The Taiyo DeLorean Part II is a miniature radio control car released by Taiyo in 2004. It was sold exclusively in Universal Studios Japan as part of Back to the Future: The Ride, making it unusually rare, and desirable to collectors and fans of the films and Taiyo RC toys generally.
Unusual Release Schedule
As far as we can tell, the DeLorean Part I (first movie car) and DeLorean Part III (third movie car) were both released in 2001, however it was not until 2004 that this 'The Ride' or 'Part II' car was released, presumably for its links to the imminent Universal Studios Japan ride, and the second film.
Features and Performance
Taiyo Radican toys of all varieties had been released by Taiyo since the late 90s, and continued well into the 2000s with greater variation in size, and also by theme. Originally only targetting actual real-life cars, they would soon release models of favorite TV show cars such as Knight Rider KITT car, popular brands such as this Coca Cola Chevy, and these series of BTTF DeLorean's.
Performance is surprisingly good for such a small car that runs on merely 2 x AA batteries, and it's fun to drive. But you have to know its limits. Keep it indoors on a smooth surface, and avoid jumping it.
To maintain it's value we'd recommend always buying items with their shrink wrap still intact, much more possible with RadiCans than any regular Taiyo / Tyco cars.
Hover Effect
How does it achieve the DeLorean's hover car mode, where the wheels are all tucked up, yet it still manages to drive along the kitchen floor just fine. Well, the Part II car appears to have permanently raised wheels, like the DeLorean in the film when it enters hover mode, and uses a trick that's been a staple of Hollywood film for decades. If you've seen how George Lucas achieved the hovering effect for Luke Skywalker's Land Speeder, then you'll know the simple trick they're employing here. I won't spoil it for anyone, but it's quite effective and you won't notice until you really looked closely.
Performance
RadiCan cars are incredibly popular with collectors, perhaps even more than traditional Taiyo / Tyco RC cars, simply because their small size and large selection makes them easier to collect and hold within a small space.
Their performance however as radio control cars is good for their size, and with just 2xAA batteries (3V) their top speed at around 6km/h may seem slow, but it's more than enough to keep me entertained, and its nicely detailed model of the BTTF Part II DeLorean is quite respectable.
With around 50 Radican models available, all becoming increasingly rare and difficult to find, it's a race between collectors around the world to complete their collection before it's too late.
Check out my review of the DeLorean Part 1, and Taiyo Super Fight F-1!
