Charge and wake the car
Put McQueen nearby and make sure he has enough battery. If he has been asleep for a long time, plug him in first, then try Connect again.
How it works
Drive, play, and make McQueen react again.
Red Thunder Remote turns your phone into the missing remote for Sphero Ultimate Lightning McQueen. Connect the car, drive with touch controls, trigger his built-in moments, or upgrade to Pro for controller play.
Quick start
From shelf to floor in a minute
Tap Connect
The app looks for the car, connects over Bluetooth, and waits until he is ready for commands.
Drive or explore
Use Drive for steering and throttle, or open Advanced to search every sound, line, and animated moment.
Touch controls
Your thumbs become the remote
The big left pad steers. The big right pad controls throttle. Touch where your thumb naturally lands and the control center starts there, so you are not hunting for tiny buttons while the car is moving.
What do the buttons do?
Lights toggles the car lights, Flip swaps the steering/throttle sides, Emote plays a fun moment, and Rev gives a quick engine-style reaction.
Does sideways mode work?
Yes. Landscape gives the drive pads more room, with the action buttons in the middle so your thumbs can stay on steering and throttle.
Controller support
Pro lets you drive with a game controller
Pair a supported Bluetooth controller with your phone or tablet. When the app sees it, the connection screen can show the controller shortcut and Drive mode adds button hints.
How do the controls map?
Use the left stick for steering. Use the triggers for gas and brake. Face buttons handle the quick actions like Emote, Rev, Lights, and Flip.
How do I connect with a controller?
On the connection screen, press A to connect. If you are not Pro yet, the app explains that controller play is part of the Pro upgrade.
Advanced
Find every line, sound, and reaction
Advanced is the toy box. Search animations, browse tags, play a moment by tapping it, and use Pro to star favorites, rename items, and choose which moments play during real driving events.
What are event animations?
They are reactions McQueen can play automatically when something happens, like a crash, backup, race start, pickup, idle moment, low battery, or night driving.
Can I customize them?
Yes with Pro. Pick the moments you like best so the car feels more like yours.
Troubleshooting
If McQueen will not connect
The app spins for a long time. What should I do?
Make sure the car is nearby and plugged in. If the car has been deeply asleep, the first attempt may wake it up. Try once more after a few seconds.
Why did I hear the car wake up but not get into Drive?
That means Bluetooth started talking, but the car was not ready for full control yet. Keep the car close, wait a moment, and tap Connect again.
Do I need the original app?
No. Red Thunder Remote is meant to be the new way in when the old app is missing, broken, or no longer practical to use.
Is Red Thunder Remote official?
No. It is built by BrainJunkie and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to Sphero, Disney, Pixar, or any toy manufacturer.