The Life-Size Retro RC Off-Road Electric Buggy Is Finally Ready for Your Money
The imaginations of Gen Xers and Millennials will become reality in 2024.
Tamiya has a special place in the heart of '80s kids, who would assemble their own off-road RC buggies and race them in the dirt. Those same '80s kids are now old enough to buy real project cars, so a couple of years ago, Tamiya partnered with The Little Car Company—who built the Bugatti Baby II—to create a full-size electric version of the Wild One RC car. Now, it's finally available for pre-order, bringing any '80s kid one step closer to living out their childhood dreams.
The Little Car Company's human-sized Wild One MAX is a faithful recreation of the original 1985 Wild One RC car, down to the sponsor names on the livery. But being a full-sized, drivable buggy, it has two Cobra racing bucket seats with four-point harnesses and an IP-rated 5-inch touchscreen. So, not only is it drivable, you also can bring a partner.
Providing the juice for its rear-mounted electric motor are eight removable battery packs totaling 14.4-kWh. Such a small battery pack in an open-wheel buggy only weighs around 1,100 pounds, making it a relative featherweight and perfect for tackling sandy terrain. However, The Little Car Company didn't provide any power, range, or performance figures. Those will all come later.
What we do know is that it will have Bilstein shocks with Eibach springs, Brembo brakes, and Maxxis Bighorn tires; 29-inchers at the rear and 14-inchers at the front. It also has an approach angle of 34.1 degrees, a departure angle of 50.8 degrees, and a breakover angle of 28.4 degrees. For reference, the best a stock Land Rover Defender can do is 38 degrees, 40 degrees, and 28 degrees, respectively.
The Little Car Company Wild One MAX won't be street-legal in every market but there will be street-legal packs for the car in both the UK and EU, helping it comply with L7e regulations as a quadricycle. There's no word on whether the Wild One MAX will become street-legal in the United States but our fingers and toes are crossed.
Pre-orders require a £100 deposit ($125 USD / 115 euros) and production starts in early 2024. The first 100 models sold will be the Wild One MAX Launch Edition. Much like the original RC car, the Wild One Max will require assembly upon delivery. But once it's built, you could live out your childhood dreams of actually strapping yourself into the racing harness of your beloved 1980s toy.
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