Your first interaction with Lightning McQueen is a frustrating one. Sphero tells you to plug in the car and wait 30 minutes for him to charge up. Yes, the Christmas Day tradition of unwrapping your favourite present and then not being able to play with it right away is alive and well. Aside from looking like the animated character, Ultimate Lightning McQueen moves like him too. He leans into corners and performs drifts with ease, particularly if you’re racing on a hardwood floor. He’s slower on carpet though, and if you hadn’t guessed already for such an expensive and technologically advanced car, he’s unsuitable for use outdoors. He’s well built though, and didn’t take any cosmetic damage from the numberous bumps and crashes we put him through. The rubber fuel cap did break within the first 24 hours though, and it was generally fiddly to take in and out. Fully functioning with innovative technology. Users get a premium decorated RC measuring approximately 12"

In fact, there’s advanced tech all over this R/C car. There are four touch-sensitive panels along the side, bonnet and roof, and when you touch them, McQueen moves up, down, and side-to-side.

Only logged in Which? members can view the best RC cars for toddlers below. If you're not a member, you'll only see an alphabetised list of the cars we tested. It’s here that you discover Sphero’s first attention to detail though. The charging port is accessed by pulling on the car’s fuel cap. And when you plug him in, everything starts to light up and begin moving.

Sphero’s BB-8 also used an app for controls, but it was less of an issue there because you didn’t need to be as accurate with a rolling ball. The thrill of racing a remote control car comes from making a tight turn, or weaving around objects in your house. It’s difficult to do this using a phone screen, which makes it less fun as a toy. You don't have permission to access "http://www.argos.co.uk/browse/toys/toy-vehicles-and-sets/remote-control-vehicles/c:30426/character:lightning-mcqueen/" on this server. Only logged in Which? members can view the best RC cars for kids below. If you're not a member, you'll only see an alphabetised list of the cars we tested. In this category, the five cars we tested were much faster and heavier than the cars that are suitable for kids. It’s clear, though, that this is a premium item as soon as you open it. The wheels are protected by small plastic clamps, and the accessories slide neatly out of a drawer underneath.There are some really nice features within the app itself though. You can queue up your favourite Lightning McQueen catchphrases and activate them as you’re cruising around your living room. There’s also a mini-game where you work in the pit stop during a race, equipping cars with the right oil and wheel changes within an allotted time. For this test each of our panel members drove the cars on gravel, long grass, short grass and tarmac. Each was then rated for how much fun it was to drive on each surface.

Ultimate Lightning McQueen makes a great first impression. He’s immaculately presented in a shiny foil-covered box, and looks more like a collector’s item than a children’s toy. Once you open it up, though, you’ll find there’s not much actually inside there, apart from the car, a manual and a charger. But based on our testing we'd recommend avoiding the main toy retailers such as Argos, Smyths Toys and Hamleys.It’s not just any old LCD screen, either. Sphero has used a trapezium-shaped screen to perfectly match the shape of McQueen’s windshield from the films. Whether you're a parent, that uncle or aunt, or you just want to relive your youth, a remote control car is a brilliant gift for a birthday or Christmas. On top of that, you also need an Android or iOS device to control the car – there’s no remote included in the box.