The Hot Wheels Legends Tour is back for 2026, and searching for the UK’s wildest modfied car to be transformed into a die-cast model.
Now in its ninth year, the latest Hot Wheels Legends Tour will be the biggest to date, with a total of 19 countries now involved.
The hunt is now on for the UK’s most amazing cars, to find a contender that can challenge the rest of the world.
The global winner will see their car transformed into a Hot Wheels 1:64-scale model, and put on sale for enthusiasts and collectors.
For 2026, the UK leg of the Hot Wheels Legends Tour will be part of the CarFest event at Silverstone.
On the hunt for the UK’s craziest cars
Entering the Hot Wheels Legends Tour requires owners to upload three photos of their car, along with a description of what sets it apart, to a special Hot Wheels website.
As in previous years, judges will be looking for a car that truly stands out from the crowd, making it unique when rendered in die-cast form.
The UK has a history of producing strong Hot Wheels Legends Tour contenders. These include Lee Johnstone’s Volvo P1800 drag racer, which won the overall competition in 2021.
Last year, an extreme E21-generation BMW 3 Series was chosen to represent the UK in the European Hot Wheels Legends Tour regional final.
Although it did not win the ultimate prize, with a rally-inspired Fiat 126 chosen instead, the BMW still demonstrated enormous creativity.
Live judging at CarFest in August
Entries for the 2026 Hot Wheels Legends Tour UK are now open, and will remain so until 3 July 2026. The live final will take place on 29 August 2026, forming part of the CarFest event at Silverstone circuit.
A surprise celebrity judge will join presenter Nicola Hume, a Hot Wheels designer, to reveal the UK champion. This car will then progress to the online European finale.
The UK winner will also receive a trip for two to Los Angeles, California, the home of Hot Wheels, later in the year.
“The Hot Wheels Legends Tour is all about celebrating builders who dream big and aren’t afraid to break the mould,” says Ted Wu, global head of design for vehicles at Mattel.
“This will be our seventh stop in the UK and it never disappoints. The creativity, craftsmanship and garage spirit on show always makes the judging incredibly tough and that’s exactly how it should be. We can’t wait to see which finalists make it to Silverstone.”
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