Malaysia has been fortunate to be among the countries chosen to host the Hot Wheels Legends Tour. This is the world’s largest travelling car event which searches for a custom vehicle worthy of being immortalised as a 1:64 scale Hot Wheels die-cast vehicle.
In the past two years, one Malaysian entry has been picked for the Global Semi Finals and this year, the entry is most appropriate to represent the country: a customised 2015 Proton Suprima S. The car was built by William Chong, a trailer truck technician from Negeri Sembilan, who was among the 204 entries (a 25% increase over last year).
The Malaysian finals, held in collaboration with Art of Speed Malaysia, were judged by Hot Wheels designers Bryan Benedict, Design Director of Die-Cast Vehicles for the Hot Wheels and Matchbox Brands, and Brendon Vetuskey, the current lead designer of Hot Wheels Monster Trucks and Red Line Club vehicles.
They were joined by guest judges: Tengku Djan, DEV JBC, and Ahirine Ahirudin. Entries were judged on Authenticity, the embodiment of Hot Wheels; Creativity, a never-before-seen uniqueness; and Garage Spirit, exemplifying the ‘built not bought’ attitude.
International brand representation
“One of the things that I really love about working on these international Hot Wheels Legends events is that we are exposed to cars, culture, and brands that we don’t normally get to see. This [design] is just off the charts, super cool! With the bodykit, the slammed-to-the-ground stance, and spoiler, this thing would make a great Hot Wheels all the way. Completely, authentically, Hot Wheels!” said Brendon Vetuskey about Chong’s entry.
“I can’t believe my car been chosen to represent Malaysia at the Global Semi-Finals of the Hot Wheels Legends Tour. What an honour! I’ve poured so much of myself into this build so to hear that the judges think it is cool and unique is a great feeling,” said Chong. “I hope I can make Malaysia proud!”
Chong’s entry was up against a great mix of car models from different brands. The other 11 finalists were Izat Emir Bin Embong (2018 Toyota Alphard), Abdul Hadi Nasrallah Bin Ahmad Ridzuan (1970 Datsun Laurel C130), Eiadywan Bin Sakroni (2015 Mitsubishi Triton), Toon Chin Yee (1979 Toyota Landcruiser HJ45), Mohd Saifful Bin Mohd Razuan (2012 VW Scirocco), Mohamad Hezri Bin Abdul Gani (1989 Daihatsu), Muhammad Fakhrullah Bin Zulkifli (2002 Perodua Kancil Custom), Mohd Faiza Bin Arshad (2003 Proton Arena), Chan Soon Aun (2017 Mercedes CLA 250), Norman Ng (2014 Porsche Boxter 981), and Darmah Raj (1997 Honda NSX). Sofyan Darmadi’s 1969 Vandetta VW Beetle was selected as the special guest pick by Tengku Djan.
THE 12 FINALISTS
“It’s really cool to me to see the unique car culture there is in Malaysia. There are unique brands like Proton and Perodua that we don’t see in the US and there’s a unique spin that people put on things that I find really intriguing. They’re done in a unique way that is distinctly Malaysian and I love that. I think that there’s a certain whimsy that I see in the Malaysian entries that’s exciting and in the spirit of what Hot Wheels Legends is all about,” said Bryan Benedict on the Malaysian entries.
Other countries where the Hot Wheels Legends Tour has been in its fifth year the USA, Canada, Spain, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, with Indonesia and the Philippines joining this year.
Semi-Finals on November 11
The winning cars from each country will be up against each other in the Hot Wheels Legends virtual Global Semi-Finals on November 11 with the finalists moving to the Global Grand Finale two days later.
As with previous years’ winners. the 2022 winner will have his custom build creation transformed into a one-of-a-kind limited-run die-cast model offered for sale in more than 150 countries around the world.
