How Fast Is Wind-Up Toy Car?

A typical wind-up toy car moves at about 1.5 metres per second — faster than a garden snail, slower than a brisk walk. It runs roughly 20 seconds per wind, all on stored elastic energy in a metal spring.

A wind-up toy stores energy in a coiled metal spring — a technology more or less unchanged for over a century.

• Faster than a snail
• Runs 20 seconds per wind on stored elastic energy