When the Little Car Company announced that it would transform the iconic remote controlled Tamiya Wild One toy that many had when they were kids into a life-size quadricycle, many ears perked up. Now, the production model is finally being shown off, and customers can place orders, though it won’t be cheap.
Offered in two guises, the LCC Tamiya Wild One MAX will cost a startling £35,000 ($44,921 USD at current exchange rates) in the UK, or €41,000 in Europe. As standard, the electric vehicle comes with a range of impressive features.
Like the R/C toy from the ’80s, the LCC Tamiya Wild One Max is electric, and is powered by a 14.4 kWh battery pack. Since the vehicle only weighs 1,102 lbs (500 kg), that’s enough juice to offer drivers 124 miles (200 km) of range, and a top speed of 62 mph (100 km/h).
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Despite being more of a toy than a car, the LCC Tamiya Wild One Max can be licensed as a quadricycle, like a Citroën Ami. That means that not only can it be driven off-road, it can also be driven on public streets.
Unlike the old-school toy, the full-size off-roader has been expanded slightly to offer two Cobra bucket seats with four-point harnesses. Since it will be sold in both the UK and in Europe, it will be offered in both left- and right-hand drive configurations.
Other modifications to the original design include the strut towers at the front, which were smoothed down to improve visibility, and the rear suspension has been improved from a trailing arm design to double wishbones. It will also come with a five-inch digital display, a windshield, and wipers to improve day-to-day usability.
For off-road excursions, it will offer ground clearance of 10.6 inches (270 mm), an approach angle of 34.1 degrees, a breakover angle of 28.4 degrees, and a departure angle of 50.8 degrees. Brembo disc brakes will help slow it down, Bilstein dampers and Eibach springs will allow it soak up the bumps, and 14-inch Maxxis off-road tires are fitted front and rear.
For the same price as the regular model, the first 100 buyers will get the Launch Edition model. It comes with all of the same equipment, in addition to commemorative plaques made of titanium, a carbon fiber dash, and a carbon fiber key fob.
In addition, while they wait for their model to be built, they will be sent a scale model of it, a limited number of which have been put back into production by Tamiya. Their kit will also come with exclusive holographic decals that they can use to make it even more like their full-size version.
Production of the Little Car Company Tamiya Wild One MAX will start in early 2024. Following the first run of Launch Edition models, production of the standard model will be unlimited, but buyers will have to put down a deposit of £3,500/€4,100 ($4,492 USD). The model will make its public debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on the weekend of July 13-16.
