Full Review

10 November 2006 - Remote control cars you control by wiggling joysticks on a remote control are so last century. To be the total gadget master that you clearly must be for wanting to read this review, you'll want the Fiction Meteor from a company called Smoby.

Why? Because this futuristic toy car is controlled via infra-red beams emitted from a hand held controller to a range of approximately 3 metres (10 ft) that's why.

The car can go forwards, backwards, left and right, inside and outside, day and night and will follow your commands anywhere - well almost anywhere - the accompanying booklet says "Do not drop your car from height".

The Meteor, which is the size of a small child's head, comes in tasteful blue and yellow or gold and red and looks like something out of the Jetsons or Battlestar Galatica rather than the Ford garage down the road and on a full charge, which takes about 6 to 8 hours, has some speed to it.

Surprisingly, everything including the rechargeable batteries and charger are included in the box so there'll be no panic on Christmas day that you've forgotten the power. In fact, the only thing you will need is a screwdriver to get in the battery compartment and the patience of a god to get it out of the packaging.

VERDICT
This is unlikely to beat the likes of the supped up remote controls you longed for as a kid, but its certainly good fun.

We love it.