NBC has ordered the series Hot Wheels: Ultimate Challenge, a car makeover competition series based on the toy cars. Rutledge Wood will host and judge. There will be 10 episodes.
The show will see Hot Wheels superfans turn a toy car from their past into the life-sized Hot Wheels of their dreams. The winner will see their car become an official Hot Wheels die-cast car.
“Everyone remembers their first car, the life experiences they had and the friends who came along for the ride. Hot Wheels is a legendary brand that has created a space for imaginations to run free,” Corie Henson, executive VP, unscripted programming, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, said. “Our prolific partners at Endemol Shine North America and Mattel have created larger-than-life family viewing with edge and humor all led by car enthusiast Rutledge Wood, whose creativity, credibility and passion for Hot Wheels makes him the perfect person to drive this wild competition.”
Each episode will invite two Hot Wheels lovers into the Chrome Zone to transform an ordinary toy vehicle into an extraordinary Hot Wheels creation. Working alongside a team of automotive wizards known as “The Car Pool,” the contestants will create their designs in decked-out garages. Judges include Hertrech (“Hert”) Eugene Jr. and Dalal Elsheikh.
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 $50,000 and the opportunity to have their design made into an official Hot Wheels die-cast car.
Wood covered NASCAR for Speed TV and NBC Sports, and reported from the Olympics in 2016, 2018 and 2021. He has hosted the game show Floor Is Lava and American BBQ Showdown on Netflix and Southern and Hungry on Cooking Channel. He was also a host on Top Gear USA for BBC and History Channel.
Hot Wheels: Ultimate Challenge is 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. ■
