Welcome to what will be the first in a series of reviews of all of Lego’s ‘ultimate’ car-based Technic sets. We start, naturally, at the very beginning. In 1977, this was the ultimate and I was a lucky boy!

This red machine (still the longest model of any such set…) featured a reciprocating 4 cylinder engine, a forward/reverse transmission, working steering and adjustable seats and…. that’s it. At the time, this was plenty – greater sophistication would come later;  the great thing about this set was that it showed, better than any other, how a car went together.

The build is fairly simple – the only complex part being the engine. It feels a little strange building a Technic car chassis by mostly snapping bricks together, but it also makes you wonder if the newer elements make things unnecessarily time-consuming. Slotting the engine/transmission unit and steering assembly into place makes you imagine workers doing the same thing on a production line. An enjoyable and educative experience.

The finished model is a delightfully vintage thing and highly playable. The best thing about it is the speed and smoothness of the engine’s running as you push it along, assuming the engine’s set up just so… This gives it a personality that’s lacking in most of the later cars, whose engines simply don’t make enough noise to be truly satisfying.

Flaws; well this is a very early effort so there are a few… the biggest of which being the chassis’ lack of stiffness. Blame the penny-pinching single layer of studded beams that form the car’s structure. Double these up and it’s fine. The front wheels drag on the chassis when on full lock – something that couldn’t happen in a newer set, mostly because newer sets seem to have hardly any steering lock… A differential would have been nice, but you can slot one in easily enough now.  The lack of suspension can be forgiven, I think; especially as, if it did have springs, I suspect the chassis would flex more than they do!

Now we come to one of the best features of all these early sets – the box! A proper, sturdy box with plastic compartments for all the new and special pieces that came with this set, and beautifully illustrated with a wealth of model ideas, most of which had no instructions but served to inspire the young builder’s own creativity. Note to Lego: PLEASE BRING THESE BACK!

Overall, this set deserves a solid 9/10 – there was enough to inspire the budding petrolhead here and, if you can, I urge you to seek one of these out (expensive these days, I know..) and re-discover the simple joy of a charming model.

Welcome to the second in our series of Lego’s big car sets reviews. The year is 1980, and the sophistication of suspension arrives at Lego Towers. Not very brilliant suspension, but we’ll come to that..

First, the build. Still fairly straightforward, and the flaws of it’s 853 predecessor are skilfully dealt with – it’s nice and stiff, the steering works well (provided you’ve put the axle bushes on the right way round…), there was now a differential and it’s definitely sportier than before. Again, the engine is the only fiddly part, but if you set this up right it will run smoothly in all three gears (very fast in the lowest gear, which was intended purely for use with the motor and gets blanked off in the instructions. Leave it open and savour the noise!).

This is a truly satisfying model. The colours look right, there’s enough technical stuff going on and it’s playable. It seems like Lego’s designers made a concerted effort to include all the features they could manage with the pieces then available. Briefly, these include the sliding / reclining seats, the rear-mounted flat four engine with some lovely detailing, a three speed transmission, steering and swing axle rear suspension. This was Lego’s first attempt at a car’s suspension and, like the VW Beetle it resembles, it didn’t work brilliantly – forcing massive camber changes as the springs were compressed. Still, it was a start and better than nothing.

It’s an easy model to modify, too. Adding front suspension with the newer steering links and ball joints is pretty straightforward and, with a little rearrangement of the rear reinforcement there’s space for a pair of ‘+2′ rear seats. You now have something that’s exactly the right size and mechanical layout to build a Porsche 356 body on…  this is the sort of thing you can mess about with for hours!

Oddly, the second model – some kind of weirdly scaled dragster – isn’t that good, but it’s easy to build something nice with this very complete selection of parts.

As with 853, the box is nice and solid and beautifully illustrated – although it would have been good to have as many ideas on it as 853′s had. It doesn’t need to be quite so big, either,  but I’m nit-picking now….

Overall, this superb set deserves a 10/10 – it might not be flawless but, for the time, it’s deeply impressive and still stands up today as a good-looking, effective model. Get one and you’ll see why it was good enough to sit at the top of the Technic tree for eight years.

The most exciting release from Lego Technic for a long time. This very faithful representation of the Mercedes Unimog go-anywhere light truck could mark the beginning of a return to form. We can but hope…

First Impressions… it’s a big and vividly illustrated box, promising great marvels within. The pieces are bagged according to sub-assembly, but since the main ‘sub-assembly’ is about three quarters of the total this isn’t as helpful as it might be… still, I somewhat absurdly quite like trawling through masses of bits. Instructions are good and clear, with no colour mysteries but such tiny incremental build steps you suspect they could be followed by a reasonably gifted 7 year old. Nothing wrong with that, but it does make for a lot of pages…

The build. What can I say – a revelation! It’s a really enjoyable thing to put together, especially as this set brings elements I haven’t seen before and cleverly combines electric motive power and pneumatics (in the same way as the old 8868 Claw Rig but no less effective for that). It’s a long process, mind – give yourself most of a day to wallow in it.

There’s no shortage of features to delight and intrigue (and in one case infuriate, but we’ll come to that…), so in no particular order:

Engine. An in-line four cylinder nestling in a quiet corner of the undercarriage and driven (rather slowly) by all four wheels. There’s only a single ratio fixed transmission but there simply wouldn’t be room for anything more.

Suspension. Live axles at both ends, sprung by a single, very firm, spring for each wheel. Ground clearance is convincingly high, thanks to gear blocks at each wheel that send the drive down to them from high-mounted differentials. The suspension’s movements at first appear to be corrupted by the Panhard Rod that helps to locate the axle, but then you appreciate just how thorough the designers have been : It’s supposed to be like that . Hats off to Lego for that one, especially as the springs seem to be correctly resilient, there’s ample travel and an amusing lack of stiffness in roll. That’s probably correct, too.

What can’t be correct is the steering. As standard, this model has the turning circle of a supertanker, with an action so sloppy it makes you fear something will break! And WHY, in Lego’s flagship model, can’t we have the in-cab steering wheel connected ? End rant. It can be corrected. Omit the three quarter pins that so restrict the movement, gear it down so that there’s less strain on the control wheel and change those STUPID ‘knob wheels’ for bevels and it feels much better. Still not as nice as most of Lego’s early Technic models, but no longer terrible.

Pneumatic crane. My favourite part. I could play around with this for hours (yes, I know…), it works very well and is completely capable of doing what it looks like it should. The working of it is a little jerky and hard to modulate, but can be done with practice and a light touch. Or airtanks. The air feed and alternative mounting point to the front allow it to work equally well there, too. The built-in retractable stabilisers do their job superbly, not something you can say about every Lego model that has such things… All in all, this part is a triumph.

The winch on the front, to which can be switched the motor’s power, works well, too, although it’s rather low-geared – I suspect to protect the motor. Easy enough to fix that, of course.

The cab. So big, so bright, so orange! It looks great – better than in the pictures on the box. An easy thing to put together, it comes as a bit of light relief after the complexities of the chassis. There’s enough detail here to satisfy, as well, including the welcome use of some actual old fashioned studded bricks (remember those ?) on the front. It’ll tilt by releasing the long red pins at the back, but you’ll need small fingers for this.

Overall, this is both a superbly playable toy (once you’ve fixed the steering…) and a delightful display object, well worth the (steepish) price of admission. If only the steering didn’t let it down so badly, it would merit an easy 10; as it stands it still earns 9/10. Recommended.

Sunglasses Optional...

Welcome to the third instalment in our series of Lego’s ‘ultimate’ car sets reviews. The year is 1988, and progress marches on, technically if not aesthetically…

The ‘Test Car’ – so called for no reason I can discern – represented a useful further evolution in the technical capabilities of these early cars, adding a very effective double wishbone independent suspension system at each corner to the features already present in the earlier 8860.

Not only that, there were pop-up lights and an attempt at some sort of bodywork for the first time…

First, the build. Having unpacked the (disappointingly flimsy) box you may notice lots of new (at the time) and very useful pieces – the parts for the front suspension and those stiff black pins made their appearance here. On piecing the chassis together, it becomes apparent that it lacks the elegance of earlier versions – almost as if it was designed by two people who never spoke to each other. Still, there’s lots of details here to delight the budding engineer.

Suspension: It works very well, much better than 8860′s swing axles, if a little soft at the front. Strong, too – the car can be dropped from quite a height and will just bounce. I will not be accountable for any breakages that occur from readers chucking it down the stairs, however… The problem is, this very strength makes it bulky, leaving nowhere sensible to place the engine. The other problem is, the rear axle’s movement is accommodated by 2 universal joints on each side, forcing an absurd width on the poor thing.

Engine: A neat little V4 that’s not that little (blame those old square pistons, much as I like them..). There’s nowhere for it to go except on top of the bulky rear suspension. If the car was longer, it could have been some much more exciting mid-engine sports car: as it is, these technical compromises made it too tall, much too wide and not long enough. An opportunity missed. Runs well, though.

Gearbox: Still a three-speed linear arrangement, but it manages a smoother operation than 8860′s thanks to an extra shaft, and the engine spins freely in all three gears. A success.

Seats: A disappointment. These hinged together plates show evidence of concerted cost-cutting and are not a patch on the items used in 8860, which can be made to fit this – just don’t do them in blue…

Lights: My favourite thing on this car – they work smoothly and are a delight to operate. Is this where the money saved on the seats went ?

Steering: Works quite well, but not brilliantly. There’s a UJ in there forced through a 45 degree angle and it’s slightly too much – leading to a gritty action. Also, Lego’s strange obsession with limiting the steering lock of it’s models first made itself known here. Blame those wishbone parts, I guess. It’s not bad in this respect – and would in the future get a lot worse – but it could be better.

Body: Oh dear. Perhaps they shouldn’t have bothered. It’s very sketchy, not at all pretty and lends the whole thing an even more unfinished air than the (body-less) 8860. It is very strong, though – thank those black pins, which you won’t be doing when it comes to taking this apart… These are the earlier ‘interference fit’ pins that really jam themselves in the holes, making for a finger-crushing experience to remove them. Use a 10 axle with a toggle on the end and PUSH. Or a nuclear device… Better still, use later ‘push fit’ pins to spare yourself the agony.

Overall, this is a curious device. There’s plenty of good stuff going on here, but it falls down badly on it’s – for want of a better term – fashion sense. It’s colour scheme has more clashes than a war zone and it’s proportions are just plain odd. 6/10.

The last of the studded Supercars

Welcome to the next instalment in our series of Lego’s ‘ultimate’ car sets reviews.  We had a fight over who was going to post this one.  Likely I won .  This set was bought for me by my girlfriend in 1995.  Needless to say I was so impressed with it, that I married her!

It was originally released in 1994, 6 years after its predecessor 8865.  The last of the supercars to be built purely from studded beams.  It is packed with functions that we all take for granted today and includes over 1300 pieces, some new and unique never to be seen again.

Let’s start with the chassis as all good supercars should.  Traditional Technic principles of multi layered beams separated by two plates make this a very strong and stable model.  If you want to learn how to build a Technic chassis you need not look any further.

Next the gearbox and transmission, this is where we start seeing some new and exciting pieces, which are still used today.  The new transmission driving rings and their reciprocal clutch gears allow for a smooth four speed transmission with a good range of ratios.  The specially made gear stick and shift plate I believe are unique to this set.  Transmitting power to all four wheels through 3 ‘new’ style differentials and a completely unique hub system.  This part of the model is a huge leap forward from its predecessor and in my opinion has not been matched until the recent release of the 2011 Unimog.

Suspension and Steering – Independent suspension using double wishbones on all four wheels fully integrated into a four wheel steering system via the hubs and steering arms. Very clever and total overkill, but great fun to build and play with.  The suspension travel is somewhat limited and a little stiff.  Although you can increase the travel with minor modifications, but I suspect the wheels would rub on the body at full compression.  You can not drop it from height, as you could with 8865, as the steering link would ‘pop off’ the ball pin/joint.  I believe in later sets black pins where included with more friction to address this problem.  In my opinion this is the only major problem with the set.  This was the first supercar to include a Hand of God device and in-car steering, making it much more playable than previous supercars.  It is a little awkward to use if you have fat fingers, but a minor modification (pulling the wheel up by a half bush or two allows for a more pleasant action, and much easier than reaching into the car.  It is possible to change the steering wheel (another new part) to right hand drive, if you so desire, but you need to start the process very early on in the build – not really possible post build.

The engine is a ‘new’ style V8 connected via a drive chain as opposed to a more solid gear system.  A minor flaw but nothing to write home about.

The bodywork is as good as it gets when using studded beams.  It comes with what seem like hundreds of hinges that cleverly create a skeleton shell.  The boot (rear hatch) opens and locks into place but unfortunately there are no driver or passenger doors – Dukes of Hazard style entry system then.  When compared to more recent Technic models it does look a little blocky, but for the time it was pretty darn good.  You could roll this bad boy on a high speed corner and survive the crash, unlike more modern panelled and flexi pipe models which buckle and break easily.  Oh yeah its black – gotta love black Lego.  The pop up lights are a nice touch and operated by a lever on the dashboard.  The seats look OK but are no where near as functional as its predecessors, another minor flaw.

The second model is a great build in its own right and resembles a Formula 1 / Indi car from the late 80s early 90s.  Includes full independent suspension and a two speed sequential gearbox.  A nice build except for the dashboard which is under a lot of stress – one wrong move and it will ping across the room slide under the sofa and be lost for ever.

It comes with a few stickers but luckily they do not span more than one brick so you can take the model apart, and rebuild as many times as you like without damaging them.  The box is a sturdy construction and includes a plastic tray with divider boxes.  I wish Lego would reintroduce these types of boxes.  Wink wink nudge nudge.

In summary a huge leap forward from 8865, a good looking model (for the era) full of functions and a challenging build for all ages.  It has lots of potential for modifications; increased suspension, removing the rear wheel steering and the interior could be improved, but I am a Lego purist and love it just the way it is.  I have built most of the Technic supercars, F1 cars and 4x4s over the last 30 years.  This is the one I use as my bench mark.  An easy 9/10.  The only one I that think beats this classic is the new Unimog.  Oh and maybe 8860 – you never forget your first love

Happy building

Looking Good On The Street

Welcome to the fifth instalment of our Lego car sets reviews. It’s now 1999 and Lego decided they couldn’t top the technical wonderment of 8880, so didn’t try…

What we have here then, is a significant aesthetic evolution if not a technical one. This managed to do all that was expected of it and look good doing it.

Engine: Hurrah! Finally, for the first time since 1977, a Lego car’s engine is in the right place! It’s a V8 too, and we all like those… Like the other sub-systems on this car, the engine slots into place as a unit, a very well thought out and educative system. Pity it doesn’t make much noise, even in the lowest gear, but it does run more smoothly than 8880′s and for that we should be thankful.

Steering: Works well but it lacks the secondary control of it’s predecessor which does prove a little awkward with some of the bodystyles. Build it as the convertible for maximum playability. One very good feature of this steering system is it’s centre-point geometry, whereby the road wheel’s pivot point passes vertically through the tyres. This makes for a much more realistic movement than any previous car – and most of those that followed, for that matter…

Suspension: Wishbones all round with good travel but a penny-pinching single spring per wheel is not enough and it’s too soft. Apart from that it’s a well engineered system that doesn’t take up too much room and, although it isn’t as strong as 8880 or 8865, it is strong enough. Don’t think it could cope with being dropped, though…

Gearbox: The one area that shows a solid advance on what went before. A full five speeds plus reverse give this car the best transmission of any 20th Century set.

Chassis: I do wonder if the ghost of Colin Chapman stalked Lego Towers at the time this was developed – they listened to his mantra of ‘just add lightness’. It’s a lot less bulky than any car set since 853 and, with the benefit of new bracket pieces and better building techniques, it’s stiffer than that dear old blancmange. Not as stiff as 8880, but, like a lot of things on this car, it’s good enough. A bit like a Lotus Grand Prix car that was designed to last until the end of the race and then fall to pieces, it did what it had to do.

Body: As the first big set to use the new multi-faceted panels and flexi-tubing, it made good use of the new styling pieces to create a sharp-looking sports car, in any of it’s myriad configurations. This plethora of body styles, all on the same chassis, was a departure from the norm and they all looked convincing. The convertible is my personal favourite, the cleverly contrived folding roof of which worked in much the same way as the then-new Mercedes SLK’s. The gullwing doored coupe was a hit as well, although those dampers wouldn’t survive many operations of the doors before wilting. More evidence of the cost-cutting that compromises this set, perhaps. Whatever, the body was definitely an overall success, however you fancied building it.

This set stands up very well on it’s own merits. Compare it too closely to 8880, however, and it does come up short in a few areas. It’s a more ‘commercial’ set, if you like, concentrating on surface aspects more than the substance within. It also has more of a ‘built to a price’ feel than the ‘money no object – let’s stuff everything in’ 8880. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing – 8880′s four wheel steering was just wilful – but it seems a slight shame that, for the first time in this series, technical progress had stopped.

A short word about those panels and tubes and things – No. A long word about those panels and tubes and things – Unconscionable. Although they managed to make this stuff look pretty good here, these things were, in the decade that followed this car, responsible for more multi-faceted hideousness than the Technic theme itself could bear; a dark era from which it is only now emerging.

Rant over. And breathe…. that’s better. The above isn’t this car’s fault and, overall, I like it for it’s thoughtful, lightweight engineering and snappy style. 9/10

Insert Mika Hakkinen for twice the awesome.

Welcome one and all to the sixth instalment in our series of Lego’s ultimate car sets reviews. The year is 2000, and the ‘Racers’ line is off to a good start with this and the very similar 8461 Williams. With less emphasis on the technical aspects and a more authentic look, these complemented the concurrent 8448 Street Sensation car.

First impressions – This thing is huge! 34 studs wide across the rear track… a surprisingly simple build, given it’s size and apparent complexity. I found it very enjoyable to put together. Still using the old studded beams for the chassis, this is sufficiently stiff to allow it’s suspension to work properly (sort of, but we’ll come to that..)  Anyhow, I’ll go through it’s features one by one like I usually do…

Engine: A very authentic for the period V10. Not very authentic for any period, it turns rather slowly when the car is pushed. If ever a car cried out for more noise, it’s this one. Never mind, that’s easily fixed and doesn’t it look lovely ? All those tubes greebling it up to great effect. Real effort was made here, including things like radiators and oil coolers to ogle when you smoothly raise the cover with it’s damped action to show it off.

Suspension: A round of applause please for those wonderful long and thin wishbone pieces… I thank you. These really help give this car it’s realistic appearance, and fortunately are stronger than they look. Another thing to admire is the cleverly contrived pushrod activation of the horizontal springs. I daresay this kit was designed by a knowledgeable F1 fan and it shows. However, although the single hard spring per wheel should be enough, at the front it isn’t. This is because the way it’s all articulated means that there’s very little movement against the spring over the course of the suspension’s travel. This is why it’s too soft and sticky in it’s action. At the rear, where there’s a bit more room, everything works fine.

Steering: Well, it wouldn’t get around Loews’ in one go – nevermind, let’s call it the Silverstone set-up… More of a problem than it’s relatively poor lock is the fiddly operation. Blame the authentically shaped steering wheel and wonder how Hamilton and Co. manage… a secondary control of some kind would have been a bonus but it works well enough.

Transmission: This is where the budget over-run on suspension pieces came from. A single fixed gear that wouldn’t be a problem if only it made more noise! I know, I know, I’ll change the record…

Body: Looking for all the world like a McLaren in it’s spangly metallic silver panels, I can only assume they refused permission to Lego to use their name. It doesn’t matter. Silver Champion is a great name for this, and appropriate given that Mika Hakkinen had won the Drivers’ Championship the previous year. Don’t let anyone tell you it’s not a McLaren. It so is, and bravo for that! Biased, me …? Whatever the licencing issues, the fact remains that it looks gorgeous – a surprisingly successful stab at using those multi-faceted complex panels to form a very lean and sleek shape. Just don’t put the horrible, brittle, peeling stickers on it and it’ll look ace.

This car is very definitely not a featuretastic technic supercar. What it is, is a beautiful and functional display object – the perfect gift for the F1 nerd in your life. 9/10.

The big green Lego machine

Welcome to the next instalment in our series of Lego’s ‘ultimate’ car sets reviews.

Originally released in 2001, 2 years after 8448 (Super Street Sensation).  It is clearly related to 8448 as it shares many functions.  Includes 1102 pieces (plus spares) including those awesome chunky wheels and 2 dampers.

Much like 8448 the core of the chassis is made up of traditional Technic studded beams multi layered for strength.  Due to this the core of the chassis is very strong.  However, the simplistic method used to attach the modern studless beams and liftarms to create the bodywork and ‘undercarriage’ just aren’t strong enough.   With light play pieces will start to come loose.  This might be due to mine being second hand and maybe the Technic pins are a little tired.

The gearbox and transmission is the best part of this model, but nothing new. From memory the 6 speed gearbox (5 forward gears plus reverse) is exactly the same as 8448 and works very well. The V8 engine transmits the power to all four wheels through 3 differentials – nothing spectacular but it does the job well and I enjoyed building it.

Independent suspension using double wishbones on all four wheels sounds great but the weight of the model coupled with the very poor positioning/angle of the front suspension springs equates to complete front suspension failure.  If you push the front of the truck down it will not recoil.  I have even tried brand new springs but the problem still persists.  The rear of the truck is much lighter and the springs are positioned slightly differently (due to there being no steering) and subsequently work much better.

The Hand of God device and in-car steering would suggest that this is a very playable model and is the only improvement on its predecessor (8448).  However the steering lock and front suspension is so poor that it hardly turns.

The bodywork is typical of models from this era using panels and flexi tubes to create a well shaped and distinctive look.  The greeny/gold panels shimmer in the light and look great in my opinion.  The gullwing doors are a really nice touch and great fun to build and play with.  Again the principle is not new and has been seen before in 8448.

The interior is simple and befits the off-roader feel.  The seats are a good size and much more in proportion than modern Technic sets.  There is ample room in the back to add motors or the optional crane arm.

The chunky balloon tyres are excellent.  I am not sure how much weight they could support but they are very cool and a great addition to any collection.

It comes with few stickers subtly used on the panels, gearbox and dashboard. The box is reasonably sturdy but does not include the plastic trays.  TLG Pleeease bring these back.

Overall, 8466 is a slightly disappointing addition to the supercar range, and offers nothing new in terms of technical advancements.  I must admit that it is not all that bad.  I enjoyed the build and it has massive potential for modification.  Many of its faults could be rectified by the clever builders out there and power functions could easily be added.   I have seen some fantastic power function RCs on YouTube.  The opening doors and wheels are great fun, and the colour scheme and bodywork is like Marmite – you either love it or hate it.  However, when compared with the other supercar 4x4s; 8880 (the black supercar) and 8110 (The Unimog) this model is quite poor.   6/10 and I think I am being a little generous due to the potential for modification.

Happy building

The Technic Renaissance Continues…

This is not just a model. It IS an excavator, albeit a small one. Lego Technic appears to have arrived at the point where it’s possible to make a kit do everything the prototype does. All it lacks is its own motive power – but even this is taken care of if you have enough batteries…

First impression: Isn’t the box huge ?

Second impression: Why is it half empty ? Never mind, everything you need is here to build this hugely impressive machine. Unlike a lot of recent kits, it’s not foolproof – an expert builder will be fine with that; a novice might end up with a model that does nothing because of too many carelessly rammed together gears. Make sure each axle turns freely throughout the build and you’ll be fine. This is one to take your time over, and I for one welcome that.

So, what do all those cunningly combined gears and motors do ?

There are 4 medium motors in a module, driving the various systems through a mind-crushingly complex geartrain. These can either drive the vehicle along and rotate its body on the chassis, or manipulate the excavator arm at any of three joints according to the position of the gearbox selector. Like everything else, this is operated by remote control.

For driving it along, one might suspect the M motors would not be up to it; but their torque is surprising and it goes just fine, if rather slowly. Separate motors drive each side independently to allow it to steer. XLs with different gearing would doubtless make it faster, but since when was an excavator any kind of roadburner ?

As for the digging part, it’s very capable. Thank those linear actuators – less pure than the older pneumatics but much simpler and way more effective. There are four of them and they do a great job. Again, the gearing is quite conservative and movements are slow-ish to ensure the motors are up to it. They are, as long as the dirt is fairly loose (yes, I’ve got mine a little bit dirty – there’s just no way to resist..) It’s better still if you replace the supplied over-large bucket for a yellow one you’ve pinched from the back of a passing 8862.

The black bucket it comes with is much more suited to the B model, a handsome and useful bulldozer that’s possibly a homage to this kit’s 8275 predecessor. I do wish Lego would supply paper instructions for both models – it’s such a faff to download and it’s never the same building while staring at a computer screen.

Incidentally, have you noticed how much an 8275 will cost you now ? It’s frightening. That’s what happens to the very best models in any theme in this strange market. I just hope the price of this and other well regarded large sets isn’t driven by speculators; if so, expect it all to come crashing down any time soon… Still, when it does we’ll all still have our Lego to enjoy won’t we ?

Be that as it may, I would urge you to get this very complete model while Lego are still producing it. If you have the slightest interest in Technic, you’ll love it. 10/10.

In 1975, was this Lego’s first attempt to create an AFOL market ? Discuss…

All the sets in the ‘Hobby Sets’ line from the mid to late Seventies are rare items now, and highly sought after; but they weren’t at the time.

Take the blocky beauty above, for example; who’s it aimed at ? For kids, it wouldn’t fit in their town layouts, older kids want models that do something; if an adult market existed at the time, it’s just not intricate enough thanks to the lack of specialized pieces in 1976.

The whole line bombed, and that’s a shame. These are nice models. Not snazzy, complex or huge; just pleasant display pieces. I remember the 395 Rolls-Royce I got when I was about 7, still have it in fact, and I loved it. Standing proudly atop it’s cardboard display stand, here was a thing that said Lego bricks can make something nice.

It’s not entirely without detail. Those old 1×1 yellow windows make fine vintage headlights and the white spoked wheels are great. They only ever appeared in this and the 391 Renault. Mostly though, it’s an assemblage of white bricks and black plates in the rough shape of a car…

Nice car, mind. But again, it falls between two stools. Kids want stuff of the moment (apart from me, but then I was a strange kid…what do you mean I still am ?!); adults want more realism, yet the bricks weren’t quite up to it.

The first set in the series was even simpler, but it’s still a pretty thing….

It’s a 1913 Cadillac – a curious choice of launch model for a whole new line of sets. First car with an electric starter, apparently.

So, what are these ? Toys ? Not really. I don’t remember making ‘vroom vroom’ noises with mine. I’d just look at it, and make inevitably similar alternatives with it.

Are they an attempt to create something like the modern VW camper ? Perhaps. That’s a thing that’s a joy to build and behold, for all that you can’t play with it. But that works because it’s so exact – you instantly know what it is.

Hang on – they came in nicer boxes with classy, simple artwork; which could be used as a display stand – they’re ancient Architecture sets on four wheels! Hmmmm…

I’m probably over-analysing. They’re of their time in design, and ahead of their time as an idea.

Feast your eyes on the biggest of the first three cars, an impressive looking 1926 Renault Limousine – this was quite a bit longer than the other two and doesn’t the blue look fab ?

Anyway, enough of my prognostication, these can all be enjoyed today for what they are; nice models made from basic bricks that have a certain period charm. If you’re a vintage car fan, you’ll enjoy having any of these three.

Just don’t scroll down and compare them to Malte Dorowski’s Porsches. It’s simply not fair.

… if it was made of smaller pieces and released 30 years later…

That’s ‘hobby sets’ for you, an almost forgotten line from the 1970s that lasted just 2 years and spanned 7 sets. In those far-off pre-Technic days, this was as sophisticated as small Lego models got, and it wasn’t enough. If they tried something similar now with the advantage of more and smaller specialized pieces, it might work. Oh wait, they do. It’s called the VW Camper and I will get to that eventually, via a circuitous route that takes in various models and themes spanning all Lego’s attempts to appeal to the mature car fan.

Being old, I feel the need to start in the 1970s… The three vintage cars I’ve already talked about, so here’s a pile of blue plates looking somewhat like Jody Scheckter’s 1974 Tyrell….

… not exactly a picture of beauty but there’s something about it. Stand back and squint a bit… oh well, please yourselves… In the year 2012 it does look a bit basic, but in 1975 there was nothing to compare it with. They did what they could with what they had.

Check out those wheels – old, old pre-Technic red gears for hubs! It doesn’t lack ingenuity. Mind you, even with what was available at the time the engine could have been better – all yellow, really ? Still, the stickers give it a lift. So, don’t fall over yourselves to buy a boxed one at an absurd price; if you like it, make it from your collection. You will have the pieces…

Possibly the only set that sold more slowly than a hobby set car was a hobby set bike; there were only two and this is the better one of them…

… while a vintage or F1 car (only just in the latter case..) could get away with using basic pieces and still be a nice thing, the bikes were just too small to convince as models with their relatively large pieces. The Harley above is quite nice, but can’t avoid looking clunky and the Norton was even worse – possibly because clunkiness quite suits a Harley…

Clunkiness does suit a 19th Century American steam engine, and the biggest set, the 396 Thatcher Perkins locomotive, was a looker in it’s multi-coloured, oddly proportioned way. It was a standalone piece, not designed to run on rails and far too big for any train layout; yet, like the others, not quite pretty enough to be an ornament.

So that’s Hobby Sets. A curio from another time when Lego tried to engage older builders. The release of the first Technic sets in 1977 killed them stone dead. I’ll shut up now so you can go and look at something modern and smooth. Try scrolling down…

Continuing our series of reviews of sets aimed at the more mature builder, here’s the 5580 Highway Rig, from 1986…

It got the ‘Model Team’ line off to a good start. It was the same scale as the earlier ‘Hobby Sets’ (12 studs wide) and, albeit after a long hiatus, appeared to carry on where they left off; although this time, Lego managed to produce an attractive, well detailed model of a popular subject.

They even went to the trouble of designing nice new wheels for it.

It had the look of being designed by someone who loved the subject – often the sign of a winning model. He had fun with all the greebling, too – perhaps a little much, especially when it came to festooning it with little yellow lights all over the place. Against the white panels, these do make it look a little as if it’s got a bad case of zits….

Still, all the other detailing was very successful, the colour scheme was attractive (using printed pieces – not stickers – hurrah!) and, if you lift the bonnet forward, there’s a very pleasant show engine (Lego’s first ?); the influence of which is still seen in many medium sized MOCs by car builders everywhere.

They also included steering, operated by the spare wheel mounted on the back of the cab. It didn’t work that well (too many twists and turns in the linkage ‘twixt rack and wheel) but it was a start. It might have been better if the control was on the roof, as on later models.

There was an interior, of sorts, featuring some seats, a steering wheel and a single printed slope that constituted the dashboard. Pretty basic inside then, but again, not a bad effort at the time. There was a bed behind the seats as well, wherein sleep would be rendered impossible by the steering gubbins in the way.

After the wealth of detail on it’s front half, the rear looked a little underdone. The trailer hitch thing (or whatever you call it..) was just a 4×4 turntable, there was no attempt at wheelarches and little else of interest back there. However, mounting the eight rear wheels on movable axles was a nice touch to give the illusion of suspension.

Overall, this is a very nice model indeed. One of those that manages to look right, despite the compromise of using train doors on the cab. A rare combination of refined good looks with a dose of playability. There’s a very good reason why they’re expensive to buy now.

Your favourite Lego Cars blog (whaddaya mean there’s only one…?) goes off topic again…

Welcome to our review of Lego’s latest big thing with wheels. As a fan of all things mechanical, and Lego, I couldn’t fail to notice this; an impressively faithful rendition of the 1917 Sopwith Camel, pioneer of the earliest days of airborne warfare.

It’s another one of those models that seems to have been created by an aficionado of the real thing. If anything about it looks a little strange – e.g. very short front, stubby fuselage – it’s because the real one was exactly the same. Even the colours are spot-on.

So, what do get for your eighty quid ?

Answer; a well-stuffed box with lots of fine goodies, some of them pieces I haven’t seen before in strange and exotic colours. It’s quite a lot of money for the number of pieces you get, but since many of them are big and/or special; even chromed, it’s well worth it.

Once you’ve emptied the whole lot into a big and unsortable  pile you can get cracking: a couple of hours of enjoyable building await. There’s nothing too tricky here, although you do need to take care of installing the long strings that control the flaps to avoid snagging – follow the instructions carefully and you’ll be alright.

Speaking of which, is it just me or does everyone find it difficult to see individual brown pieces in the instructions when there’s already a mass of them ? Perhaps this old git should admit defeat and get his eyes tested… At least there isn’t the trouble differentiating black from dark grey that there used to be.

When finished, what you’ll have is a surprisingly large model and nowhere to put it… still, it can always hang suspended on a wire from the ceiling, ready to strafe unsuspecting visitors.

It’s a working model, too. The control stick in the cockpit will activate the turning flaps with a side to side motion and the tail flaps with a back and forth movement, all done via the aforementioned strings. Very clever.

Of course, Lego have been here before, with this from 10 or so years ago:

… the previously inflated price of which is about to get a lot more reasonable. It’s a pretty good effort, but it’s easy to see where the newer one improves things.

The Sopwith Camel was a hugely significant aircraft, and not just for Lego. It was famously tricky to fly, with a deliberately front-heavy instability that made it highly manoevreable – a feature of most modern fighter aircraft, which are so unstable they wouldn’t fly at all without computer controls.

No computers in 1917, of course, just very skilled and very brave pilots. This ‘plane shot down more enemy aircraft than any other in World War One.

The engine was an air-cooled rotary (not to be confused with the Wankel rotary, a totally different design), sometimes known as a radial engine, whereby instead of a rotating crank in a fixed block, it was the cylinders that rotated around the fixed crank. For aircraft, this had several advantages. The rotating mass of the cylinders did away with the need for a heavy flywheel – the engine was the flywheel – and, when exposed to the air, it could be effectively self-cooling, without the need for a radiator. This made for a much better power to weight ratio than conventional in-line engines of the time.

This type of engine nearly always had an odd number of cylinders – typically seven, or in some cases, nine, in the Sopwith Camel. The only inaccuracy of Lego’s model is that it has eight. Still, at least it spins round with the propellor.

Speaking of which, shouldn’t the guns right behind it shoot it off ? Nah, Sopwith had that covered with another innovation; a synchronization gear that blocked the guns from firing when the blades were in front of them. The pilot could keep his fingers on the trigger and not worry about shooting himself out of the sky.

All very interesting, I’m sure, but the very best thing about this model is it’s sturdiness: strong enough to swoosh about the house, making authentic ‘duggaduggadugga’ noises and scaring the cat….

Get one. You won’t regret it.

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Glad you could come. Settle yourselves in for an exhaustive analysis of the new Technic 9393 Tractor model, and how it compares to its most illustrious forebear. Or scroll down for a peek at Chris Melby’s rather fine catamaran, whatever appeals…

First, a look at the beast in question:

…pretty little thing, ain’t it? I’m not one to buy every Technic set I see, but this really appealed to me; and for only 25 quid, I just couldn’t say no.

Building it was pretty straightforward, and pretty much foolproof, but it struck me how it’s size and functionality are very similar to 1977′s 851 set:

…whadaya mean you don’t see it? Sure, their styling is very different, but they do all the same things. Oh alright, it’s just an excuse to compare old and new style Technic, so let’s get started…

Box: Much as I love the old, sturdy boxes with their little compartments in the plastic tray, flip-up lid and extensive idea pictures on the box itself, this must have been an expensive and labour-intensive endeavor. The new one is just a box, but it might be why this is so much cheaper than the 851 was (relatively speaking) back in the day. Still, an easy win for old.

Instructions: Many people bemoan the extreme simplicity of new instructions, with their 1 or 2 pieces per build step and consequently fat instruction books – I don’t mind it, and while the old blueprint-style of 851′s instructions are more satisfying for an experienced builder to use – I dare you to try and build it using just the actual blueprint! – it’s easy to see how a novice could make a lot of mistakes with so few build steps to guide him. There’s a happy medium to be found somewhere between these two opposites, but Lego have yet to find it. Incidentally, Yay! for the supplied book for 9393′s second model – having to go online is such a faff when all you want to do is build. A draw.

Building: The diversity of Technic elements, even in a smallish set like 9393, comes as a pleasant surprise after the small selection of bricks and plates, with a handful of technic elements that constitute an 851. They are both a pleasure to build – the new one will fill an hour, the oldie maybe half that, and they offer different experiences in this regard. 851 feels like a slightly elaborated Creator set; 9393 is a proper dose of Technic goodness. New takes the win here.

P.S. Look at the picture above and spot what is now deemed an ‘illegal connection’ on 851 and win a prize*

It’s neck and neck as we go into comparing the models…. the suspense is killing me …?!

*Not Really.

Steering: When it comes to Technic, the adage is: the older the set, the better the steering system. This is generally true, but it’s not quite like that here. Unlike a lot of recent sets, 9393 does have some discernible steering lock, although not as much as 851; and they both work smoothly. The oldie’s system is operated by the steering wheel – a gear for some reason – and 9393 has the now-obligatory Hand-Of-God control with no connection to the steering wheel itself. Much as I dislike that last aspect, I guess I’ll just have to make my peace with it… Old wins.

Styling: 851 is clearly a Massey-Ferguson and has a timeless classic appeal. This is all very well, but it was an ‘old’ tractor even in 1977 and you have to wonder if that dented its appeal to 10 year olds who like modern stuff. 9393 is a, well, a green one; but it does at least look contemporary. The green panels are more nicely designed than is sometimes the case and suit it perfectly. It is a surprise, though, that an ostensibly green set has only ten green pieces. Still, it looks the biz. New wins, by a whisker.

Three Point Hitch: Know your farming lingo, people… The means of attaching the implement and raising and lowering it is treated differently, as you’d expect. 851 has a smooth over-centre action via the control lever next to the seat; 9393 sports a worm gear controlled from the back of the vehicle. There’s advantages to both approaches – 851 is more authentic here, and 9393 is more adjustable, albeit with a somewhat jerky movement. Old takes it.

Implement: In both cases, power is taken from one rear wheel and they both come supplied with a harrow. 851′s takes careful setting up to work properly but, that done, it spins round at a furious rate, although only on a smooth surface which does slightly defeat the object. Power is automatically disconnected when it’s raised, simply by gears coming out of mesh. 9393′s harrow folds away neatly to achieve the same thing and, when down, spins more slowly than it’s rivals’, but fast enough to make the er, blades (?) clatter around in a most satisfying manner. New takes this one.

It’s still all square between these two – it’s like I planned it! – but there’s one more thing to consider.

Alternate Builds:

As usual with old Technic sets, 851 has two B-models with instructions and a plethora of further ideas shown on the box. There’s various alternative implements for the tractor, or a rather rudimentary combine harvester, or does Sir fancy a bandsaw, or perhaps a pressing tool. No? How about a rather stylish road roller? Or a lathe? The possibilities are endless.

You wouldn’t expect a new set with just one alternate model to compete with this. However, in 9393′s case, it just might…

It’s just the sort of thing one pictures when the words ‘Technic Buggy’ float into my brain. A sharp looking, robust little vehicle that makes a superb toy. This one has a sting in the tail: an exceptionally neat 4 cylinder engine made using axles that jump up and down when actuated by the ‘crankshaft’ that’s actually more of a camshaft but who am I to argue… MOC builders have been doing this for years to give their smaller cars working engines – I think Tyler Reid did it first, but feel free to correct me if I’m wrong. Anyhow, it works well here, spins nice and fast and makes the buggy clatter along very happily.

I can’t believe it. On the strength of it’s superb second model, New Technic takes the overall win**. Bravo!

**Only if you don’t put in those three-quarter pins that’ll limit the steering lock and replace the pole reverser handles at the front with 2L axles to avoid the consequent rubbing…

.. And living buried inside the Creator range. Meet set 7347, ‘Highway Pickup’

Mmmmm stripey! Nicely detailed too, at least as far back as the exhaust stacks. In case you’re wondering, this is one of TLCB’s occasional reviews of current sets – I’m back, baby!

So, where to start… how about unpacking it’s nice big, shiny box; that’s reasonably full for a change, with 800 or so pieces and there’s loads of good stuff here for vehicle builders of all kinds. The bags aren’t numbered, so there’ll be much sifting but we’re used to that, aren’t we ? There are 4 instruction books – 2 for the main model – and isn’t it nice to have printed instructions for the secondary models ? Come on, Technic! Be careful, though, with the only blue parts of the set (two hinge pieces that fix on the dashboard) as they don’t appear all that blue in the book. Maybe it’s these old eyes again, but I spent several minutes looking for grey ones…

Building it is a pleasure, if not at all difficult, and there’s an intriguing mix of old and new Technic in the chassis. Studded beams give it a dose of rigidity, and studless ones at the back allow the truck bed to slide and tilt. Very effective. There are no mistakes in the instructions, at least for the main model – I haven’t built the others, mostly because they don’t look nearly as good.

The first part to build is the yellow car that goes on the back, and what a curious beast it is… out of scale with the truck (it ought to be two studs wider, at least), it’s otherwise nicely proportioned but clumsily detailed. You’ll be able to fashion something better, even if you just use these bricks.

Thankfully, a great deal more design effort was put into the truck. I’ll call it a truck, since it’s very much in the American style; although the second model is very definitely a lorry… Anyhoo, it features that sliding and tilting bed on the back, a winch, opening doors and bonnet and working steering. Just remember NOT to put in those black ball joint pieces at an early build stage, lest it end up with the turning circle of a supertanker. You’ll need something there, else the wheels will drag on the inner arches, but I found a 1×1 plate, stud in the beam’s hole did the trick. Now it’s got the turning radius of.. an ordinary tanker. Never mind, at least it’s nice and smooth in operation.

There’s also a pair of light bricks in the roof, that blaze forth when you press down in front of the steering control. It wouldn’t be too hard to make them flash authentically, or even stay on. A nice feature, but a bit of a gimmick.

Putting the cab together, with it’s very attractive stripes and comprehensive detailing is what reminds me most of the old Model Team sets. This is the same size as 5580 from 1986, and where this scores over that classic set is in the way the paintjob is achieved. It’s entirely brick-built. No stickers or printed parts. Hurrah!

And here it is in the company of an old friend..

I must say I do prefer 5580′s grille; those grille tiles on the new one do tend to look a little flat. The oldie  also has a nicer engine, and the fenders are attached to the hood as they should be. Still, the new boy’s got some tricks, not the least of which is to be found around the back, precisely where 5580 ran out of ideas…

That tilting and sliding bed is very nicely contrived, but the thing could have looked less… basic, perhaps ? Especially given the exuberance of the front. Lego have always been better at the front part of a truck : even the fabled 5571 ‘Black Cat’ looked a little unfinished aft of the cab, so I guess everything’s as it should be. Still, some rear lights and a licence plate back there might have been nice.

But enough carping. This really is a nice set, and it’s level of features and detail is just fine for the market it’s aimed at. Trouble is, the market it’s aimed at might baulk at paying £60 ($80) for it.

Is Model Team alive and well, then ? Kind of, but you wouldn’t call it alive and kicking. 7/10.

Welcome to another TLCB review of a Model Team classic. This one’s from 1996 and ain’t it pretty?

The 5571, or ‘Black Cat’ as it was known, was the crowning glory of the Model Team line. It certainly went out in style. However, over £100 was a lot to ask for a Lego set at the time and they didn’t sell many. A pity, as it was actually good value; with more pieces than any Lego set ever, at the time.

If you want one now, it will cost you more than double… still worth it.

So, what do you get in exchange for all that moolah ? Many good things, including unique wheels (they look the same as those on 8285 but they’re slightly bigger), a pair of very large one piece printed doors that do at least look more at ease than such items on the smaller models, lots and lots of black plates, some shiny chrome – properly shiny – loads of tools and the sort of greebly bits that spaceship designers love. And a Fabuland shovel!

Putting all these together takes time, naturally enough, but there’s nothing difficult here – Lego hadn’t yet got around to incorporating many SNOT techniques in even their most elaborate sets, but the appearance of this doesn’t suffer for it.

Instructions for this are easy to follow, with not quite today’s baby build steps but they are simpler than contemporary Technic models. There’s a nice B model too, a European style truck that’s good enough but is rather blown away by the main event.

Whoever designed this was having fun. It’s possible that they got a little carried away with all the bars and doors and bits and bobs festooning the body, but it’s all very nicely done and you really can picture this haulin’ ass across the wide open spaces of America. Probably not Denmark, though. Us Europeans never see trucks like this, but we do love them, and so do Lego – look at how many they’ve made over the years compared to flat fronted European trucks. There’s a romanticism here entirely missing from the more utilitarian domestic lorries, good as they are; and this set makes the very most of that.

Features; if it’s technical wizardry you’re after you’re looking in the wrong place, although it does steer (slightly) via a hand of god control on the roof. This can be improved upon easily enough, and there’s room for a ‘working’ engine to replace the – very nice – show engine supplied. Other than that though, this is all about the details.

So many details. Starting with the little black cat perched on the hood, and all manner of steps and bars and stacks and lights and, and… I’m out of breath. It could have done with bigger windscreen wipers, though… As well as all the stuff you see on the outside, there’s some comfortable looking seats, that tilt forward to get at the bed behind, the driver’s got a well stocked dashboard – including a dash mounted coffee maker that we can only hope succeeds in keeping him awake, there’s little opening compartments on each side full of little tools, ladders and levers and things on the back, the doors and bonnet open; the latter to reveal the well detailed V8 every self-respecting rig of this size’ll need… I could go on forever…

…Until I get to the back half. Was it done by a different person ? Was he given no budget ? Aft of the cab, this does look a bit… underdone, and not just because of the OTT front part. There’s a start at a rear fender, but it is just the start, there’s only two wheels on each axle, the trailer hitch looks OK but not strong enough. The rear bumper and lights set-up is nicely done – something that’s often neglected on Lego models; then and now. I guess it’s 80% there, apart from the lack of wheels, but it just looks naked behind the exuberantly decorated cab. Maybe that’s a little unkind. Give it complete fenders and double up the wheels and it’ll probably be just fine. Or build a trailer for it to cover it’s nakedness, but you’ll need lots of pieces – this isn’t a small model.

But this is proudly American, and biggest is best. It really is. If you like these kinds of trucks at all, you’ll really enjoy this. 9/10

Bikes are a slightly neglected species here on The Lego Car Blog, probably because all the elves are issued with cars (Austin Allegros, since you ask…), so I thought I’d bring you a quick roundup of some of the Technic bikes that Lego has blessed us with over the years.

LEGO bikes through the ages

We’ll start with 857; the motorbike with sidecar that Lego started with in 1979. Pretty basic now – it has a single cylinder engine, it steers…. that’s it. No suspension, although there is something they had the temerity to call a ‘kick start’ which is nothing more than an axle with an elastic band attached to one end. Looks nice, though, with some neat sculpting for details like the mudguards and fuel tank that give it something of a Model Team look.

It might have been better without the rather plain and unattractive sidecar, however; the wheel of which is too far forward (for manoeverability, such outfits had the sidecar wheel closer to the rear). And wouldn’t the whole thing have looked better in black ? Still, it’s a nice thing, if somewhat fat. We’ll call it a Harley Davidson with a cylinder lopped off.

Unlike later bikes, this was a biggish set at the time, second only to the 853 Car Chassis, and there wasn’t really enough going on here to justify it’s 409 pieces and high price.  At least they managed to put the chain inside the swingarm; which is a lot easier if the swingarm doesn’t, erm.. swing. Probably the weakest of the early sets, for all it’s vintage charm. 6/10.

Moving on, the red one is 8422 from 1995, a much slimmer and more effective design, and one that manages to correctly place it’s chain within a swinging swingarm. It has a V-Twin, decent suspension and a stand. As well as somewhat fussy styling that doesn’t quite work, except at the front with those printed light pieces. I think the designer was so thrilled with the invention of the liftarm triangle he just couldn’t help himself. They’re all over the place.

That said, this was a big improvement on the earlier 8838 ‘Shock Cycle’ and does look something like a touring BMW model. The set has 315 pieces, about 100 of which are entirely unnecessary. If only some of those had gone into the front suspension, which uses those large springs to support the weight of the front end, it might not have wobbled so much. 7/10.

Fast forward to 2008, and it’s the turn of 8291, the green dirt bike with 248 pieces and a lower price than the other two. It may be cheaper, but it’s also better. It features a horizontally opposed twin, long travel suspension and not much of a saddle. At least there’s now an exhaust to keep you warm… The chain migrates outwards to the wrong position, but that’s the only real downside. Even the front struts don’t wobble quite so much, because they’re mounted closer to the vertical.

This is certainly the most playable and robust of these three; the newer style of Technic seems to lend itself better to bikes and provides this with a real advantage. 8/10. We have a winner!

I haven’t touched on 2010′s 8051, probably the best bike to date and certainly the best looking, mainly because I haven’t got that one, or the new 42007 orange dirt bike, which looks like a rehash of 8291. Both of these still have that wobble-strut front end, though.

I haven’t mentioned B-models, either – they’re almost always dragsters or choppers and a lot less interesting than the main models, with the honourable exception of 857; which, being an early set, has a plethora of building ideas on it’s box and instructions for three quite different variations of the same basic frame. Three cheers for that.

If you’re a non-biker, you might be curious about the title of this piece. It’s a acronym for the words uttered by every myopic car driver who ever put an innocent motorcyclist in hospital:

‘Sorry Mate I Didn’t See You.’

Use your mirrors, people. Even Rovers have them, you know…

And replies to this post must be addressed to ‘dude’, and end with ‘man.’

Moving on….

Welcome to the better-late-than-never Lego Car Blog review of the fab 10220 VW Camper van.

You may already have guessed that I rather like this model, despite not being a big fan of the original. I have had a go in one, and I can tell you that they are fun, if slow, and somewhat heavy drinkers that handle like a ship in a swell. And they have a crumple zone. You. They do serve as the only vehicle that my own old car can reliably go faster than… unless some dastardly tinkerer has stuffed a Porsche engine in one – hopefully it’ll have the Porsche’s brakes as well. The one I drove did not want to stop…

To the model!

It’s very detailed, as you can see, and is a joy to build. Give yourself plenty of time to enjoy the many details as you go along. The instructions are clear and easy to follow, so no problems there.

What you end up with is something that’s as good as all but the very best mocs out there, particularly on the inside. Don’t expect any snazzy functions, though. Lego took the (probably wise) decision to concentrate on the aesthetics inside and out rather than try to cram in a steering system. Like all but a few car builders, it’s refined looks or functions – not both.

This is why they managed to make it look so nearly perfect. The colour scheme, the vehicle’s stance on the road, all the detail, it really is something to display with pride. I said nearly perfect; the front looks OK, but the awkward steps between the red and white are not sufficiently hidden by the black tube that forms the border between them. It might have been better had the front been built differently. Still, full marks for effort, and it’s great that all the openings, errr… open, including the windscreen and the pop-up top. It’s all a considerable advance over the earlier VW   Beetle set. And I do love the fact that all the windows are glazed.

Wouldn’t want that gorgeous interior to get dusty. There’s loads of great stuff in here, and this is the area where this model really shines. Behind the front seats it’s all studless, apart from the top of the folding table. There’s a sofa that folds into a bed, a little sink unit, lots of cupboard space and underneath it all is a nicely detailed model of the flat four engine. There’s even an accurate dashboard and foot pedals. My favourite part in here has to be the T-Shirt in the wardrobe that says ‘Make Lego Models Not War’; for once I don’t mind a couple of stickers. Those dinky little curtains are ace as well, and the lava lamp and…. I could go on but you get the picture. Considering the scale – 14 studs wide – there’s as much going on in here as possible, and this’ll be the reason such a relatively small model has a high piece count and price (£80). It’s well worth it.

Best of all, it’s the right size for those big old build-it-yourself homemaker figures from the ’70s. Dress a couple up, sixties style and you have a groovy shindig. Or something. Or, if you’re as creative as Iain Heath , build some Miniland Figures, with or without questionable substances…

Their names are Credence Sandstorm and Crystal Bliss, apparently..

If you ever get tired of this model, this set makes a great parts pack as well, with lots of the kind of hinges, SNOT bricks and curved pieces that are manna to car builders. There’s even a little present from the designers hidden in the engine bay, in the form of two trans-clear headlight bricks that could be any colour, but the designer must realise how precious these are to anyone who’s ever built a large car with a curved headlight. Thanks for that, and thanks for the wonderfulness that is this lovely model. 10/10.

Welcome to The Lego Car Blog’s latest comparison of old and new Technic models; this time, excavators. Some genres of Technic model age better than others – a 1977 tractor is every bit as good as a 2012 one, and better than those in between – whereas others, I guess, just need a bigger parts palette to look and work right.

There’s a reason why excavator models were very rare from Lego until very recently, but it can be done with the old stuff. The blue machine in the picture above is built from instructions in the (completely wonderful) 8888 ideas book, published in 1980, and using only parts from that era. It’s movements are cunningly controlled using only racks and gears (lots of gears..) and it works OK, if not brilliantly. Cute, though. If it was a set from 1980, it would merit at least a 6/10.

Lego didn’t attempt an actual excavator set until the advent of pneumatics in 1984, with the 8851.

It’s the red beast on the left, and it looks like a step up from the blue one.

It isn’t. The problem was the early single-outlet pneumatic pumps. These extended under pressure, but returned via vacuum, controlled by a block of one way valves plumbed in between pumps and switches. This tortuous system had to be crammed in to 8851′s compact body, and unless you were VERY careful, there would be kinks in the pipework. (TLCB Top Tip: instead of using 8cm and 6cm grey tubes between the 3rd switch and the valve block, use 6cm and 4cm. They’ll be crushed a bit less.) It also made it that rare thing; a Technic model that’s not fun to build.

Not only that, but there is no task in all of Technicdom more fiddly than attaching this thing’s arm to the body. The problem here is a pair of elastic bands that need to be attached as well that prevent the arm from dropping as the pumps’ air pressure dissipates. I got one of these on, then gave up lest I throw the thing across the room in frustration. If any 1984 10 year old managed to assemble this completely correctly and get it to work first time, he is a genius.

A disappointed genius. After all that effort, he’d have had a machine that worked somewhat jerkily and wasn’t really capable of lifting very much. The first-gen pneumatics were too weak for all but the smallest models, in which it would have been difficult to fit all the pipework. If you build this now using the later double-acting pumps it is a lot better.

8851 does have one redeeming feature; the second model is a rather fine bulldozer with (lightweight!) lifting and tilting blade that works fine even with the early pumps and manages to be better looking than the main model. 5/10, and most of those points are for the second model…. Next!

On the left, 2010′s 8043 Motorized Excavator , previously reviewed in these pages and found to be magnificent; and on the right, the new 42006 Claw Grabber.

There have been others before these two, notably the 2008 8294, a fetching little red machine that made good use of linear actuators, and the back end of the 8862 backhoe with it’s three hissing two-stage pneumatic pumps, which worked beautifully.

8043 is recently retired, and now getting expensive, with good reason. It is utterly stupendous, and uses it’s motors, gearboxes and actuators to spectacular effect. The only slight annoyance is the size of the bucket – I’m sure Lego only put that in to give reviewers something to complain about… it earned an easy 10/10.

The new 42006 seems to be an attempt to broaden the appeal of the concept. As such, it’s smaller, skimpier, manually controlled and much cheaper (50 quid to you. Or 30 on the right day from Amazon – a bargain!). Unlike it’s big brother, it’s clearly built down to a price, but that price is so fair that I think the exercise was worth it. It’s a quick-ish, not too difficult build that isn’t full of the surprise-and-delight you get with an 8043, but nevertheless enjoyable.

The functions are all controlled using the same handwheel on the rear, with two gearboxes attached to switch between them. This does mean that you can, say, raise the arm and close the grabber simultaneously, which is nice…. The mechanism is sensibly geared as well. That grabber is more fun than a bucket. Drop it open into a pile of bits, and it will succeed in picking some of them up as it closes. The tiny actuator that controls it does feel very flimsy, though. I’m sure it isn’t, but I do question the thing’s likely longevity.

Linear Actuators are the making of the modern excavator. They have the strength, smoothness and precision that pneumatics lack and are perfectly suited to the task. However, I do think they take away some of the expertise required to understand how a thing works – you just clip them on, after all, and you don’t get to see what really makes your model tick. I hope there will always be a place for pneumatics on Technic models, despite their relative shortcomings. The builder has at least achieved something in getting them to work, after all.

All of the foregoing is a roundabout way of telling you that 42006 is a fine set. It’s not a substitute for 8043, but it’s certainly the second-best excavator, and I don’t mind the sacrifice of simpler, fewer functions and a skimpier appearance at this price point. It does what it needs to. 8/10

The Lego Technic excavator has (almost) never been in better shape. Get yours now!

A lot of modern Lego is focused on licensed products. These sets can be a great way of introducing children to the fun of building something from Lego. Unfortunately there are normally instructions for just one model, which often isn’t rebuilt into anything else. If you’re looking for old-style models, built from lots of bricks and with alternative models, then the Creator sets are for you.

One of the elves’ favourite Creator sets is the 31005 Construction Hauler. They’ve been clambering onto the desk at TLCB towers to play with it, when they should be out scouring the internet for MOCs. Elves have been busily driving the low-loader around and then using the digger to shovel paperclips about. Sadly, an elf has also been seen wearing one of the traffic cones on his head.

The first thing to be built is the cute little JCB-type digger. With a fully articulated backhoe and front loader, this small vehicle has lots of play potential and would be a great pocket money set in its own right. Unfortunately it has the weakest bit of design of any of the builds. The backhoe is attached via a 2×1 hook plate, which might not withstand the pulling and pushing of vigorous play.

The Tractor unit takes 32 pages of instructions to build and is packed with lots of lovely little details, such as wing mirrors, fuel tanks, sun visor, air-horns, lights and side mounted wind deflectors. Not bad for a 4-wide which is about 11 studs long and a great way to get young builders thinking about the sort of details that they could include in their MOCs. The finished unit feels solid in the hand and is sturdy enough to be zoomed across carpets or off the edge of desks…

The last part of the build is trailer with its fold-down ramp. This has a 2×2 glide plate under it to keep the trailer neatly level when it’s unhooked from the tractor unit. The finished ensemble looks good, with bright red body work and a white cheat line on both tractor and trailer.

Another reason that the elves liked this set was that it comes with instruction books for two more models. This is great, as for some Lego products it is necessary to download the instructions for the alternative build and print your own. Once we’d used our TLCB brick separator to take the first build apart (the elves keep using their teeth) the elves had great fun following the 42 pages of instructions to build the cherry-picker. This might seem like a lot of stages for those of us who grew up building in the 80s but remember that Lego’s target age for this set starts at just 7 years old. The result is another solid truck, with a big, American style bonnet made in SNOT work. It has fold down stabiliser legs and an arm with a neat swivel that locks down between the two air-horns. An elf has been stuck up in the bucket for two hours now but we’ll let him down in time for tea.

In terms of value for money, the set’s RRP is £12.99 for 256 pieces. The lack of mini-figs might make it unattractive to some KFOLs but their other sets often have buckets of mini-figs and a dearth of bricks. This is where the Creator series scores, with this set having a good selection of hinges, SNOT brackets and especially plates. The biggest chunk of plastic in the kit is a 4×10 dark grey plate, which is nicely generic and could be used for all sort of things in all sorts of builds. The bricks in this set should also fit neatly into existing collections, as the palette is limited to white, red yellow, black, grey and dark grey. The elves have now stolen all of our orange traffic cones to use as party hats, so we can’t include those anymore. Whilst Lego’s expanded palette of colours gives more variety and realism, it can be hard for younger builders to gather a collection that will let them build good-looking MOCs which aren’t “rainbow warriors”. The Creator series is a great way to add to your collection and build up quantities of components in a few colours so that you can produce builds with a consistent colour scheme.

This set easily merits a 9/10 for its combination of appearance, playability, contents and value for money. So if you’re an AFOL with a KFOL this could be a great addition to their collection and help to fire their imaginations for their own creations. Alternatively you could buy it for yourself to kitbash into MOCs but you might find it hard to take that cute little yellow digger apart…