As if already being sent an RC Bumblebee wasn’t already pretty cool, we were excited to receive a Radio Control Ultimate Cruz Ramirez from Simba Smoby. The car ties in with the popular movie starring the vehicular character, Cars 3. We immediately flung some batteries into it and started racing it up and down the corridor when we realised some important facts.

First of all this thing was fast. It was fast and it was a crazy skidding machine. This is the Tokyo Drift of remote control cars. As such we were not particularly good at not smashing it into every chair leg and kitchen appliance that got in its way. We knew immediately that this wild bronco needed a bit of space to be truly put to the test. We then experienced the wettest, coldest most miserable period of weather we’d ever seen and poor Cruz was grounded until we could get him on the tarmac.

In the interim, we continued to clatter him around the house. Cruz Ramirez is not just a wild skidding RC car. Careful attention has been taken to add a bit of drama to Cruz’s driving. If you fill a small reservoir with water, you can make Cruz emit realistic tyre smoke. He also has a ‘rev-up’ function that makes him tremble and shake before he takes off at lightning speed. It was all really cool to see but we wanted to let him out to see what he could really do.

Eventually the new year arrived and brought with it a brief respite in the awful weather just long enough for a father and son to nip down to a closed carpark and burn some rubber. Here’s how we got on

As you can see it’s crazy fast and a lot of fun to play with. The car has harder wheels than you would usually see on an RC car and that’s what gives it that really skiddy drift feel as you’re driving it. The controller is littered with all sorts of buttons and is definitely more elaborate than the basic twisty-wheel option. That said, it’s really easy to use and the shoulder buttons give the impression of using a game controller which to many kids by now is second nature.

We thought Ultimate Cruz Ramirez was really good and would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a basic, fast RC car or anyone who’s a particular fan of the movie. The main word of caution I would offer is that this car really does need space. Unless your home is particularly spacious, you’re going to spend more time banging into furniture and startling pets than going fast. It’s a great car but it needs a bit of elbow room to really show off!

Disclaimer: This review was done in return for product. No financial agreements were entered into. All opinions remain our own.