Kiwi custom cars chase Hot Wheels immortality

A group of New Zealand car builders will compete in Auckland this month for the chance to have their creations turned into Hot Wheels models and sold around the world.

The New Zealand final of the 2026 Hot Wheels Legends Tour will be held at The Warehouse Albany’s underground car park on Sunday, 30 August. The free public event will run from 8am until 2pm.

Mattel says it has selected five New Zealand finalists following a nationwide search.

The disclosed finalists are Shawn Retter with a 1969 Rambler Rebel, Andrew Beatson and his 1931 Ford Model A, Jay Latchman with a 1993 Mitsubishi Evolution I, Jess Kirkwood with a 2013 Range Rover Sport, and Joshua Lee with a scratch-built 2025 machine.

There’s plenty of variety in that group, spanning a pre-war Ford and American muscle through to Japanese performance machinery and a modern custom creation.

Latchman says being chosen as a finalist fulfils a long-held ambition.

“I’ve dreamed about a moment like this since I was a kid. This build is more than just a car to me – it represents years of dedication, late nights, learning, setbacks, and my shear passion for car culture. I’m looking forward to seeing who takes out the top spot at the New Zealand 2026 Hot Wheels Legends Tour finale.”

The Auckland event will be the first Hot Wheels Legends Tour finale held live in New Zealand. Hundreds of custom builds and enthusiast vehicles are expected to be displayed, while a DJ and photography areas will add to the show-day atmosphere.

The judging will also take place in front of the public. Kiwi drifting star ‘Mad Mike’ Whiddett and RX-7 builder Brad Wright will assess the cars, while Hot Wheels and Matchbox director of product design Jimmy Liu will appear virtually.

According to Liu, the judges will concentrate on three qualities: creativity, authenticity and what Hot Wheels calls “garage spirit”.

“When we’re assessing these builds, we’re looking for three things: Creativity, the innovation and vision each builder brings; Authenticity, the genuine passion behind the project; and Garage Spirit, that raw dedication and obsession that defines real car culture. Each one of these finalists has these key ingredients, and it’s going to make selecting a winner super tough.”

The New Zealand winner won’t immediately see their car hanging from toy-store shelves. They must first compete in a virtual Asia-Pacific regional final.

That winner will then progress to the Hot Wheels Global Grand Finale in November, facing regional champions from around the world. The ultimate victor will be inducted into the Hot Wheels Garage of Legends, with their full-sized creation recreated as an official 1:64-scale die-cast model for global sale.