"Batteries notwithstanding this is a cool remote control car; one of the best --if just a bit energy-draining-- I've ever seen."

---from the review

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You've heard it all before: boys love to smash cars. They love the hot wheels sets where an obstacle makes the cars smash, they love the remote control cars that can be crashed together, and they love the pieced together cars that can be assembled, smashed to pieces, then put together again. Don't ask me why it's popular. It just is. I should know; back in the day, I was the exact same way!

So, along comes this remote control car called the "Regenerator." This is a remote control car about a foot long from fender to fender, with a specially manufactured hull. Smash the front of the car against any silid object (heck; even smacking it with the palm of your hand will do) and the car crumples like an accordion. The remote control alleges a reception of up to 50 meters so feel free to have a real long head start before smashing it against something solid; the stronger the smash, the stronger the "damage" effect. Cool.

Here's what's cooler; see, while everybody likes a "demolition derby" made into a toy, they don't like the clean up any more than the rest of us. So, the manufacturers of The Regenerator added this little red button in the middle of the remote. Press it, and the car uncrushes itself, right back to normal. I know; it sounds too good to be true, right? Well, I tested it, and I'm telling you; it works. Quite nicely, I may add.

What this boils down to is a remote control demolition car that can be crashed and recrashed at will, for as long as the battery power will last you (which we'll be getting to in a bit!). What's even cooler; there is a red car and a black car, whose remotes operate on totally different frequencies! So, if you have two kids in your family you can basically buy one black and one red car and smash them together. Mind you; the toy is not made "special" so that smashing two cars is any different from smashing one. BUT...I'd say a lot of moms would appreciate the possibility of smashing one car against another, than continuously smashing the car against the living room wall! So; maybe you want two.

As a toy itself, this is pretty well built. Even if your child smashes this car in a four-car pileup of sorts, it can still be put together relatively easily, thanks to each part of the hull being connected via a snap-on area near the frame of the toy. If any piece falls off after a crash, simply re-snap the door or fender back onto the frame of the car. As for the remote, it's equally well made with an antenna smartly made to be flimsy, and not one of those fragile aluminum extending antennas. So, this toy is built to take a beating...which is the whole point.

If only this toy was made more energy efficient, maybe I could give it the highest rating possible. Unfortunately it isn't, so I can't. While I've yet to run out of juice as quickly (doesn't anyone turn off a toy when not in use?), it needs to be said that no remote control toy lasts forever in the energy department. This is all the more of a concern for The Regenerator, which, although it accepts the standard 6V rechargable battery that most remote control toys use, does not come with such a battery. Instead, parents will have to settle for using 5 double A batteries (plus the 9 volt the remote needs), or else buy the 6 volt recharger, seperately. While the toy will not last any longer one way or another; at least with the recharger you're not buying any more batteries.

However, the same thing can be said of any toy, so this isn't a major concern. It's also bittersweet to admit that the batteries may not wear out after just one day of use because how long can a child keep banging this car over and over before they take a breather...? Then again; when it comes to demolition derby style toys, this is the best ever made. It may need some fine tuning when it comes to battery consumption, but so what? You'll be too busy smashing and "regeneratng" to care...until you need a recharge, anyway. Still, it's a load of fun while the batteries last.

 Click on picture to Order this toy.