Two years ago, The Little Car Company (TLCC) announced it would be adding a left-field option to its catalog of battery-electric scaled cars: The Tamiya Wild One. The Tamiya was originally a revelation among remote controlled cars when released in 1985, fitted with working, car-like suspension and half-shafts. TLCC’s version was planned to be a faithful repro of the original in eight-tenths scale, down to the single seat and exposed dampers. The global industrial situation elongated the development cycle, but TLCC is ready with the near-production version of what’s called the Tamiya Wild One Max Launch Edition
The public unveiling won’t come until summer. For now, we know one of the biggest changes is the addition of a second seat. Dimensions rise from 137.8 inches long and and 70.8 inches wide to 141.7 inches long and 74.8 inches wide. The previous version was as long as a Fiat 500 and as wide as a Volkswagen Golf. The new version is a couple of inches longer than the Fiat and four inches wider than the VW.
Those two seats come with four-point harnesses instead of three-point. The drivetrain counts top-tier suppliers, with Bilstein dampers, Eibach springs, and Brembo brakes. The front suspension gets the massive upgrade of going from a trailing arm attached to the bumper/stinger bar to double wishbones, the dampers no longer exposed but leaning into a metal shroud. Maxxis tires carry over, but they wrap 14-inch wheels instead of the earlier 15-inchers and create 10.6 inches of ground clearance.
Eight batteries provide a total pack capacity of 14.4 kWh. Range was estimated at 25 miles for the initial announcement, courtesy of an electric motor generating 5.5 horsepower and a top speed of 30 miles per hour. TLCC didn’t provide an updated range or power estimates, but the top speed’s doubled to 60 mph. All those details will come during the debut, while a five-inch screen in the cockpit will keep drivers apprised of vitals.
TLCC plans to make 100 examples of the launch edition, production commencing early next year. Further variants with different specs to follow. There’s going to be an accessories catalog, too, offering must-have kit like a windshield and windshield wipers