If you were a kid in the eighties, you will likely remember Tamiya’s Wild One – arguably the most recognisable remote-controlled car ever made.
And from 2024, you can get your hands on one again – and you won’t need to beg your mum and dad to buy it for you!
However, this time around it’s not a radio-controlled car you can zip around the back garden – instead, it’s a full size electric buggy you can legally drive on UK roads.
It is being produced by British firm, The Little Car Company, which – ironically – is better known for selling downscaled child-friendly versions of famous classic cars with ridiculously high prices.
It has confirmed that 100 ‘high-spec’ Launch Edition Tamiya Wild One Max will be built next year with the price currently undisclosed. Cheaper versions will follow later, though, and they are likely be priced under £10,000.
The eighties toy reborn as a full-size electric vehicle: British firm The Little Car Company has confirmed production of 100 Launch Edition Wild One Max buggies – the iconic Tamiya remote-controlled car that hit toy shop shelves in 1985
The life-size creation is officially licensed by Tamiya, the Japanese firm that manufactured the original toy in 1985.
It is renowned as one of the iconic radio-controlled models of all time and was even relaunched to the market in 2012 to the excitement of plenty of middle-aged big kids.
The radio controlled car was in 1/10th scale to what a full size version was imagined to be. However, this latest iteration is about to flip the script and make it suitable for adults to get behind the wheel.
Plans to create a full-size version for the road were first revealed in 2021, but The Little Car Company – which is based at the Bicester Heritage automotive hub in Oxfordshire – says the project has been delayed due to industry-wide parts supply issues that have rocked the new car market since the pandemic.
Some customers have already paid holding deposits of £100 to secure their blown-up remote-controlled cars, with the first 100 launch edition versions featuring a selection of bespoke features.
Power is delivered by eight removable battery packs, with a total capacity of 14.4kWh and top speed of approximately 60mph
The more expensive Launch Edition models are fitted with Cobra bucket racing seats with four-point seatbelt harnesses. It also comes with a five-inch digital screen with ‘marine specification’ switches
The life-size creation is officially licensed by Tamiya, the Japanese remote-controlled car manufacturer that originally produced the toy in 1985 (pictured)
Power is delivered by eight removable battery packs, with a total capacity of 14.4kWh and top speed of approximately 60mph.
A straw poll of deposit holders over recent months found that 95 per cent wanted the car to be road legal rather than restricted for use only on private land. And as a result, the first 100 versions can be bought with a street legal pack that should help anytime you’re pulled over by the plod.
The pack allows the Wild One Max to qualify as a L7e quadricycle – the same as Citroen’s dinky Ami.
While you only need either an ‘AM’ moped licence or full ‘Category B’ driving licence to get behind the wheel of an Ami in the UK (meaning 16 year old can drive them), it’s not yet clear if this will be the case for the Wild One Max – especially if it can reach speeds up to 60mph.
Launch Edition models are fitted with Cobra bucket racing seats with four-point seatbelt harnesses, a five-inch digital screen with ‘marine specification’ switches, Brembo disc brakes all round, and a top-of-the-line suspension setup of Bilstein dampers coupled with Eibach springs.
The cars will have 14-inch Maxxis off-road tyres at the front and rear.
Inside, the cockpit has space for two occupants instead of the single-seat layout the 2021 concept had, which mimicked the the eighties toy.
This is the result of feedback from customers who had already placed deposits, though one-seat versions could come later.
Customers will also need to pay extra for a feature you’d always expect to have as standard on any new vehicle you buy in a showroom – a window wiper.
One has been specifically designed for the car, including a bespoke wiper mechanism.
Tamiya’s Wild One R/C car (pictured) was one of the must-have toys of the eighties and nineties. It was even reintroduced in 2012 to the excitement of many nostalgic big kids
Ben Hedley, CEO of The Little Car Company, said the brand is ‘one step closer’ to revealing the production-ready Tamiya Wild One Max Launch Edition, which will look very similar to the toy that hit toy shop shelves almost 40 years ago (pictured)
The Little Car Company back in 2021 announced plans to build a scaled-up version of the iconic remote-controlled buggy that buyers will be able to drive. However, that design (pictured here) had a single-seat layout and a top speed of just 30mph
The engineering team at Bicester Heritage has also made a few modifications to the full-size concept the brand showcased two years ago.
This includes front suspension turrets that have been ‘smoothed’ to not just improve visibility but also prevent gouging pedestrians if there’s a minor shunt on the road.
The the front suspension has also been upgraded from a trailing arm to a more sophisticated double wishbone for better off-road performance and comfort.
Measuring in at 3.6metres long and 1.9m wide, the Wild One Max is just marginally larger than a Ford Fiesta.
Meanwhile, the kerb weight of the vehicle is expected to be approximately 500kg – that’s less than the original 1959 Mini.
Ben Hedley, chief executive of The Little Car Company, said: ‘We are absolutely thrilled to be one step closer to revealing our Tamiya Wild One Max Launch Edition.
‘Whilst there have undoubtedly been a few hurdles along the way with industry-wide supply issues, our team have done a tremendous job of bringing an R/C car to life at full size , and I couldn’t be prouder of them.’
He added: ‘By simplifying the design and reducing weight, this car is a perfect example of not requiring 500 horsepower to make an enjoyable drivers’ car.
‘We are incredibly excited to show you the finished car and can’t wait for everyone to experience it for themselves.’
The vehicle will undergo ‘performance and durability testing’ over the summer before it is unveiled in full in a few months’ time – with confirmed performance figures, range and pricing.
Production of the Launch Edition will then commence in early 2024.
And don’t worry, the cars will be delivered fully built rather than in a box of parts like the eighties toy.
When announcing plans for the scaled-up remote-controlled car in 2021, The Little Car Company said prices should start at around £7,200 in the UK.
However, a spokesperson on behalf of the firm said there is no confirmation of this for the entry version and would not provide a ballpark figure for the high-spec Launch Edition models.
Less expensive variants will likely be available with one seat and less battery packs, meaning less performance and range.
But, based on The Little Car Company’s previous creations, expect the higher-spec 100 cars to be rather expensive.
Its Aston Martin DB5 Junior, for instance, starts at £39,000 but rises to £108,000 if you want one of the limited-edition 007 models built in collaboration with Bond producers EON Productions. And its Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa J rings in at an equally eye-watering £95,000.
CARS & MOTORING: ON TEST
This post first appeared on Dailymail.co.uk
