The Hot Wheels Legends Tour champion for 2023 is the 1990 Mazda MX-5 Miat
Hot Wheels has selected the next custom-built car it will add to its inventory of scale models, having spent months touring the globe. Built out of a shed in New Zealand, the 1990 Mazda MX-5 Miata, known as Chimera, is the champion of the 2023 Hot Wheels Legends Tour.
Owner of the Miata Chris Watson took inspiration from a wide range of sources to create his ideal vehicle, including the science fiction Cyberpunk genre and Japan’s Kaido Racer automotive culture. Among other things, he added wide-body kit, fender-mounted mirrors, vents in the area intended for the front turn signals, and sleek LED headlamps. Additionally, a fin-equipped roof and a rear light bar are bespoke features.
Not only do the almost four-inch-wide flares add visual interest, but they also cover enormous wheels. A digital display placed in front of the factory instrument cluster, two aftermarket seats, a three-spoke steering wheel, and a number of aftermarket gauges and switches are all located within.
We’re not sure if the engine bay has been altered. A 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with 116 horsepower and 100 pound-feet of torque powers a 1990 Miata sold in the United States. The engine drives the back wheels using a manual five-speed transmission. It’s almost a given that the Yoshimura motorcycle-specific muffler on this Miata will make it noisier than the stock type.
Watson’s Chimera will soon be part of Hot Wheels’ die-cast automobile collection. The original Miata has previously been issued in a number of versions by the company, so its designers won’t be starting from zero. The model will eventually find its way into toy boxes, retail establishments, and scale-model collections worldwide. Meanwhile, the Miata has been accepted into the Hot Wheels Garage of Legends, where it will be among previous champions like an Autozam kei truck that has been transformed into a monster truck and a 1969 Volvo P1800 gasser that is powered by a V8 engine from Chevrolet.
It appears that Watson may not be done with the Legends Tour after all with the Chimera. See the R35-generation GT-R wagon in his shop—how cool is that?
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