CYBER STYLE

NZ’s Hot Wheels Legends winner is a hand-crafted MX-5 ‘Cyberpunk’ sports car

The 2023 Hot Wheels Legends Tour has crowned one of its winners. Chris Watson, hailing from Kaiwaka, claimed the title for the Australia and New Zealand leg with his 1990 Mazda MX-5 roadster, known as “The Cyberpunk”.

The victory propels Watson’s entry into the global semi-finals, where it will compete against other remarkable creations worldwide for the chance to become a real-life Hot Wheels car.

Chris Watson is no stranger to this event. His Hot Wheels journey began in 2021 when he first entered the competition. This year, he returned with a handcrafted masterpiece. Watson said: “I crafted every part of this car in my rural Northland NZ shed. I started with the ‘Kaido Racer’ inspired fender flares and my unique 15x10j turbofan wheels. Over the years, I refined it further, adding custom features like the fastback, carbon fibre shark fin spoiler, and the distinctive cyberpunk rear light bar.” The Cyberpunk draws inspiration from its namesake genre, influenced by works like Blade Runner and Akira. Watson meticulously airbrushed the entire car to give it a dystopian, weathered appearance. He plans to utilise 3D printing to add more cyberpunk elements, making it resemble a vehicle from a sci-fi movie or video game.

The judging panel included notable figures from the automotive and creative industries. Rally champion Molly Taylor, motorsports icons Mad Mike Whiddett and Lincoln Whiddett, visual artist JESWRI, and Hot Wheels designer Kevin Cao played a crucial role in selecting the winner. They sought designs that embodied the spirit of Hot Wheels.

Lincoln Whidett praised the winner’s car, saying: “I’d pick this off the shelf if it were a Hot Wheels model. It’s highly creative and captures the essence of cyberpunk uniquely.”