Tamiya Wild One Max – 80s R/C buggy reborn as adult-sized electric off-roader; 14.4 kWh; 96 km/h top speed

The Little Car Company (TLCC) has revealed the first details of the Tamiya Wild One Max Launch Edition, which will make its full debut this summer ahead of deliveries in early 2024. Initially announced in 2021 to go on sale in 2022, the project faced delays due to industry-wide supply delays, the company said in its release.

However, the extra time allowed it to take in feedback from deposit holders throughout the design and development process, allowing upgrades to be made for higher performance and greater usability.

Before getting into the details, here’s a brief recap. If you’re a fan of radio-controlled (R/C) cars in the ‘80s, the name might sound familiar to you. This is because Tamiya released the original Wild One R/C car in 1985, which went on to become one of the brand’s most iconic models, so much so that it was re-released in 2012.

Developed under licence from Tamiya, The Wild One Max serves as a faithful reproduction of said R/C car inspired by Baja 500 cars, albeit as a full-scale vehicle. The company responsible for building it is TLCC, which manufactures limited-edition electric scaled cars in partnership car brands such as the Bugatti Baby II, Aston Martin DB5 Junior and Ferrari Testa Rossa J.

In its finalised form, the Wild One Max now comes with seating for two instead of just one (this was highly requested by customers), resulting in a body that is wider by 0.1 metres at 1.9 metres. The length has also been increased by the same amount to be 3.6 metres, while the kerb weight has doubled to 500 kg.

The increased heft is due to the revised power supply system, which now features eight removable battery packs with a total capacity of 14.4 kWh. The company didn’t provide a range estimate, but it will most likely be a lot more compared to the 40 km provided by the original plan of fitting a 2-kWh battery pack. The batteries power a rear electric motor with undisclosed outputs that can propel the vehicle to a top speed of 96 km/h, double that initial 48 km/h claim.

Meanwhile, the exposed suspension components include Bilstein dampers coupled with Eibach springs, with the car featuring double wishbones at the front instead of a trailing arm design. According to TLCC, the Wild One Max has a ground clearance of 270 mm, an approach angle of 34.1 degrees, a breakover angle of 28.4 degrees and a departure angle of 50.8 degrees, so it’s not just all show and no go when the terrain gets tough.

The Wild One Max Launch Edition also gets 14-inch wheels, chunky off-road tyres and Brembo disc brakes. As for the interior, you’ll find Cobra bucket seats with four-point harnesses, an IP-rated five-inch digital screen and marine specification switches.

If you’re wondering if the Wild One Max can be driven on the road, the answer is yes. TLCC says 95% of existing deposit holders who paid the 100 British pounds (RM565) said they were interested in a road legal option for the car, so it developed the Launch Edition to come with a road legal pack in the United Kingdom and European Union under L7e quadricycle regulations.

The Wild One Max is a childhood fantasy come to life, but sadly, only 100 examples will be made. Perhaps TLCC will partner with Tamiya again to bring other memorable off-road R/C buggies like the Sand Scorcher, Rough Rider and Hornet to full-scale form in the future.

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