The roar of engines and the pulse of imagination are set to collide once again as the Hot Wheels Legends Tour rolls back into the UK for 2025.
This global search for the next automotive icon invites the country’s most passionate car builders to put their metal masterpieces to the ultimate test with the winner seeing their pride and joy transformed into a 1:64 scale die-cast model, immortalised in the Hot Wheels Garage of Legends.
This year’s UK showdown culminates at the Gravity Show, one of the country’s biggest custom car events, held at the NEC Birmingham on 23 and 24 August.
Finalists will face a live judging panel of industry icons including Hot Wheels designer Craig Callum, YouTube car builder Mat Armstrong and TV presenter Nicola Hume.
The panel will be looking for three things: authenticity, creativity and good old-fashioned garage spirit.
That means every scuff, weld and tweak needs to tell a story.
Whether it’s a restomod, a JDM dream build, a track-ready machine or a custom truck, entries of all styles and eras are welcome.
And it’s not just bragging rights up for grabs.
The 2025 UK champion will be flown to California to take part in the US tour’s final stop in El Segundo, joining fellow international finalists as they chase the crown at the Global Grand Finale.
The winner there joins a storied list of past champions, and more importantly, has their car shrunk into a Hot Wheels die-cast sold in toy aisles and collector cabinets across the world.
The UK has a proud record in this competition.
From the ‘Mentley’, a Bentley-inspired 1983 Mini that captured national hearts last year, to the unforgettable 1969 Volvo P1800 Gasser that roared to a global win in 2021, British builders have made their mark on this global stage.
Hot Wheels’ Ted Wu, head of vehicle design at Mattel, summed it up perfectly.
“The UK always provides compelling contenders,” he said.
“The vehicles are full of ingenuity, charm and true garage spirit.”
Backed by Smyths Toys Superstores, Forge Motorsport and Collecting Cars, this year’s competition is also offering up a bundle of prizes, including merchandise and a £150 Forge voucher.
It’s free to enter and only takes a few minutes just three photos and a short description at hotwheelsuklegendstour.co.uk.
Entries close on 4 July.
So if you’ve spent months grafting in the garage on something truly special, now’s the time to let it shine.
Your build could be the next to burn rubber into Hot Wheels history.
