Following the Cars 2 panel that was held on Monday, members of the press and D23 members were invited to take a look at several of the upcoming Cars 2-related merchandise we can expect to see in the coming months. As Disney stated, more than 300 unique products that tie-in with the film will hit retail. One of those will be the Lightning McQueen Alive Car, which Mattel describes as a true breakthrough in technology for a toy – a car that can move its mouth, eyes, drive around all on its own, and still fit in the palm of your hand.
The official description for the car:
With a simple touch sensor, everyone‟s favorite Cars racer comes to life with Lightning McQueen Alive. Featuring never before seen innovation in 1:55 scale, Lightning McQueen Alive packs big personality in a small package utilizing cutting-edge micro technology. Ready to interact with kids and collectors, Lightning McQueen can drive around all by himself, both forwards backwards and complete 360s. He can move his eyes, shrug his shoulders and his lifelike moving mouth captures all the on-screen magic as Lightning McQueen Alive says his signature phrases. When Lightning McQueen needs to refuel after a long day‟s play, simply place him back on the included gas station charger to refresh his batteries.
Essentially, you press a button on the hood of the car and it begins to speak, with the mouth moving up and down. Unfortunately, the mouth movement does not match the speech, but it is still a great effect for such a small item. Its size is the real highlight here, as it is a wonder to see micro technology crammed into something so small. At first glance, it looks like every other die-cast car that Mattel releases, but one touch of a button and the little thing starts whipping around on its own!
Check out video of the car in action below:
The $59.99 price point means that it is not a toy for everyone – collectible is a more appropriate description. It is one cool little gadget, so it will likely be a popular product. It is scheduled to hit stores in October of this year. You can pre-order it now on Mattel’s website.
