When I was a kid, the next step for me after the Meccano set was to build a wooden go-kart under the watchful eye of my dad. These days, however, kids have turn-key solutions for entertainment, as in apps and games on tablet PCs, children-oriented TV, as well as toy cars that cost a little fortune.
Introducing the Firefly. Developed and built by Young Driver, the price for this means of mass distraction is... wait for it... a mind-boggling £5,750 without accounting for VAT. Vector in the value added tax, and you’re looking at a kid car that costs more than the cheapest new car on sale in the UK.
Yup, it’s either the Young Driver Firefly or James May’s favorite, the Dacia Sandero. To be a little more specific, the black plastic bumper-equipped Sandero Access with the 1.2-liter 16v engine and no air con. In the Firefly, air conditioning is pretty much obsolete because here we have an open-top EV.
It’s not as pretty or exhilarating as a Tesla Roadster, but it’s getting there. For starters, it is propelled by two electric motors, just like a Tesla Model S P100D. Then there’s the digital instrument cluster, which comes in the form of a tablet that integrates the speedometer, power reserve indicator, clock, the whole nine yards. Also, the body shell can be made from real carbon fiber provided that you’re the kind of parent with deep, deep pockets.
The list of goodies continues with a top speed of 10 mph (16 km/h), independent suspension, LED headlights and taillights, turn signals, twin 12V batteries, an adjustable driver’s seat, tire pressure sensors, and hydraulic disc brakes. What’s more, the Firefly can be stopped remotely by the parent from up to 130 yards (120 meters) away. Heck, I'm knockin' on 30 yet I want one for myself, chiefly because I want to freak out my easily frightened cat.
“Firefly is something very special, it’s a real car in its own right, designed, engineered ,and manufactured in the Midlands, Great Britain – home of the car industry,” commented Kim Stanton, the head honcho of Young Driver.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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