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British supercar brand McLaren clearly likes toying with its fans because its newest model is a battery-powered hypercar for the under sevens. It would appear that with its latest offering, McLaren has taken recent surveys regarding the next generation of drivers and their willingness to get behind the wheel of an electric car quite literally.
The newest edition to the British supercar maker’s range is a full plug-in electric version of its P1 hybrid hypercar. What’s more, unlike the existing version — each example of which has already found a home — this one is an open-top roadster and one that also borrows the legendary McLaren F1’s central driver’s seat setup. However, before you get too excited, there’s a catch.
This particular McLaren will probably not be suitable for drivers over the age of six.
Unveiled on Monday at its space-aged UK headquarters alongside its legendary Formula One, Le Mans and road-going cars, the Ride On McLaren P1 is McLaren’s first ever drivable toy car. It will be sold initially as a McLaren dealer network exclusive for £375 ($485) starting in late October. Towards the end of 2016 the car will also go on sale at selected retailers.
However, for that premium outlay, drivers will get a car that can go from standstill to its top speed (5km/h) in three seconds, that boasts three forward and one reverse gear, plus an MP3 player that comes pre-loaded with classic nursery rhymes. The car also features working lights, a push-button start and, while it will only be available in Volcano Yellow, the car will sport McLaren’s trademark dihedral upward opening doors.
As for the company’s full-size
cars, though work is progressing on an all-electric supercar and even more efficient plug-in hybrid powertrains, the first truly zero-emissions road-going McLaren isn’t expected until 2022.