When I was a child, all I wanted was a Little Tykes Cozy Cruiser. But seeing as kids these days gets their own iPads before they can walk, it only seems appropriate that their tastes have grown beyond plastic foot-powered cars.
Meet Henes Co., a Korean company that makes drivable toy cars that have more features than my 2008 Volkswagen Rabbit. Henes’ luxurious electric toy cars can come with such “real car” features as disc brakes, all-wheel drive, four-wheel independent suspension with gas shock absorbers, a multi-link steering system, aluminum alloy differential, functional turn signals, brake lights, headlights, an MP3 player, stereo speakers, an ergonomic leather bucket seat, and even a built-in seven-inch Android tablet.
Any kid should be lucky to have their own mini Jaguar.
Handout, Henes
The cars, which are about four feet long and look like tiny versions of real cars, are powered by a 24-volt battery pack and have an electronic gear shifter with four modes: park, reverse, neutral and drive. The steering wheel, accelerator and brake pedal are also electronic. The cars also come with a Bluetooth remote so parents can prevent their spoiled lucky children from pulling a Steve McQueen and drag racing the other neighbourhood kids. This could be a legitimate concern, as these electric cars have a top speed of a blazing 16 km/h.
Henes currently sells five models: one sedan-like model (that looks suspiciously like a Jaguar), three roadsters, and one Hummer/Jeep-looking “off-roader” with four-wheel drive. Pricing has not yet been confirmed, but Wired says the toys will start at about $800 each for a stock model.
The cars, which were, no surprise, designed by professionals from the auto industry, are billed as “the safest and most advanced kids electric ride-on car.”
