Custom car enthusiasts enter their builds in the hopes to see their original designs transformed into a 1:64 Hot Wheels® die-cast

Kuala Lumpur, 7 October 2021 - The Hot Wheels™ Legends Tour is back in Malaysia for the second time! This celebration of car culture, held in collaboration with Art of Speed Malaysia, is one leg of a global search for a custom vehicle worthy of becoming a Hot Wheels® die-cast car. The judging panel, made up of Hot Wheels® global designers as well as local guest judges, shortlisted the Top 12 entries out of the 163 submitted for the Malaysian finals set to be livestreamed on Sunday, 17 October 2021 at 8PM.

This year, Malaysian custom car enthusiasts join their fellow hobbyists from the USA, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand in the race to be crowned the winner. This year, the Malaysian leg of the Hot Wheels™ Legends Tour saw more than double the entries that were submitted in 2020. Each submission judged on Authenticity, how closely the car embodies the Hot Wheels® spirit; Creativity, how well the design stands out from the rest; and Garage Spirit, how well the design exemplifies the attitude of “built not bought”. The winner of the Malaysian finals will represent the country on a global stage, going up against the winners from the other legs of the Hot Wheels™ Legends Tour. The overall winner will see their design inducted into the Hot Wheels Garage of Legends™ and turned into a 1:64 die-cast car to be sold - and played with by kids of all ages - around the world. 

The Hot Wheels® designers on board as judges are Brendon Vetuskey, the current lead designer for the Monster Trucks die-cast and the Red Line Club vehicles; Manson Cheung, a Hot Wheels® 3D Modeler best known for his sculpting work; and Sam Kok, a Hot Wheels® designer currently the key lead package designer for Mattel. The local guest judging panel is made up of Christian Coujin, who is well known in the community for his collection of RWB cars and enthusiasm for all things custom or modified; Tengku Djan, a Malaysian professional drift driver who has taken part in the D1 Grand Prix; and Azrina Jane Abdullah, a stunt driver with a flair for drifting and circuit racing.

The Top 12 Malaysian finalists offer a great mix of cars from across the globe - with representation from Japanese, German, Italian, and even Malaysian car manufacturers. The finalists are: Lee Ming Hui (Audi TT MK2), Sofyan Darmadi (1969 VW Beetle Vandetta), Norsayang bin Ngatiman (1968 Toyota Corolla KE10), Addison Victor Liew Kian Tek (1980 Mazda RX7 1st Gen Savanna Sa22C), Jeffrey Teoh (2008 Ferarri 430), Karrthikan Amerudalingam (1997 Proton Wira 1.5 GL), Abdul Wahab bin Bahari (1986 Daihatsu Mira Walkthrough Van), Elden Schrock (1987 Toyota Cressida), Mohd Iltizam bin Mohamad Sokri (1990 Toyota Estima TCR 21), Tham Kheng Ming (2002 Toyota MRS MR2 Spyder), Norman Ng (2014 Porsche Boxster 981), and Kathires Thanabal (2012 Honda Accord).

The Malaysian finals will be streamed from the RWB Museum located in Johor Bahru and curated by Christian Coujin himself. The RWB Museum is a celebration of all things RAUH-Welt Begriff as well as its founder, Akira Nakai, and has been lauded by the custom community as an incredible showcase of what makes the hobby so exciting. 

In celebration of the Hot Wheels™ Legends Tour and all things car culture, Hot Wheels® has got some great collectibles as gifts with purchase from official retail partners: Toys ‘R’ Us Malaysia [https://www.toysrus.com.my/hot-wheels/] and Shopee Malaysia [https://shopee.com.my/hotwheels.os]  for online purchases. GWPs are stackable and are available while stocks last.

October 2021

• BUY RM50 and above of Hot Wheels® products, get a FREE Hot Wheels Mystery Models™

• BUY RM200 and above of Hot Wheels® products, get a free limited edition Hot Wheels® Nissan Laurel 2000 SGX 

November 2021

• BUY RM50 and above of Hot Wheels® products, get a FREE Hot Wheels Mystery Models™

• BUY RM200 and above of Hot Wheels® products, get a free limited edition Hot Wheels® ‘65 Volkswagen Fastback

Join in the 2021 Hot Wheels™ Legends Tour Malaysia Virtual Finale to find out which of the Top 12 will clinch the local title! The winner will go on to represent Malaysia at the Global semi-finals. Tune in to the livestream on Sunday, 17th October 2021, 8pm to meet our international US Hot Wheels® designers and local guests, view top entries, and be the first to hear about the special promos and giveaways!

Check out the livestream at www.facebook.com/HotWheels. For more information about this event, please visit https://artofspeedmy.com/hot-wheels-legends-tour-2021/ or www.facebook.com/ArtOFSpeedMY/.

Last but not least, at the end of September, the brand is releasing Hot Wheels Unleashed, an all-new, action-packed, arcade-style video game. The game will be available on all major video game consoles and PC, offering players the opportunity to drive the cars as if they were playing with the die-cast toys. The gameplay includes adrenaline-filled races, an extended choice of Hot Wheels® vehicles with different attributes and rarity levels that players can customise with different skins, and jaw-dropping tracks set in everyday-life locations with special track pieces and interactive items. It will be revealed during the Virtual Finale show!

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About Mattel

Mattel is a leading global children’s entertainment company that specializes in design and production of quality toys and consumer products. We create innovative products and experiences that inspire, entertain and develop children through play. We engage consumers through our portfolio of iconic franchises, including Barbie®, Hot Wheels®, American Girl®, Fisher-Price®, Thomas & Friends® and MEGA®, as well as other popular brands that we own or license in partnership with global entertainment companies.

Our offerings include film and television content, gaming, music and live events. We operate in 40 locations and sell products in more than 150 countries in collaboration with the world’s leading retail and technology companies. Since its founding in 1945, Mattel is proud to be a trusted partner in exploring the wonder of childhood and empowering kids to reach their full potential. Visit us online at www.mattel.com