The Tyco Wild Thing II or Tyco Wild Thing 2 is a radio controlled car manufactured by Taiyo (Japan) and released by Tyco in the US, UK, and other markets worldwide in 1995.
It is a sequel to the previous years 1994 Tyco Wild Thing, and again carried the 'Wild Thing' moniker despite being nothing like the epic 9.6V Wild Thing whose name it carries.
With a sprinkling of fluorescent colors and wild styling of the original, it has some promise, and personally I think that promise was ultimately delivered with the German only version, the Tyco Outrider - and all it took was a change of wheels and tires.
Features and Performance
Despite the error on the back of the box indicating just 2 x AA batteries, the Wild Thing II takes 4 x AA batteries, combined with its Mabuchi RC260 motor provide reasonable performance for a small toy R/C, but nothing like the original Heads Up! Wild Thing Turbo Hopper of its namesake.
For a young child though, it's a decent first car, and will work well on loose dirt, pavement, and indoors, with a nice solid bumper up the front, and reasonably grippy tires.
For comparison on how it could have been made instantly better, we only have to look at the European/German released model, sold as the Tyco Outrider with its larger, wider tires and much better looking wheels, this immediately makes all the difference and provides the car with an attitude and personality that's sorely missed in the 'Wild Thing II' variant.
Available only in red (27Mhz) as shown here, and sold alongside the black (49Mhz) Tyco Zombie that used the same chassis, these would have been the perfect combo to keep two kids busy racing with equal odds.
Availability and Collectability
Wild Thing 2 / Wild Thing II's are generally available online for a reasonable price, though sometimes sellers will mistake them for the highly valuable original, in which case a quick message should help them to reprice correctly.
As for whether or not they are collectable, personally I'm unlikely to add one to my collection, but I wouldn't say no if it was offered, since it's a part of Taiyo / Tyco history, is a still a decent Mini-Hopper style car that's fun around the home. As for the Outrider though, rare as they are, I'd certainly be up for that model - it goes to show how much a simple wheel and tire change will improve the overall aesthetic of a vehicle.
