Enter your own car to become a real Hot Wheels die-cast – here’s how

The Hot Wheels Legends Tour is back for 2026, and for the first time has an Australian live event on the calendar to announce the regional winners.

But, as they say in the classics, you have to be in it to win it!

The Legends Tour sees one lucky car from around the world created as an official Hot Wheels die-cast. The competition was launched in 2018 to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of the popular brand.

In 2023, the ‘Chimera’, a heavily modified Mazda MX-5 from New Zealand, was the global winner, while last year’s top prize was taken by a customised Polski Fiat 126, nicknamed ‘Delta XS’ from Poland

The judges look for cars that support the three pillars of the Hot Wheels ethos: Creativity, Authenticity and that true Garage Spirit that Hot Wheels has become renowned for.

The Australia/New Zealand round of the competition is open now, with entries closing at the end of May and winners announced at the die-cast trade show event in Sydney on 30 August 2026. The global winner will be announced in November in Los Angeles.

Simply complete the form, then fill in details about your car, your build and why it aligns with the pillars of Creativity, Authenticity and Garage Spirit.

Don’t forget to add some photos that showcase your car in all its glory, confirm you’ve chosen the Australian event – and the rest is up to the judges!

Good luck! We’ll be there at the Australian finale to see all the brilliant finalists and help choose a winner to go up against the best custom cars in the world – one of which will become the next Hot Wheels legend!

With over 20 years of experience in digital publishing, James Ward has worked within the automotive landscape since 2007 and brings experience from the publishing, manufacturer and lifestyle side of the industry together to spearhead Drive's multi-media content direction.

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