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The Little Car Company in the U.K. is building a full-size version of the 1:10-scale Tamiya Wild One RC car.Its eight swappable battery packs will offer a claimed 124 miles of range.The Wild One will make its public debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed next weekend and will be priced at the equivalent of around $45,000.Many kids wish their remote control cars could become real, and now a British company has managed that magical transformation. Yes, this is indeed a fully drivable adult-size version of the rugged 1:10 Tamiya Wild One RC off-roader that was a smash hit when it was launched in 1985. It has a top speed of 62 mph and will be street legal in Europe, although not, sadly, in the U.S.Related StoriesThe Wild One Max is set to meet the public for the first time at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed. Behind the Tamiya branding, it is the work of The Little Car Company in England, the same outfit that has made tiny, beautiful, and very expensive EV versions of classic cars, like the Bugatti Baby II that we sampled in 2020. While LCC’s earlier products have been downsized, this one is substantially larger—both when compared to the original RC car that inspired it and against LCC’s original proposal.The Little Car CompanyThe Little Car CompanyThat one was announced in 2021 as a single-seater without a windscreen, powered by a 5.5-hp electric motor that was supplied from a tiny 2.0-kWh battery pack. LCC said it was targeting a range of 25 miles, and performance was more mild than wild: a top speed of just 30 mph. It was also going to be sold as a build-it-yourself kit (like the original Wild One RC car) with the anticipated retail price being $8250. The Little Car CompanyBigger, Brawnier, PricierMuch has changed in two years. The finished Wild One Max is bigger, brawnier, and far more expensive than the original proposal. It is both longer and wider, the cockpit now broad enough to allow two occupants, with an overall length of 141.7 inches. It also gets a revised front suspension, with double wishbones replacing trailing arms and long-travel Eibach springs and Bilstein dampers at each corner.The Little Car CompanyPerformance has been increased substantially as well. The finished car uses a single motor capable of delivering a 37-hp peak, and with a 19-hp “continuous” rating, now powered by an intriguing-sounding battery system incorporating eight individually swappable packs with a total capacity of 14.4 kWh. LCC says it is enough for up to 124 miles of range, although that is a prediction rather than a validated number. The total weight is a claimed 1100 pounds.Can Be Used on the Road in the U.K.Buyers in Europe will be able to specify an optional Road Pack that adds a windscreen and a dinky little pair of “handclap” wipers, plus mirrors, mudguards, and light—the ones at the front seeming to be rally-style spots under covers. Selecting this means that the car will qualify as a “quadricycle,” allowing it to be registered for road use, although not to be operated on higher-speed highways. (In some European countries it also means that 14-year-olds will be able to drive it.) Sadly, it won’t pass U.S. federal standards to allow the same legality in the States, although it may qualify for neighborhood-only use in some areas.The Little Car CompanyThere are plenty of other neat details; we love the fact the Wild One Max’s decals will arrive on a huge sticker sheet like the original kit. The cabin also gets an instrument display screen and a rugged set of waterproof switches for both direction selection and various functions. The limited-to-100 Launch Edition will also have carbon-fiber trim.Should Be Fun Off-RoadLike its inspiration, the Wild One Max should be pretty talented in the dirt thanks to 10.6 inches of ground clearance, a 34.1-degree approach angle, and a 50.8-degree departure. The 14-inch wheels wear road-spec tires up front but aggressive Maxxis Bighorn off-road rubber at the rear. It looks like it would be a blast to throw it around in the dirt, although—unlike the RC version—it isn’t going to be easy to turn over by hand if over-exuberance leads to a roll.But the many upgrades from LCC’s original proposal have come at a hefty price. In the U.K. the Tamiya Wild One Max will start at around $45,000 at current exchange rates. That’s serious money for a toy, but then, this does look to be a very serious toy. Senior European CorrespondentMike Duff has been writing about the auto industry for two decades and calls the UK home, although he normally lives life on the road. He loves old cars and adventure in unlikely places, with career highlights including driving to Chernobyl in a Lada. More

Four Honda models and one Acura are being recalled over a brake problem that is blamed on cylinder separation and could cause the brakes to fail. Documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) state that as many as 124,077 vehicles could be affected. Owners will be notified by August 7, 2023.Honda and Acura have announced a recall affecting several models due to a brake issue that could compromise the strength or full use of the brakes. The recall encompasses the Honda Civic (2020–2021), Passport (2021–2023), Pilot (2021–2022), and Ridgeline (2020–2023) and a single Acura model, the MDX (2020). According to the official recall report filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the problem stems from improper assembly of the tie rod fastener that connects the brake master cylinder and the brake booster. When the brake is applied, the documents explain, the tie rod studs may break, causing the master cylinder to separate from the brake booster. This manufacturing problem could cause the brakes to weaken or fail altogether, increasing the risk of a crash. Honda says it has received two warranty claims related to the problem but has received no notice of any accidents or injuries. Owners can consult the NHTSA recalls website to learn if their vehicle is included in the recall, and Honda will send recall notices in August. Other Recent RecallsSummer Editorial InternAlessandra Kaestner, a Chicago native, has always been interested in journalism. She remembers listening to NPR every day before school with her parents and trying to race her dad to get the New York Times from the front door. Alessandra continued her passion for journalism by working at her university’s newspaper during her first year and into her sophomore year: the Cornell Daily Sun. She is majoring in psychology and philosophy and wants to explore law and journalism. Although she does not have a lot of background in the world of cars, Alessandra is interested in expanding her knowledge and gaining experience. She could not be more excited to work with so many talented people at Car and Driver. More

The Ferrari 400i was never officially sold in the United States, but many found their way here as gray-market imports.Styled by Pininfarina, the four-seat coupe featured a 4.8-liter V-12 paired with a three-speed automatic transmission. This example sold two years ago for $49,750.Car and DriverMost famous for the chrome-festooned 1949 Buick Roadmaster that appears in so much of the movie, 1988’s Rain Man also features some pretty choice machinery in the opening credits. Today’s pick from Bring A Trailer, which like Car and Driver is part of the Hearst Autos Group, is a 1982 Ferrari 400i that’s a near-match for the first car Tom Cruise’s character drives in the movie. A European-spec coupe imported into the U.S. in 1982, it is as imposing in all-business black as il Commentadore himself, soft-spoken, but with a 4.8-liter V-12 under the hood.More 4-seat FerrarisThe opening to Rain Man reveals a red Lamborghini Countach flying through the air—actually, it’s being unloaded from a ship via an overhead crane. The car is lowered to join three other Countachs, each one a bewinged adolescent fantasy, as Tom Cruise looks on, dressed like a “Miami Vice” extra. The cars are gray-market imports, and they’re being held up at customs by the EPA, which is central to the initial tension of the film. Cruise drives away in a silver 1983 Ferrari 400i.Bring a TrailerMany Italian exotics weren’t officially sold in the U.S. in the 1980s, and gray market importing frequently involved a little hustling. Ferrari never bothered selling its V-12 gran turismo in the U.S. in the 1980s because why would you? A national 55-mph speed limit and tough environmental regulations made the States an ill-suited environment for such a car.Still, there were plenty of speed-obsessed Ferrari aficionados willing to jump through hoops or cut corners to get their hands on the forbidden fruit. This 1982 Ferrari 400i evidently is the product of such determination, as it was imported in January 1982.Bring a TrailerThe 400 replaced the 365 GT4 2+2 as Ferrari’s front-engine V-12 grand tourer and was the first Ferrari available with an automatic transmission. This later 400i got fuel injection for its 4.8-liter Colombo V-12, making it good for 306 horsepower. With its wedgy Pininfarina body and five-spoke wheels, it just oozes class. This Ferrari is all business.Bring a TrailerWith 51K miles on the odometer and a few discreet stone chips, this is not the kind of Ferrari you park in a glass-windowed garage and never use. This is the kind you drive, and if the three-speed automatic might dissuade any would-be Michael Schumachers in the audience, it’s perfect for weekend cruising.Bring a TrailerFurther, with 2+2 seating, you can bring the whole family along. Although given how lovely those tan seats look, no ice cream cones in the car—sorry, kids. This auction ends on July 13.Contributing EditorBrendan McAleer is a freelance writer and photographer based in North Vancouver, B.C., Canada. He grew up splitting his knuckles on British automobiles, came of age in the golden era of Japanese sport-compact performance, and began writing about cars and people in 2008. His particular interest is the intersection between humanity and machinery, whether it is the racing career of Walter Cronkite or Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki’s half-century obsession with the Citroën 2CV. He has taught both of his young daughters how to shift a manual transmission and is grateful for the excuse they provide to be perpetually buying Hot Wheels. More

It stands to reason that dangerous driving on public roads puts people in danger. So, if there are more high-speed police pursuits (and there are), then it makes sense that there would be more injuries and deaths (and there are).A new, unofficial policy in New York City resulted in a 600 percent increase in police vehicle pursuits earlier this year with a tenor that one New York Police Department official has called “reckless.” In Los Angeles, deaths and injuries from high-speed chases are on the rise, especially for some unfortunate innocent bystanders. Police chases might be entertaining in the movies, but they can be dangerous to people who get caught up in them. In New York City, a policy shift toward more aggressive tactics resulted in an increase in police vehicle pursuits of almost 600 percent in the first few months of 2023. Over in Los Angeles, about a quarter of the time when law enforcement vehicles give chase, someone dies or is injured. In Michigan, police pursuits have resulted in 60 deaths in the past five years.Some of these dangerous pursuits are the consequence of quiet rules changes. According to The City, a New York City–based publication, John Chell—the new NYPD chief of patrol, who stepped into the role in December 2022—is behind the push for more enforcement, including more chases. As one unidentified NYPD official told The City, “Chell’s going out himself. On a Friday night at three in the morning, he’s out there. It’s just an aggressive tenor now that’s reckless. I’ve never seen it like this.”More Than 300 Chases in Three Months As The City notes, New York City has a rule from its 2016 NYPD patrol guide that requires officers to terminate a vehicle pursuit “whenever the risks to uniformed members of the service and the public outweigh the danger to the community if [the] suspect is not immediately apprehended.” But under Chell, the NYPD’s unofficial pursuit policy change resulted in more than 300 chases in the first three months of 2023, up nearly 600 percent from the first three months of 2022. From the C/D Archive (2017)This is such a big increase that the city has already had more vehicle pursuits in the first three months of 2023 than it did in all of 2022 (when there were 214 chases). The NYPD has also been making more traffic stops this year (11 percent more in the first quarter of 2023 compared to the same time in 2022), which The City said is likely leading to more pursuits. “Ghost Cars” and Dirt BikesWhen C/D contacted the NYPD for comment, we were referred to a video showing Chell’s announcement of second-quarter NYC crime statistics this week. In it, Chell answered a reporter’s question about the increase in high-speed pursuits by saying that some of the biggest complaints from the community a year ago were about illegal dirt bikes and reckless driving from “ghost cars,” cars without legal tags or stolen vehicles.”We also realized that the street violence we were getting at the time involved the same types of vehicles as related to robberies, shootings,” Chell said. “So we made a pledge: ‘No more.’ You are not going to drive around this city in a reckless manner and think you can do whatever you want to do with your attitude and commit crimes at that rate.””You are not going to drive around this city in a reckless manner and think you can do whatever you want to do.” —John Chell, NYPDThe police force has increased its pursuit presence, The City notes, through its plainclothes Community Response Teams. These were set up to, in part, deal with drivers of vehicles that shouldn’t be in NYC: ATVs and motorbikes, cars with temporary plates, and stolen vehicles.Since NYPD established the Community Response Teams, Chell said, the department has taken 9700 illegal bikes and ghost cars off the street so far in 2023 and 25,000 in the last two years. Chell said calls about reckless driving in NYC are down and vehicle pursuits are up. “I’ll say it again: the days of driving around this city, lawless, doing what you think you’re going to do? They’re over,” he said. 1000+ Deaths or Injuries in L.A. Since 2018Los Angeles is dealing with its own high-speed-chase problems. According to statistics from the local Board of Police Commissioners cited by the Los Angeles Times and other media, in the 4200 police chases since 2018, over 1000 resulted in death or injury. The true unfortunates, though, are the people who were injured or died in these incidents and who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. About 500 of the pursuit-related injuries (and three deaths) were to unconnected bystanders. The Los Angeles Times notes that the annual number of bystander injuries has been steadily increasing in the past five years.KIM KULISH|Getty ImagesHow to correctly end a high-speed chase has been studied for decades. In 1990, for example, the U.S. Department of Justice issued “Restrictive Policies for High-Speed Police Pursuits,” a report on how different police departments regulated their officers’ chase situations. The report recommended that a police department’s pursuit policy should set the conditions for a chase well before anyone starts speeding away. Defining the environmental conditions in which pursuits may or may not be conducted is important, for example, as is clearly defining the rules for terminating a pursuit.Vehicle pursuit rules are in place for police departments today. The UCLA Police Department, for example, has clearly defined rules about radio usage, firearm rules (“The use of firearms to disable a pursued vehicle is not generally an effective tactic and involves all the dangers associated with discharging firearms,” the UCLA PD said), and much more in order to to provide officers guidance on how to “[balance] the safety of the public and themselves against law enforcement’s duty to apprehend violators of the law.” This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.From the C/D ArchiveContributing EditorSebastian Blanco has been writing about electric vehicles, hybrids, and hydrogen cars since 2006. His articles and car reviews have appeared in the New York Times, Automotive News, Reuters, SAE, Autoblog, InsideEVs, Trucks.com, Car Talk, and other outlets. His first green-car media event was the launch of the Tesla Roadster, and since then he has been tracking the shift away from gasoline-powered vehicles and discovering the new technology’s importance not just for the auto industry, but for the world as a whole. Throw in the recent shift to autonomous vehicles, and there are more interesting changes happening now than most people can wrap their heads around. You can find him on Twitter or, on good days, behind the wheel of a new EV.  More