A toy vehicle controller include a casing with a grip (1) topped by a widened zone (2). A resistance element (3) is mounted in the widened zone (2), and it provides a variable resistance depending on a position of a cursor (4) that moves under the action of a trigger (5). A first arm (16) and a second arm (17) of the cursor touch opposite sides of the resistance element (3). A first wire (6) is connected to a first terminal (10), and the resistance element (3) is coupled to the first terminal (10). A second wire (7) is connected to a second terminal (11), and the second terminal (11) is couple to the cursor (4). As the trigger is depressed, the first and second arms of the cursor move along the resistance element to vary a resistance in the circuit formed between the first and second wires. When a user depresses a button (15), the head (20) of an elastic element (13) is pushed into contact with the first terminal (10). If the first arm (16) of the cursor (4) is in electrical contact with the elastic element (13), this effectively short circuits the first and second wires, removing the resistance element (3) from the circuit, and delivering all available voltage to the toy vehicle.