Home › Guides › Toy Car Glossary

Toy Car Glossary

Every term that appears on a cartoys.pk product page or a toy box, defined in a sentence or two. Where there is a full guide, it is linked.

TermMeaning
2.4GHzThe modern RC radio band. Cars bind to their own remote, so many can run together. Frequencies guide.
27MHz / 40MHzOlder fixed-channel radio bands; two cars on the same band interfere.
2WD / 4WD / 4x4Two or four driven wheels. 4WD grips and drifts better. 2WD vs 4WD.
3.7V / 7.4VOne- or two-cell lithium pack voltage. 7.4V is faster. Batteries.
AA cellsStandard disposable batteries; usually needed for the remote, not included.
Binding / pairingThe start-up handshake between a 2.4GHz car and its remote. Pairing guide.
Bump-and-goA battery car that drives itself and turns when it hits something.
BuggyLow, fast off-road RC car with firm suspension.
Button cellCoin battery in lights-and-sound diecast; a swallowing hazard for under-5s.
DiecastMetal body cast in a steel mould from zinc alloy. What is diecast.
Display boxClear acrylic case, or a retail tray of 6–12 cars.
Drift carRC car with hard tyres built to slide through corners. How to drift.
Friction / inertia carPush forward to spin a flywheel; rolls on with no battery.
Gesture controlWrist-worn sensor that steers the car by hand movement.
GyroSensor that auto-corrects steering on some drift and stunt cars.
LicensedModel made with the real car maker's permission; real badges. Original vs style.
Li-ion / Li-PoRechargeable lithium battery pack in most RC cars.
mAhBattery capacity; more mAh, longer run time.
Monster truckRC truck with oversized tyres and soft suspension for jumps. Truck vs crawler vs buggy.
NiMHNickel-metal-hydride rechargeable pack; heavier than lithium, used in some trucks.
Pistol-gripRemote held like a pistol: trigger for throttle, wheel for steering.
ProportionalControl that responds to how far you move the stick or wheel, not just on/off.
Pull-backDrag backwards to wind a spring; release to drive forward.
Rock crawlerSlow, high-torque 4WD RC car built to climb obstacles.
RTRReady to run — everything in the box. All cars at cartoys.pk are RTR.
Scale (1:24 etc.)How many times smaller than the real vehicle. Scale guide.
ServoSmall motor that moves the steering.
Short-course truckOff-road RC truck styled on desert racers; between buggy and monster truck.
Style modelUnlicensed lookalike of a real car.
Stunt car / twist carRC car that flips, spins 360° or drives on both sides.
Transmitter (Tx)The remote control.
Receiver (Rx)The board inside the car that hears the remote.
Walker carPush-along car a baby uses to steady first steps.
Zamak / zinc alloyThe metal diecast bodies are cast from.

Missing a term? Ask on WhatsApp and we will add it. For the buying side, start at types of toy cars.

Aksar pooche jaane wale sawaal

What does RTR mean on an RC car?

Ready to run — the car, remote and battery are in the box and it works out of the box (add AA cells for the remote).

What does 1:24 mean on a toy car?

The model is 24 times smaller than the real car. A 5-metre car becomes about 21 cm.

What is the difference between a transmitter and a receiver?

The transmitter is the remote in your hand; the receiver is the board inside the car that picks up its signal.

Related guides

Types of Toy Cars: Which Is Which?What Is an RC Car?What Is Diecast?RC Car Batteries Explained

Shop

Remote control carsDiecast carsRC car buying guide