App-enabled interactive race car launches ahead of eagerly awaited new movie.
Sphero is looking to build on the success it enjoyed working with Disney on Star Wars: The Force Awakens, launching a new app-enabled interactive Lightning McQueen race car ahead of Cars 3.
The company enjoyed a raft of industry plaudits for its BB-8 product and is hoping for a similar reaction to its new offering for the Disney-Pixar sequel.
Packed with animatronic features that aim to embody Lightning’s supercharged personality, Sphero’s Ultimate Lightning McQueen features hybrid performance specs including driving, drifting, racing and reactive touch, allowing fans to connect with the character like never before according to the company.
“From the beginning, we wanted to make Ultimate Lightning McQueen feel as real as he does in the film,” said Paul Berberian, ceo of Sphero. “In order to create a scaled down version of his big personality, we worked closely with the team at Pixar to ensure we were getting his nuances just right – such as leaning into turns and expressive facial and body movements.”
Fans can hit the gas with Ultimate Lightning McQueen by simply connecting to the car’s app (available on iOS and Android devices) and watch him respond to commands.
When not in training mode, users can relax while watching Cars with Ultimate Lightning McQueen in ‘Watch With Me’ mode, where he reacts to the movie in real-time.
Josh Silverman, evp global licensing at Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media, added: “Sphero continues to delight fans with their incredibly lifelike replications of our favourite characters.
“With Ultimate Lightning McQueen, Cars fans and families of all ages can interact with the character in a whole new way and experience the Cars story through technologies that weren’t even imaginable ten years ago.”
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