Tamiya Wild One Max Is Like an RC Toy Come to Full-Size Life

• The Little Car Company in the U.K. is building a full-size version of the 1:10-scale Tamiya Wild One RC car.
• Its eight swappable battery packs will offer a claimed 124 miles of range.
• The Wild One will make its public debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed next weekend and will be priced at the equivalent of around $45,000.

Many kids wish their remote control cars could become real, and now a British company has managed that magical transformation. Yes, this is indeed a fully drivable adult-size version of the rugged 1:10 Tamiya Wild One RC off-roader that was a smash hit when it was launched in 1985. It has a top speed of 62 mph and will be street legal in Europe, although not, sadly, in the U.S.

The Wild One Max is set to meet the public for the first time at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed. Behind the Tamiya branding, it is the work of The Little Car Company in England, the same outfit that has made tiny, beautiful, and very expensive EV versions of classic cars, like the Bugatti Baby II that we sampled in 2020. While LCC’s earlier products have been downsized, this one is substantially larger—both when compared to the original RC car that inspired it and against LCC’s original proposal.

That one was announced in 2021 as a single-seater without a windscreen, powered by a 5.5-hp electric motor that was supplied from a tiny 2.0-kWh battery pack. LCC said it was targeting a range of 25 miles, and performance was more mild than wild: a top speed of just 30 mph. It was also going to be sold as a build-it-yourself kit (like the original Wild One RC car) with the anticipated retail price being $8250.

Bigger, Brawnier, Pricier

Much has changed in two years. The finished Wild One Max is bigger, brawnier, and far more expensive than the original proposal. It is both longer and wider, the cockpit now broad enough to allow two occupants, with an overall length of 141.7 inches. It also gets a revised front suspension, with double wishbones replacing trailing arms and long-travel Eibach springs and Bilstein dampers at each corner.

Performance has been increased substantially as well. The finished car uses a single motor capable of delivering a 37-hp peak, and with a 19-hp “continuous” rating, now powered by an intriguing-sounding battery system incorporating eight individually swappable packs with a total capacity of 14.4 kWh. LCC says it is enough for up to 124 miles of range, although that is a prediction rather than a validated number. The total weight is a claimed 1100 pounds.

Can Be Used on the Road in the U.K.

Buyers in Europe will be able to specify an optional Road Pack that adds a windscreen and a dinky little pair of “handclap” wipers, plus mirrors, mudguards, and light—the ones at the front seeming to be rally-style spots under covers. Selecting this means that the car will qualify as a “quadricycle,” allowing it to be registered for road use, although not to be operated on higher-speed highways. (In some European countries it also means that 14-year-olds will be able to drive it.) Sadly, it won’t pass U.S. federal standards to allow the same legality in the States, although it may qualify for neighborhood-only use in some areas.

There are plenty of other neat details; we love the fact the Wild One Max’s decals will arrive on a huge sticker sheet like the original kit. The cabin also gets an instrument display screen and a rugged set of waterproof switches for both direction selection and various functions. The limited-to-100 Launch Edition will also have carbon-fiber trim.

Should Be Fun Off-Road

Like its inspiration, the Wild One Max should be pretty talented in the dirt thanks to 10.6 inches of ground clearance, a 34.1-degree approach angle, and a 50.8-degree departure. The 14-inch wheels wear road-spec tires up front but aggressive Maxxis Bighorn off-road rubber at the rear. It looks like it would be a blast to throw it around in the dirt, although—unlike the RC version—it isn’t going to be easy to turn over by hand if over-exuberance leads to a roll.

But the many upgrades from LCC’s original proposal have come at a hefty price. In the U.K. the Tamiya Wild One Max will start at around $45,000 at current exchange rates. That’s serious money for a toy, but then, this does look to be a very serious toy.

Senior European Correspondent

Mike Duff has been writing about the auto industry for two decades and calls the UK home, although he normally lives life on the road. He loves old cars and adventure in unlikely places, with career highlights including driving to Chernobyl in a Lada.