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'Wheel of Fortune' contestant drives home in a Nissan sports car after solving tough puzzle

"And yes, I can want an autograph, and a new car. First car win in 2026, and it's a Nissan," a fan reacted.
UPDATED JAN 21, 2026
Vanna White and contestant Steve on 'Wheel of Fortune' (Cover Image Source: YouTube | Wheel of Fortune)
Vanna White and contestant Steve on 'Wheel of Fortune' (Cover Image Source: YouTube | Wheel of Fortune)

Fans of "Wheel of Fortune" are so fed up with disappointments in the bonus round that the occasional win is a big reason to celebrate. It happened when one contestant broke the negative trend and filled the viewers with optimism. The game show witnessed its fourth New Year Bonus Round win in a recent episode, when a contestant named Steve took home a brand-new Nissan Z Sport car valued at $45,400. He also earned a luxurious trip to Punta Cana worth $11,500. Fans couldn't stop gushing over Steve's ability to crack the easy puzzle within seconds.

Vanna White and contestant Steve with his friend and wife on 'Wheel of Fortune' (Image Source: YouTube | Wheel of Fortune)
Vanna White and contestant Steve with his friend and wife on 'Wheel of Fortune' (Image Source: YouTube | Wheel of Fortune)

Steve began his winning spree during the Mystery Round, and the category was "before and after." He solved "Words of Wisdom Tooth" and won $2,750, putting him in second place. During the Prize Puzzle, the category was "event." Steve solved "Luxurious Getaway" and won a trip to Punta Cana worth $11,500, bringing his total to $15,300 and putting him in the lead. Steve got the Triple Toss-Up category" back in the day," "Dance the fox trot" right, and won $2,000. After solving the Final Spin category "most likely to," "Make it to the Super Bowl" correctly, he advanced to the bonus round with $20,400.

Contestant Steve's friend and wife on 'Wheel of Fortune' (Image Source: YouTube | Wheel of Fortune)
Contestant Steve's friend and wife on 'Wheel of Fortune' (Image Source: YouTube | Wheel of Fortune)

He is cheered on by his friend Greg and his wife, Lindsay, who are introduced to the host Ryan Seacrest. During the bonus round, Steve chose the "single star" envelope and received the standard letters R, S, T, L, N, E, and then chose G, C, M, and A as additional letters. He chose the "What are you doing?" category, and the puzzle board then featured "G, _, _, _, N, G, A, N, A, _, T, _, G, R, A, _, _." 

Vanna White and contestant on 'Wheel of Fortune' (Cover Image Source: YouTube | Wheel of Fortune)
Vanna White and contestant on 'Wheel of Fortune' (Cover Image Source: YouTube | Wheel of Fortune)

With the letters that he had, the contestant correctly solved the puzzle to come up with the answer, "Giving an autograph," and won a Nissan Z Sports car, bringing his grand total to $65,800. Fans finally got a reason to rejoice after a long dry spell. "Way to go, Steve!! And what a sharp-looking car!" @loveforeignaccents praised. "And yes, I can want an autograph, and a new car. First car win in 2026, and it's a Nissan," @dannyblock-q4r lauded. "Boy extra "G's" & extra "A's" did it for Steve. Great solve," @jacobwilson6192 chimed in.

Vanna White and contestant on 'Wheel of Fortune' (Image Source: YouTube | Wheel of Fortune)
Vanna White and contestant on 'Wheel of Fortune' (Image Source: YouTube | Wheel of Fortune)

"Good job Steve! Please enjoy your new car!" @StarrtasiaJackson-jj4ou fawned. "Congratulations to our car winner Steve," @Animegamespublishing added. 

You can watch the winning moment here.

More on Market Realist:

'Wheel of Fortune' player wins a car and surprises viewers with an unexpected detail about her life

'Wheel of Fortune' contestant wins bonus round after 'insane' string of bad luck had fans on edge

'Wheel of Fortune' contestant went 'from zero' to winning a Mercedes in stunning comeback

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