Bugatti Baby II

Cuter than a 42mph kitten

Is this the must-have toy for Christmas 2021?

Nope, it’s a real car – a brilliant three-quarter-scale replica of Bugatti’s original Baby, which in turn was a scaled-down version of the Type 35 that Ettore Bugatti built for his youngest son in 1926. But this interpretation is powered by a thoroughly modern electric motor, so it can hit up to 42mph.

Definitely not for kids, then. Well, the team behind it spent thousands of hours poring over digital 3D scans of an original car in order to make every element just right – it even has identical suspension geometry. So you should be at least 14 to clamber inside… and have a fairly healthy savings account.

So only big kids need apply? Definitely: it costs €30,000 for the base model, rising to €58,500 if you opt for the Pur Sang version

with a 2.8kwh battery pack and an upgraded powertrain, which includes a Speed Key (like the Chiron) so it can hit 42mph (not like the Chiron) instead of being limited to 28mph.

What’s it like to drive?

About as much fun as you can have with one of those silly leather caps and goggles on. It manages to feel like wrangling a vintage car, yet one that doesn’t make loads of noise and has brakes that actually work. Spank it around a track and you’ll soon be picking flies out of your massive toothy grin.

And if you don’t have a race circuit in your back garden?

Good point – these aren’t strictly road-legal – but it wouldn’t take much tweaking to make one ready for the DVLA. And an electric range of 31 miles should be enough for the most comedic journey to a pub in the history of mankind.