Micro Racer

Remember the fun you used to have mucking about with Matchbox cars - whizzing them around household objects, jumping them off makeshift ramps and piling them into stacks of matchboxes? Well now, thanks to Firebox you can do it all again, but this time you won't need to compromise on the realism front. After all, it's not often you see a sports car with a giant hand attached to its roof, is it?

Micro Racers are the smallest radio controlled cars in the world, and when we say small we really do mean it. In fact, if it wasn't for the aerial you could easily fit a couple of Micro Racers into your mouth, (not a good idea; they taste plasticky). Quite how the boffins have managed to cram the necessary electronic bits and bobs inside each car is beyond us. (Mind you, we're still trying to work out why humming the music to Knight Rider and commentating in a childish, profanity-riddled American accent makes them go faster).

Each Micro Racer is so incredibly tiny it can't accommodate batteries (even a single AAA wouldn't fit), so the clever clogs designers have made the cars rechargeable. Simply clip the vehicle onto its nifty charging station and Nigel's your uncle!

The good news is charging time is only around 60 seconds. The bad news is... well, there isn't any, as the cars will run for over 6 minutes per charge. Besides, you'll need at least 60 seconds to catch your breath after playing with a Micro Racer – they really are that amazing.

For their dinky size the cars are surprisingly responsive and you can imagine the fun there is to be had zooming around the office with them. Everyday objects become handy obstacles with a car this size so the possibilities are endless. The Chasm of Doom is our current favourite - one ruler, two paper cups and a river of scrunched up paper. Best of all, Micro Racers are available in lots of different frequencies, so racing against your mates is easy.

For the ultimate in micro-racing action you'll be wanting the 3 Car Race Pack. It contains three different colour/frequency combinations and more than enough FREE batteries to get them all going. Oh - you'll also save well over £15 (and that's not even counting the free batteries!).

Even when not in use these micro marvels will look great perched on your desk and are small enough to hide in your top pocket should the boss come snooping. Micro Racers: they are small and they are clever.

Watch the Micro Racer in action! 80 kb | 333 kb (RealPlayer, streaming) Click here if you don't have RealPlayer

Video shot with Pocket DV Camcorder.