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Worldwide winner gets his car made into real Hot Wheels die-cast toy

Paweł Czarnecki's custom FIAT 126B is a wildly modified rally car.

 

 

 

 

Did you know toymaker Mattel holds an annual contest to find the coolest custom-built car on the planet that they can make into a new, specialty Hot Wheels die-cast vehicle? The 2025 winner of the Hot Wheels Legends Tour has been chosen, with the final three entries hailing from the United States, Mexico, and Poland.

Since its launch in 2018 to celebrate Hot Wheels' 50th anniversary, the Hot Wheels Legends Tour presented by Mobil 1 has grown from a U.S.-based series of local Walmart events into the world's largest traveling car show, attracting builders and automotive fans through live and virtual events.

Celebrating car builders and enthusiasts worldwide, the 2025 Hot Wheels Legends Tour traveled to 16 countries, including 11 regional stops across the United States. New tour stops included Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg), Peru, and Turkey. Over the course of the tour, Hot Wheels designers and local automotive experts evaluated thousands of vehicle entries, with millions of fans attending events worldwide.

What do you get if you win? The victor gets inducted into the Hot Wheels Garage of Legends and has his creation transformed by the Hot Wheels design team into a 1:64 scale die-cast collectable sold worldwide.

This year, the Hot Wheels Legends Tour introduced a new winner selection process. Each participating region -- the United States; Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA); and Latin America (LATAM) -- hosted its own regional final, with the three regional champions advancing to compete in the Hot Wheels Legends Tour Global Grand Finale.

Hosted by motorsports ambassador Jarod DeAnda, this year's Hot Wheels Legends Tour Global Grand Finale showcased three incredible builds from around the world. Tasked with choosing the entry that best represents authenticity, creativity, and garage spirit, the panel of judges included Jay Leno and Hot Wheels design staff.

Poland's Paweł Czarnecki was the grand prize winner, with his mini FIAT 126B rally racer making a big impact on the judges.

 

 

During the virtual Global Grand Finale on Nov. 15, Paweł Czarnecki's custom FIAT 126B, which began its journey by winning the Poland Tour stop, was crowned the global champion. While Poland never hosted an official Group B rally event, Czarnecki's Fiat 126B was created to conquer what the tight technical stages of the Carpathian Mountains may have looked like. With more than 2,500 hours of hands-on wrenching and an additional 800 hours of 3D printing components, the car was deemed the best to embody the "Garage Spirit" mentality that the Hot Wheels judges look for in every submission. Its dramatically widened stance, flip-forward front section, and functional aerodynamic features pay homage to 1980s rally design while delivering genuine performance on both asphalt and gravel. Plus, it looks cool.

Though modest in size, the Fiat packs a serious, performance-driven punch. Powered by a Fiat Uno 1.4 Turbo producing 200 hp and paired with a Nissan 200SX GT28 turbocharger and a built Fiat Punto GT gearbox, it delivers rally-ready performance. The car features a custom coilover suspension, a body widened by 18.5 in., period-correct HTN Motorsport three-piece wheels, Fiat Uno brakes, a flip-forward hood for rapid repairs and adjustments, and a full roll cage -- blending historical inspiration with modern fabrication to bring this Polish rally vision to life.

The 2025 Hot Wheels Legends Tour runners-up included U.S. regional finalist Clint DeVine's Chevy S10 from Kansas City and LATAM regional finalist Jesus Daniel Payan Gastelum's VW Beetle pickup truck conversion from Mexico.

Clint DeVine from the United States (Kansas City) was one of two runners-up, with his highly modified Chevy S10 that looked right out of a creepy movie.

 

 

Inspired by his grandmother's love of antiques and his Texas upbringing, DeVine's 1990 Chevy S10 features a striking patina and a western-style hauler bed. It also has a bit of an intimidating Mad Max kind of vibe.

Jesus Daniel Payan Gastelum from Mexico was also a finalist. He converted a VW Beetle into a mighty off-roading pickup.

 

 

Gastelum's one-of-a-kind VW Beetle was converted into an off-road pickup truck and fitted with an upgraded suspension and 37-in. tires for a substantial lift.

Previous champions include the inaugural 2018-winning 2JetZ, 2019-winning THE NASH, 2020-winning 1970 Pontiac Firebird, 2021-winning 1969 Volvo P1800 Gasser, 2022-winning "Texas Toot" (an ultra-custom 1992 Autozam Scrum micro truck), 2023-winning 1990 Mazda MX-5 roadster nicknamed "Chimera," and last year's winner, a 1968 custom-built Ford Falcon nicknamed "La Liebre."

Watch the judges make their final decision and get more info at https://creations.mattel.com/pages/hw-legends-tour.

Source: Mattel

Published November 2025

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