5 of the best supercharged toys

Dension SmartRacer 200euros wirc.dension.com
Conventional RC cars not geeky enough for you? Then try the SmartRacer for size. At first glance it resembles most modern RC Truggies (or truck/buggy hybrids). It's fairly small, at 1:16th scale (most rivals are 1:10th), yet it still features 4WD, plus performance-enhancing tech such as oil-filled dampers and a brushless motor. More interestingly, it uses a combination of Wi-Fi plus a USB camera to provide iPhone-based remote control, complete with a car's-eye view of the world on the screen, plus touch-or motion-based steering. Now that really is geeky.

The original – Tamiya Sand Scorcher, 1979
Ultra-detailed and ridiculously good fun, the iconic Sand Scorcher inspired the whole 1980s RC craze.