McLaren brings autonomy and electrification to the 720S… in toy form

McLaren is making a fresh move into the autonomous and electrified market in one fell swoop — albeit in the form of a children’s toy.

This is the 720S ‘Ride-On’ — a scaled-down version of the firm’s 710bhp supercar, with an electric motor sitting in place of a twin-turbocharged V8 engine. It’s aimed squarely at the emerging three- to six-year-old petrolhead market and comes packed with features to appeal directly to the demographic.

First up is its autonomous technology — sort of. A remote control can be used by an adult to operate the vehicle without any input from the driver, giving those in the hot seat a luxurious chauffeur-like experience.

There’s also its state-of-the-art sound recreation technology. By that, we mean it plays an audio file of a V8 engine when the little motorist behind the wheel puts the accelerator down to the floor for a more spirited drive.

A screen in the cockpit displays information to prevent any concerns of electric range toddlers may have. This unit also plays host to an infotainment system that’s capable of playing a number of pre-loaded children’s songs — though it also supports USB and SD card inputs for those wanting to personalise the experience

Young owners even have a choice of replica McLaren colours to choose from, with eye-catching Papaya Spark an exclusive to the firm’s dealership network.

Available to order now, the McLaren 720S ‘Ride-On’ is priced from £315. For comparison, the full-sized machine would set you back at least £220,000.