The Little Car Company, known for its hand-built electric scaled cars, has unveiled the Tamiya Wild One MAX, a full-scale, road-legal electric vehicle inspired by the iconic off-road R/C car from the 1980s. The announcement was made ahead of its public debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, scheduled from July 13th to July 16th. We always knew that the nature of electric vehicles would throw up some interesting designs, but the idea of up-scaling a remote control toy into a street-legal car for two adults, will definitely make folks smile.
The Tamiya Wild One MAX is a result of careful design and extensive feedback from those who used the original toy car. Naturally, making the street-legal version has involved many upgrades – for safety, performance and usability. The car is hand-built at The Little Car Company's Bicester Heritage HQ in the UK and it's available for sale worldwide.
The Wild One MAX boasts premium features such as Cobra bucket seats with 4-point harnesses, a 5″ digital screen with marine-grade switches, Brembo disc brakes, and adjustable Bilstein dampers paired with Eibach springs. It also comes equipped with 14″ Maxxis off-road tires for optimal performance. The full Tamiya Wild One MAX specification includes:-
- Power: 28 kW peak/ 15 kW continuous, equivalent to 38 bhp / 20 bhp
- 4 kWh battery capacity
- Estimated range off-road 110km, on-road 200km subject to validation
- Top Speed 62 mph/ 100kph
- 2 x Cobra bucket seats with 4-point harnesses
- Road Pack for UK/EU only road approval/registration, featuring windscreen & wiper, mirrors, mudguards, front and rear lights & indicators and numberplates
- Adjustable Bilstein dampers with Eibach springs
- Maxxis 14” Bighorn rear tyres
- Painted Vac Form Polycarbonate bodywork
- 5“digital screen (doubles up as dashboard dials plus reversing camera monitor)
- Stickers/decals are included with the Wild One MAX on a giant sticker sheet, which customers can fit themselves just like the original radio controlled car kit.
To ensure safety and comfort, The Little Car Company has made modifications to the original R/C car design. The cockpit has been widened to accommodate two adult passengers, addressing the feedback from deposit holders. Additionally, improvements have been made to the front suspension, visibility, and pedestrian safety. The car now measures 3.6m in length and 1.9m in width, and a windscreen with a wiper mechanism has been added to enhance practicality.
Off-road enthusiasts will appreciate the Wild One MAX's ground clearance of 270mm and impressive angles for approach, breakover, and departure.
The Wild One MAX is powered by eight swappable battery packs, providing a total capacity of 14.4kWh. It has an estimated maximum range of 200km on the road and 110km off-road, with a top speed of 62 mph (100 km/h). Each vehicle weighs approximately 500kg. The Little Car Company has developed a road legal pack in compliance with L7e quadricycle regulations for the UK and EU markets, allowing customers to enjoy the vehicle legally on public roads. The Wild One MAX will be available in both left-hand drive and right-hand drive configurations.
The first 100 customers to place a deposit will receive the Tamiya Wild One MAX Launch Edition, which includes exclusive extras. The Launch Edition features a titanium plaque on the dashboard, a carbon fibre dashboard, and a matching carbon fibre key fob. As a special recognition of the vehicle's influence, Tamiya will reintroduce a limited number of the original Wild One R/C model kits. The Launch Edition customers will receive one of these coveted model kits to build while waiting for delivery of their full-size car.
Production of the Tamiya Wild One MAX is set to begin in early 2024, and the vehicle will be delivered to customers fully built. Prices for the Tamiya Wild One MAX start from £35,000 (€41,000), excluding VAT and shipping, with a non-refundable deposit of £3,500 (€4,100).
Orders for the Tamiya Wild One MAX can be placed on a first-come, first-served basis starting from July 13th, 2023, on the official website. The public can get a closer look at the vehicle during the Goodwood Festival of Speed, where it will be on display at the Eibach stand (No. 75).
The Little Car Company's CEO, Ben Hedley, expressed his excitement about bringing the Tamiya Wild One to life as a full-size car, capturing the nostalgia of the 1980s while showcasing the potential of electric vehicles. He also thanked the Tamiya community and deposit holders for their invaluable support and feedback throughout the design process. Hedley emphasized the company's goal of creating lightweight vehicles that bring the joy and simplicity back into driving.
Early orders for the first 100 cars ‘Launch Edition’ included extras like:-
- Carbon fibre dashboard with Launch Edition plaque
- Carbon fibre keyfob
- Launch Edition hologram decals, and r/c replica wheel nuts
- Specially re-introduced Tamiya Wild One 1/10th kit complete with remote control, battery and charger
- Priority build – these will be the first Wild One MAX cars to be built
If you fancy the original remote control vehicle for £220, then Amazon is your friend.