Hot Wheels Legends Tour? What’s that?
The Hot Wheels Legends Tour, the global travelling car show that pits builders and dreamers in a competition for the best, has crowned its winner for the 2025 season. And boy, what a winner it is!
For the uninitiated, the Hot Wheels Legends Tour hosts car shows in a number of countries around the globe, with local enthusiasts bringing out their finest rides in the hopes of winning the coveted title. This year’s tour traveled to 16 countries, including 11 regional stops across the United States, and new stops in Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg), Peru, and Turkey. This year’s Legends Tour featured a new winner selection process, where 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 ascending to the virtual, livestreamed Hot Wheels Legends Tour Global Grand Finale.
Mattel/Hot Wheels
A tiny wolf in sheep’s clothing
During the virtual Global Grand Finale held on November 15, Paweł Czarnecki’s custom FIAT 126B was crowned the global champion amongst thousands of incredible automotive creations. Pawel’s FIAT started off well by winning the tour’s Poland Tour stop this year, and will now get the honor of not only joining the Hot Wheels Garage of Legends, but it will also be transformed by the official Hot Wheels design team into a 1:64 scale die-cast collectible sold in stores around the globe.
This 126B stands out from its brethren thanks to its stunning aerodynamic and aesthetic modifications inspired by the legendary Group B rally class of the 1980s. The car reportedly took over 2,500 hours of wrenching and 800 hours of 3D printing components to reach its current stage. Under its tiny hood rests a Fiat Uno 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine with a Nissan 200SX GT28 turbocharger, making a screaming 200 horsepower through a built Fiat Punto GT gearbox. Underneath is a custom coilover suspension setup, accentuated by a widebody kit that gives this 126B an extra 18.5 inches in width, period-correct HTN Motorsport three-piece wheels, Fiat Uno brakes, a flip-forward hood for quick repairs and adjustments, and a full roll cage. Don’t let its size fool you, or you’ll be embarrassed in a head-to-head race.
Mattel/Hot Wheels
View the 2 images of this gallery on the
original article
“From its roots in the U.S. to stops across 16 countries, the Hot Wheels Legends Tour has grown into a truly global celebration of creativity and the automotive community,” said Ted Wu, Global Head of Vehicles and Building Sets at Mattel. “Car enthusiasts in Poland have shown incredible support for the Tour over the years, and Paweł Czarnecki’s custom Fiat exemplifies the talent and imagination that fans from Poland — and around the world — bring to the Hot Wheels Legends Tour.”
Final thoughts
I’ve always been a fan of the FIAT 126B as a more under-appreciated alternative to its famed FIAT 500 sibling. That said, what Pawel did with this 126B exceeds all expectations anyone would have had for a car like this. The outrageous aero, the Martini-inspired livery, and the utterly ludicrous horsepower figures for a car of this stature make it a tremendous work of automotive art, and one that’s well-deserving of winning the Hot Wheels Legends Tour. Everything is done with such meticulous attention to detail and so perfectly embodies the legendary Group B rally era that it’s impossible to find a fault. If Pawel ended up rallying the car in a proper rally event as well, I think that would be the perfect cherry on top of an already jaw-dropping sundae.
Mattel/Hot Wheels
View the 2 images of this gallery on the
original article
