While you may not know it by name, the Little Tikes Cozy Coupe is part of many people’s childhoods, and maker Brent Chapman has improved upon it with an Arduino and other electronics.

If that name still doesn’t ring a bell, it’s a large plastic car that kids can sit inside of and push around. You’ll know it by the red base, yellow roof, and large cartoon smile printed on the front.

Chapman’s mods focused on adding “entertainment options” to the car. He did this by filling the dashboard with a variety of arcade buttons hooked up to the Arduino and speakers that play songs when pressed.

https://twitter.com/brentmore/status/818492438654267392

Additionally, like most high-end vehicles on the market today, this car is a push-start. The blue plastic key on the right side of the wheel was replaced with a large green button. Pushing it will set off a variety of car engine noises signifying ignition.

Make sure you check out Chapman’s personal site for an in-depth look into how this was built, as well as more videos showing it off in action.

Finally, we had a good chuckle while looking this toy up on Google. Some people have endeavoured to turn it into a real car that an adult can drive. There was this custom made version that was sold for $33 000 (~R445 193) in 2015.  Alternatively, painting a smart car in these colours is a cheaper alternative, even if it makes it look like the car equivalent of a McDonald’s Happy Meal.

[Source – Arduino Blog Via Brentmore Labs]