A lot of kids’ first introduction to the idea of cars (and how incredibly fun they are) is getting behind the wheel of a pedal car or Power Wheels. Miniature cars with barely enough power to get out of their own way are safe enough to put parents at ease, but entertaining enough to keep the kids whipping around until the battery dies or their legs give out.
Cozy Coupes and Power Wheels are fine and dandy for kids in the single-digit age bracket, but obviously as the little enthusiasts grow so does their love of cars and their need for speed. Junior cars are the next level: they come with more power and more speed, and they ditch the clunky wheels and cartoonish looks in favor of styling from iconic classics. A few of them can actually fit adults up to six feet tall, so even if you don’t have kids it doesn’t mean you can’t have some fun and act like one.
Junior Racer
Modeled after the Lotus 24 Formula 1 car, the Junior Racer takes on the beauty of F1’s golden era. And though it might only be a miniature version of a classic race car — with Brembo brakes, coilover suspension and electric start — the Junior Racer can still take a corner. The 110cc air-cooled engine also gets the car up to 45 mph, but a limiter can be adjusted to lower that top speed to parents’ liking.
Engine: 110cc air-cooled four-stroke single-cylinder
Price: $24,072
