Teach your children about V8 engines and manual transmissions with this $40 model car.

      Thames & Kosmos

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      If you're seeking a way to share your passion for cars with your children, and every room in your house is already cluttered with Lego blocks and stray Hot Wheels, there's a new option that will also educate them on how cars function.

      Thames & Kosmos, a company known for its educational toys, offers a model car kit that features a functional engine, transmission, differential, and suspension. Even better, the engine is a V8, and the transmission is a four-speed manual. Priced at $39.95, the kit is slightly more expensive than an entry-level Lego Speed Champions set or traditional plastic model kits, but neither of those can demonstrate how cars actually operate.

      Thames & Kosmos

      Resembling the classic cigar-on-wheels design of a prewar Grand Prix racer or Indy roadster, the model is equipped with a small V8 engine that has a rotating crankshaft and pistons. The engine block is transparent, allowing you to see all the moving parts, and the other components are equally detailed. The transmission includes miniature gears, synchronizers, input and output shafts, and a functional shifter to change gears. A small electric motor (powered by two AAA batteries) attached to the input shaft drives the entire mechanism.

      As in a real car, the rotational energy is conveyed to a differential. This is also accurately represented in miniature, with a ring and spider gear dividing power between the left and right axle shafts. The double-wishbone suspension with coil springs is faithfully depicted, and the open-wheel design makes it easier to observe the suspension in action. The steering wheel is adjustable to be mounted on either the left or right side of the cockpit.

      Thames & Kosmos

      The kit includes 233 pieces and comes with a 40-page manual that offers both assembly guidance and explanations of essential mechanical engineering concepts, as stated in the online description. It is recommended for children aged 10 and above.

      Toys can showcase to kids that cars can be exciting, and video games can reveal that driving can be enjoyable. This will help them develop an appreciation for the engineering that enables all that excitement and enjoyment, as well as a measure of patience from assembling all those small pieces correctly.