This one is large enough to drive.
The Tamiya Wild One will be instantly recognized by car-crazy kids of the 1980s. It was featured in R/C Car Action back then, alongside other radio-controlled 1/10 scale must-haves such as the Grasshopper and Hornet. Tamiya released the Wild One again in 2012, but it’s not been as spectacular as this. The latest Wild One is a actual dunes buggy large enough to drive.
Officially called the Wild One Max, this buggy is 8/10th scale and doesn’t require R/C controls. The buggy is a legitimate people-sized model with enough power to reach speeds of 30 mph and seating for one person. The Little Car Company built it under a Tamiya license. If that name sounds familiar, it is the same niche builder who created the Baby Bugatti and the cute Aston Martin DB5 Junior.
It’s actually more accurate to say that all parts of the Wild One Max are made by The Little Car Company. Tamiya says that this nearly-full-size model can be assembled at home, piece-by-piece, much like the 1/10-scale original. Once your Wild One Max is assembled, there is a huge sticker sheet that can be used to dress it up. There’s even an image of a Wild One Max box. Although Tamiya does not specifically state that the 550-pound drivable dunes buggy will come in a large box, we hope it does.
The Wild One Max, like the other drivable offerings by The Little Car Company is powered by an electric motor. However, unlike the other, it’s perfectly appropriate. The rear wheels are driven by a single motor, which is powered by a 2kWh battery that can last for 25 miles. Peak power is listed at 5.5 horsepower (4 kilowatts). To corral that power, Wild One Max has 15-inch offroad tires, coil-over suspension and Brembo brakes.
The top speed is 30 mph. However, you can “hop-ups” to increase power, range and other customizations. Vehicle options may be a better term, but R/C enthusiasts love hop-ups and the all-encompassing nature that makes this big buggy feel as old-fashioned as possible. You can even get hop-ups that make the buggy road-legal in Europe and the USA. Imagine the joy of riding this car to Cars & Coffee or Radwood. You can.
The Wild One Max is currently in development and will be released sometime in 2022. The price will be reasonable, starting at PS6,000 in the UK and EUR7000 elsewhere in Europe. It will also retail for $8,250 in the USA. It’s like living your childhood dream of driving your favorite radio-controlled toys.