's dream was linked to the sci-fi cult film “Back to the Future”.
He bought two DeLoreans to fund the construction of one of them, and it's the semi-finalist you'll see in the photo above. The car has a roll cage and a Chevrolet engine, among other modifications, but I don't know how it can hope to win the Legends Tour final.
The competition is just too fierce! And after all, Mattel already has several DMC DeLorean castings to work with, some of which are downright spectacular.
Hannover, Germany
Photo: Mattel
The tenth semi-finalist is German. And honestly, it's no surprise that he drives a Porsche. While I'd buy a 911 over a 944 any day of the week, the latter is still a pretty nice car.
Benjamin Pflug sold his Golf R32 to start this project and I think he made all the right choices in customizing his dream car. The color scheme, the 3-spoke OZ Racing wheels, and the minimalist livery are all fantastic. It's so cool I'd love to see the same look on the FC RX-7!
If this car wins the event, I wonder if Mattel will bring back the old 3SP wheel design to get the most accurate replica of the vehicle possible. I'll be back soon with more Hot Wheels Legends Tour updates! In the meantime, let me know which of the cars above you think has the best chance of winning!