The Aston Martin DB5 Junior Is a Sweet Electric Mini-Car That Still Fits an Adult
If you’re willing to pay for one of these, you deserve to take it for a spin.
Nothing ever happened to the plastic Barbie Jeep—they're still around. I remember enjoying mine when I was a kid, although it was red. Perhaps the Ken variant. In any case, mobility for children has taken massive steps forward since the early 2000s, both in speed and price. Think about the electric version of the original Baby Bugatti, and now there's a two-thirds scale version of the classic Aston Martin DB5 that also fits average-sized adults. It has up to 13.4 horsepower, an optional carbon fiber body and starts at £35,000 (about $46,000 USD).
And what you get for that base price is non-trivial, considering you're buying a trivial thing like a two-thirds scale Aston Martin DB5. The body is a 3D-scanned clone of the original; it has miniaturized versions of all of the DB5's trim and brightwork, and 40 miles of range is just enough for your child to get well over the horizon before you ever think to check on them. The 30-plus-mile-per-hour top speed will also help with that, but then again, putting your elementary schooler in a ride this fast might not be the best idea.
That over-30 top speed is only available on the Vantage model, and you won't be paying 46-grand for that—oh no. The top trim Vantage is closer to $60,000 (£45,000). Also equipped on the Vantage model is a limited-slip differential, the "missile switch" which will allow you to access the full power and top speed along with a second battery pack which gets you the aforementioned 40 miles of range. The lesser, non-Vantage trim is only available with 6.7 hp, a plastic body and an open differential. The range is also sliced in half thanks to the omission of the second battery pack that comes as standard in the Vantage.
The suspension is the same on both trims, however. Just like the actual DB5, the Junior comes equipped with double wishbones at the front and a live axle at the rear. Also matching the original Bond car are the disc brakes at every corner, which will perhaps prevent your child from running over your foot.
Both this car and the Baby Bugatti are made by the Little Car Company, a London-based business with a decidedly niche product line. It's not clear how or why the founders of the LCC got into the business of making miniature electric replicas of classic sports cars, though business seems to be doing fine. Its Bugatti Baby sold out all of its orders and seeing as my dearest Neville must have a proper runabout to pop down to the shops with, this miniature DB5 will probably do quite good as well with the children of the wealthy.
1,059 of the tiny cars will be made, so if you have $60,000 burning a hole in your pocket, you will likely have an opportunity to order one. Reservations are open on its website as of today. You can also buy up to three, so don't worry if you want to start a miniature racing series with your wealthy neighbors. That isn't entirely necessary, though, as LCC say buying one of the cars instantly gains you membership into its club which organizes races for these things at prestigious tracks all over the world.
Must be nice.
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