If your lemonade stand has strong sales this summer, you might be able to buy a new scooter. But that kid who owns a chain of neighborhood lemonade stands from Elm St. to Main? The kid who pops his Garanimals polo-shirt collar? That kid rolls in a third-generation Henes Broon.
The Broon is an electric luxury car for kids, and its high-end features go far beyond its absurdly slick exterior. Inside and out, these 4-foot-long vehicles are more like miniature cars than toys.
We're talking independent suspension systems, disc brakes, differential steering regulated by aluminum-alloy gear trains, and four-wheel drive on the fully loaded versions (yes, there are tiered configuration options for each model). They also have a hood, trunk, and doors that open as they would on a full-size car, as well as functional headlights, turn signals, brake lights, and tail lights.
Those luxe features extend to the main cabin, where the Broon cars are available with a swank leather seat, an MP3 player with stereo speakers, and a removable 7-inch Android tablet that doubles as the car’s dashboard and infotainment center. There's also a "simulation mode" available via the tablet that teaches kids how to drive and lets them race digital cars onscreen. The cars come with a Bluetooth remote so that parents can prevent youngsters from pulling a Jack Kerouac or Thelma and Louise.
If you don't like one of the three existing body styles -- the F series is the sports car, the T series is like an open-top Hummer, and the M series is a sedan -- the Broon series offers an ingenious solution: The car chassis has a modular design that allows for different bodies to snap right on top of it in parts. Henes is working with major car companies -- Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, and Jaguar among others -- on licensing mini-sized versions of their rides.
Even flipping through the Broon series' 90-page glossy catalog simulates the experience of buying a real high-end car. Don't expect a lot of horsepower though: Each car tops out at about 10mph, which can be adjusted down to about 5mph if parents want to curb their little speed freaks.
Prices haven't been finalized for the cars yet, but a Henes representative at Toy Fair in New York told me the fully loaded versions of the F series, T series, and M series will go for around $800. There are entry-level options of each car that don't include the leather seat, the 7-inch tablet, the independent suspension system, four-wheel drive, and other features.
Your move, Shriners.
