There’s something about an RC car that takes me back to my childhood—afternoons spent burning up the pavement and eight AA batteries at a time with a black and gold Porsche 956 race car. The distinctive whine of an electric motor as it took off, my friends on bikes chasing it down, seeing who was faster—it all came back when I got my hands on the Silverlit 3D Twister. It’s a two-sided racer, meaning I can do things with this car my old Porsche could never do—flip over and continue driving, which happens more often than you’d think. There’s even a switch on the 2.4GHz controller that lets the car know when it flips over to keep right turns right and not backwards.
The 3D Twister provides nonstop fun, until the battery runs out, which takes about 15 minutes after a full charge. The car itself has a rechargeable battery that doesn’t get its juice from an electrical outlet or USB port on your computer, but instead the four AA batteries found in the remote. The car is so compact and lightweight, it doesn’t have room for a standard battery—a small charging cord is tucked away in the grip of the controller, unfolding to charge the 3D Twister in about 5 minutes.
The speed is unbelievable, and handling is quick and responsive. It takes a few moments and multiple crashes into the wall to get used to the quickness of the 3D Twister, but that’s all part of the fun. The car and remote have two-way communication, so when you hit a wall or couch leg, the controller vibrates, similar to a ‘rumble’ feature on a video game controller.
You can check out the 3D Twister in action at silverlit.com and purchase one at toy stores, such as Toys R Us for about $50.
