Celebrity Guest Judges Anthony Anderson, WWE Superstar Big E, Terry Crews, Sung Kang, Jay Lenoand Joel McHale will help to determine the winners of NBC’s epic new car makeover competition show Hot Wheels: Ultimate Challenge, premiering Tuesday, May 30th 2023 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.
Hot Wheels: Ultimate Challenge revs up to give passionate car lovers and Hot Wheels superfans the opportunity of a lifetime – turning a nostalgic car from their past into the life-sized Hot Wheels of their dreams. Hosted by car afficionado Rutledge Wood, each episode will invite two superfans into the Chrome Zone, where they will face off in 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 create their designs in high-tech, decked-out garages. The winner of each episode will take home $25,000 and the chance to get into the finale, where three lucky finalists will transform another car in hopes of winning a legendary prize – an additional $50,000 and the honor of having their build made into an official Hot Wheels die-cast car.
The rotating celebrity guests for Hot Wheels: Ultimate Challenge will each join host Rutledge Wood and resident experts Dalal Elsheikh, designer for the Ford Motor Company, and Hertrech “Hert” Eugene Jr., car culture influencer, on an episode throughout the season, where they will review the epic car transformations and crown a winner.
Jay Leno joins the finale episodes and will have a hand in determining the transformation that will be made into an official Hot Wheels die-cast car.
Ted Wu, Global Head of Design for Mattel’s Vehicles division, also joins the finale, offering unmatched Hot Wheels expertise as a winner is selected.
The winning Hot Wheels: Ultimate Challenge die-cast car will be available for purchase on Mattel Creations, Mattel’s collector and direct-to-consumer platform immediately following the finale.
The superfans joining the show are:
Luidgi Aldator | Brooklyn, NY
Rob Anders | Gilbert, AZ
Felix Arguelles | Los Angeles, CA
Angela Arnold | Gilbertown, AL
Michael Cooney | Chicago, IL
Jadejha Edwards | Houston, TX
“Jerzey” Jim Farrell | Forked River, NJ
Arushi Garg | Houston, TX
Nick Harrison | Hammond, LA
Aldavid Jimerson | Phoenix, AZ
Caroline Johnson | Washington D.C.
Terri Jones | Birmingham, AL
Kevin Lister | Houston, TX
Kris Parker | Manhattan, NY
Lauren Partin | Peebles, OH
Sheilah Spencir | Cedar Hill, TX
“The Car Pool” members are:
Paul Bacon | Coalville, UK
Rachel Bohnet | Kamloops, BC
Tony Bush Jr. | Hayward, CA
Pa’trice Frazier | Sicklerville, NJ
Cody Ingrassia | East Dundee, IL
Preston Ingrassia | East Dundee, IL
Mark Kelley | Indianola, IA
Claudia La Bianca | Miami, FL
Chris Lee | Bay Shore, NY
Savanna Little | Fountain, CO
Christopher Michaels | Atlanta, GA
Rico Montgomery | Cayce, SC
Bob Partington | Burbank, CA
Charlie Seward | Somerton, UK
Michael Sciortino | Las Vegas, NV
Will Trickett | Dilton Marsh, UK
Hot Wheels: Ultimate Challenge is an original format developed and produced by Endemol Shine North America in association with Workerbee under license from Mattel Inc. Executive producers are showrunner Tim Warren, along with Andy Thomas, Sharon Levy, DJ Nurre and Michael Heyerman from Endemol Shine North America; Rick Murray and Chris Hale from Workerbee (a Banijay UK Company); and Fred Soulie and Phil Breman from Mattel Television.