Here He Comes!

During a recent Thanksgiving visit from my friend and his wife I received a gift that lived up to my friend's description as "a killer present." When I told my wife the exciting news -prior to my finding out exactly what the gift was- she was livid, convinced that it was a cigar. "You are not smoking it!" she warned. She was pleasantly surprised, and I was only mildly disappointed. . .until I had a chance to play with my new toy. My wife, far from disapproving, was a little jealous, and I had to keep reminding her that this was my present. She had, after all, received a very nice, fragrant package of Tuscany soap. (A review of the soap WILL NOT be forthcoming)!

Jada Toys 110 Remote Control Speed Racer -or more accurately, Mach 5- is a sleek, svelte, sexy little machine that will bring out the kid in just about anyone but the stodgiest of individuals. Race cars generally appeal to boys more than girls, but as I mentioned, my wife coveted my gift, and I had to let her try it first!

Operation of this 13" toy treasure is relatively simple: just insert several batteries and go! The remote control takes a single nine-volt D battery, and the Mach 5 requires four AA's, located under the front end. To install the batteries you will need a small Philips head screwdriver, which is not as convenient as simply sliding or snapping the battery covers on and off. But this is minor.

The remote control unit is approximately 3" x 2.5" x .75", has a 9" wire antenna capped with a red plastic tip, and contains two joysticks. The joystick on the left moves the car backward and forward, while the one on the right steers the vehicle. I had some initial difficulty coordinating speed and steering, but eventually was able to master miniature driving. There are two false controls in between and underneath the joysticks, which serve only a decorative function. I thought at first that one of them regulated the speed, but none do. Jada Toys 110 Remote Control Speed Racer operates on 27 megahertz. I tried moving it back and forth in the living room, but there are too many obstacles and I didn't want a fender-bender. At first I reasoned that the cat would at least find it curious, but Rocky expressed no interest whatsoever.

I love this toy, and my wife and I had a blast racing the tiny vehicle around a nearby public park. A knowledge of the iconic Japanese cartoon series is not even necessary, although I think that because I grew up watching the cartoons I had a deeper appreciation than someone who did not. The Mach 5 has a range of about 200 yards, and although it does not go very fast, the attraction for me was practicing maneuvers and racing the car as far idea as I could, terminating the end of the range with a dramatic semi-circular spin. Then I would take the vehicle back, racing inches from where my eager feet were planted, to screech to a stop in front of the bench where my wife was sitting, eager for her turn. We did experience a few mishaps, crashing the Mach 5 into the grass, but this caused no harm. Once I accidentally collided with my own foot, which knocked out the power temporarily, forcing me to turn the switches on and off. (Both the remote control unit and the actual car have on and off switches, the former with a red LED indicating when the power is on). What would Pops say to that, I wonder?

A few minuses plague this toy, as minuses plague everything and everybody. Never in any of my reviews have I indicated that a product, item or service has no cons. There are always cons. First is the aforementioned inconvenience of installing the batteries. Second is the fact that the toy does not come with batteries, and batteries are a little pricey. Third is the irritating grinding noise, like the little car needs a muffler. Fourth is that the vehicle doesn't go very fast. Fifth, and probably the most glaring, is that there is no Speed Racer! The vehicle is replicated down to the last detail, and looks great. But what about Speed? Trixie in the passenger seat would be nice, too, but at least the car should have a driver. In spite of everything, all of the aforementioned cons, this was a wonderful gift. I can't play with my new toy without singing, humming or hearing in my head that classic theme song from the original show: "Here he comes, here comes Speed Racer. . ."