Everyone loves Hot Wheels. There’s no two ways about it. At some point, either as a kid or a collector, you adored those cars. Your parents bought you the plastic tracks, you set up courses that wove through your entire living room. You launched them from jumps you made between your bed and the trash can. For some of us that enthusiasm has never left. And NBC gets that enthusiasm. Which is why they’ve issued a series order to created “Hot Wheels: Ultimate Challenge.” A car making competition where contestants compete to make their very own Hot Wheels car a reality!
NASCAR analyst Rutledge Wood (“Top Gear“) will host, and will also serve as a judge. But this series won’t involve making tiny cars that fit in the palm of your hand. No, these contestants are building full-scale designs, bringing life-size Hot Wheels designs to life. Naturally, a competition show would need a larger scale to keep the interest of its viewers.
Two contestants will compete at a time for a $25,000 prize. The winner of those rounds will move on to the finals to compete for an additional $50,000. That’s a $75,000 prize while also immortalizing their car’s design as an official Hot Wheels die-cast car.
Contestants won’t be expected to build these all by themselves, either. They’ll have help from a team of technicians referred to as “The Car Pool” to help them make their visions a reality. Alongside Rutledge will be two permanent judges for the series. Hertrech (“Hert”) Eugene Jr., a big face in drifting and various car culture. And Dalal Elsheikh, Hot Wheels Brand Ambassador and designer for the Ford Motor Company.
“Each episode will invite two passionate car fans and Hot Wheels lovers into the Chrome Zone, where they will face off in each transforming an ordinary vehicle into an extraordinary Hot Wheels showstopper, inspired by personal stories and pop culture touchstones. Working alongside a team of automotive magicians known as ‘The Car Pool,’ the two Superfans will manufacture their designs in high-tech, decked-out garages. Raising the stakes of the competition is the Inspirationator 5000, a larger-than-life vending machine that will rev up in each episode to present the Superfans with a twist in the road.”
NBC says the series premiere date is TBD.
