RC stunt drift car

A drift car that comes with a games controller rather than a pistol grip. Two thumbsticks, held the way a child already holds a console pad — one for the throttle, one for the steering. Lean into a corner and the back end lets go, and the wheels light up while it slides.

What it builds

• Two-thumb coordination, which is a real skill and the reason this is harder than it looks
• Catching a slide before it becomes a spin, then doing it on purpose
• Setting up a course out of whatever is on the floor and driving it faster each time
• Taking turns, since the controller passes between hands in a second

Why we stock it

Children who play games are already fluent with two thumbsticks, and this is the first remote control car that meets them there. It also drifts rather than just going fast, which is the difference between a toy that is exciting for ten minutes and one that can be practised. The cartoon body is deliberate — it is a character with headlights and a spoiler, not a scale model that gets judged on accuracy.

The details

Age

6 and up

Remote

Two-stick gamepad, two-handed

Drives

Forward, back, left, right

Drift

Slides sideways under throttle

Lights

Headlights and light-up wheels

Power

Rechargeable, USB cable included

Surface

Smooth hard floors. Carpet stops the slide.

In the box

The car, the gamepad remote and a USB charging cable. Charge it before the first go.

Care

Indoors, on hard smooth floors. Drifting throws grit straight into the wheels, so keep it off patios and out of the garden — sand in the axles is what ends these cars. Wipe it with a dry cloth, never a wet one; there is a charging port in the body. Charge it when it slows rather than leaving it flat for months.

Specifications colours and content may vary from illustrations