Fri, 21 Dec 2012 SilverLit Interactive Bluetooth Remote Control Enzo Ferrari review

SilverLit's Interactive Bluetooth Remote Control Enzo Ferrari is a remote control car that you can control with your iPhone. All you have to do is download the free SilverLit app from the App Store, pop the batteries in, turn the car on and off you go.

There are two modes you can use to control the car - Gesture and Joystick. In the Gesture mode, the app picks up any small directional tilting movement that you make with your smartphone and sets the car in motion, while the touchscreen Joystick mode allows you to control the movement and speed of the car precisely, with a few presses and swipes.

We test-drove the Enzo Ferrari on two different types of terrain - indoors (carpet) and outdoors (tarmac surrounded by sand and grass).

In both tests, we found the Gesture mode very difficult to operate, whereas the Joystick mode had a fairly simple learning curve that made it possible for a 7-year-old child to be able to master within about 20 minutes.

We quite enjoyed the racecar sound effects, which were emitted from the iPhone, rather than the toy car itself. It was also impressive to see how quickly and accurately the iPhone app responded to swiped commands, particularly when reversing and making sharp turns.

The only disappointing aspect about the car is that the Bluetooth connection is not very strong (perhaps because the car has no external aerial) and after the car gets approximately five feet away from you, it suddenly stops and won't start again until you request the app reboot the Bluetooth connection.

This can be quite a disappointment when you're really getting into racing the car. We eventually learned that we would have to remember to follow the car around and avoid high speeds that we couldn't keep up with.

As for terrain, the Enzo Ferrari handled carpet, tarmack and even sand quite well without the wheels getting stuck. The car could not run on grass.

Macworld Buying Advice 

A fun and addictive toy that adults and children alike will enjoy, but with the £80 price tag, it is unlikely that many children will be unwrapping the Enzo Ferrari on Christmas Day. Also, the Bluetooth connection problems could get annoying if you prefer to stand still in one place, rather than move around.