The One Detail Hot Wheels™: Ultimate Challenge Judges Fear Will Keep Ep. 5's Winner From the Finale

It was Fight vs. Flight in Hot Wheels™: Ultimate Challenge Episode 5. The fifth installment in the NBC original series saw professional wrestler Angela Arnold go up against retired naval aviator Caroline Johnson.

Caroline's "Need for Speed," which she and her Car Poolers adapted from a 1990s Nissan Sentra ended up trouncing Angela's "Fighter Car" — but in the latest episode of the official Hot Wheels: Ultimate Challenge aftershow, Best Builds, our judges, while impressed by the ingenuity, were a little hesitant.

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"I actually think some of our past Super Fans might have a stronger chance at the finale," Judge Dalal Elsheikh said, grimacing.

Her fellow judge Hertrech Eugene had to agree: "I don't think the 'Need for Speed' in Battleship Gray beats the 'Monster Bug.' I don't think the 'Need for Speed' in Battleship Gray beats the 'Power Charged.' I don't think it beats the 'Jaipur Jewel.' And it all just stems from that color. That color is just not loud enough." 

The color issue came up in the main series episode, as well, but the engineering prowess behind adding a legit jet engine to a '90s Nissan proved impressive enough to get Caroline the win. Whether or not that will get her to the finale as one of the three remaining competitors has yet to be seen. 

However, guest judge Joel McHale was quick to jump to Caroline's defense. 

"Caroline's car, it's crazy how well it came together. And there are so many tiny details; the callsign on the tail, the rivets — all the tiny little details. I think the fit and finish of that car is perfect," McHale said in a video message.

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Our fearless host, Rutledge Wood, also has hope. "Seeing what Caroline and that team did; to me, I think she'd be a great one in the finale because she really did understand, 'How do we change this car and then change the proportions to make all of this stuff work?' I mean that's the kind of versatility that you really need when you get handed a completely different car that you probably don't have any attachment to," Wood said.

Find out how Caroline's "Need for Speed" stacks up against the competition as new episodes of Hot Wheels: Ultimate Challenge hit the runway. 

New episodes of Hot Wheels: Ultimate Challenge premiere on Tuesdays at 10PM ET/PT on NBC. You can catch up the next day on Peacock.