For
pint-sized petrol heads.
Kids
these days; if they're not grabbing your smartphone to text and Skype
with their friends, their probably using their own. Kids these days,
eh? Next they'll be driving around in their own little cars! Oh wait,
they are. We review once such example from Kids@Play... the 12V Black
Panther Battery-powered Car.
You know what we mean, right? This is one of those battery-powered, mostly plastic, mini cars designed for kids aged three plus. The Kids@Play 12V Black Panther Car is unique in that not only can it be charged and driven about by a single wee one, but Kids@Play have managed to create something that looks really cool and very realistic. It's part Batmobile, part high performance super car. And yep, we've had a butt-load of fun testing it.
First
up; mum and dad. The 12V battery inside the Black Panther is stored
under the seat and requires charging (adaptor included, with the
charging port easily accessible next to the seat) for a good eight to
ten hours. That long charge time is necessary, because once juiced up
this thing can achieve 2.2 mph consistently for up to two hours. So
leave you kid in this to roam free, and they'll end up 4.5 miles away
from home. Best to pack 'em a lunch.
And
the kiddos could definitely forget how far they have gone because not
only does the Kids@Play 12V Black Panther Car offer a very smooth and
comfortable ride, the car even has it's own stereo system. What may
look like just a pretend radio to the left of the steering wheel,
actually is a very real and functioning one, able to pick up FM
stations. But that's not all. There is also a USB port to attach a
flash drive with music on it, a Micro SD Card slot for the same, and
an Auxiliary port so the kids can plug in your (or their) phone or
mp3 player. The stereo speakers are capable of churning out quite a
powerful sound – certainly loud enough to drown out the noise of
the electric motor whirling away while in transit.
To
get the car going is super simple. First (and this is one for the
adults) the battery needs to be connected beneath the seat. The seat
fortunately locks reassuringly firmly into place, so little fingers
can't get in there to mess around with the battery or wires. Next the
pint-sized pilot sits in the car, hoisting up the cool twin-linked
doors to get entry. He or she then slaps the ignition button, pops
the gear stick to the right of the steering wheel upwards (downwards
is for reverse, while centred is neutral) then presses the
accelerator floor pedal.
The
Kids@Play 12V Black Panther Car zooms off at quite a pace and
achieves it's top speed in no time at all. Handling is then managed
by the very responsive steering wheel, while breaking is accomplished
by simply taking your foot off the pedal – the car doesn't roll
forwards, carried by momentum. Thank God.
Buckets
of fun, the Kids@Play 12V Black Panther Car was totally adored by our
kids and their friends, and the only thing we wished we could have
had more of was space for them to drive it around. From a parents
perspective it seems to be quite hard wearing, and although the
wheels are plastic they have a tough rubber ring around them which
makes contact with the ground, taking the brunt of the wear. Also the
front and rear body pieces are fairly flexible, so even slight
collisions with garden fences and sign posts on pavements won't do
too much damage to the car itself. And yes, there is also a set of
small caster wheels on the rear end, so mums and dads can hoist it up
and roll it back into the garage for a charge up at the end of the
day. That's much better than our real grown-up car!
For
something truly unique and exciting for the kid who longs to get
behind the wheel (and who also has an eye for motoring style) the
Kids@Play 12V Black Panther Car is a definite investment.
Visit
www.kids-at-play.com
