Today we go very quickly around the content of the LEGO Technic set 42159 Yamaha MT-10SP, a box of 1478 pieces which will be available at the retail price of €229.99 from August 1, 2023.

Even if the LEGO Technic range gives pride of place to four-wheeled vehicles, LEGO strives to regularly offer some motorcycles such as the set 42130 BMW M1000RR in 2022, the set 42107 Ducati Panigale V4 R in 2020 or even the set 42063 BMW R 1200 GS Adventure in 2017 for the newest officially licensed models.

It is therefore a Yamaha model which this year is entitled to its plastic version with a few refinements which should please fans of this range: central suspension on the rear wheel with its yellow decorative spring, front telescopic fork with gold-coloured sheaths or even 4-cylinder engine and three-speed gearbox with new barrels and selection forks. LEGO has not skimped on the finish for this reproduction of the MT-10 SP at 1:5 scale, everything is there, even the support which allows the model to be displayed on a shelf without leaving the motorcycle on its stand .

The assembly is broken down into distinct steps that allow you to build sub-assemblies and possibly move on to something else before coming back to it later. This is handy for those who would like to spread the process over several days and really enjoy all that the set has to offer with obviously the main point of interest being the engine/transmission block.

We build the display very early in the process so that we can then install the motorcycle during assembly and "work" more comfortably on the product which displays substantial measurements on arrival: 44cm long by 25cm high and 15cm wide.

Have fun with the compact transmission as long as it is not installed on the vehicle, it will then logically disappear under the body parts, just like the 4-cylinder engine, and it will then be difficult to visually take advantage of the properties mechanics of this assembly thereafter and there will remain only a few rotating axes visible from the outside. The transmission is made up of a handful of new parts, barrels, gears and forks, which will undoubtedly pave the way for other equally successful creations in the future. Regulars of the range should appreciate the work done here.

Three speeds are available, they are activated via the selector placed on the left just above the crutch which sends the control to the barrels and the new selection forks: first down, second and third up. I didn't notice any particular operating problem in the transmission, no strange creaks or blockages, it seems to me that the thing was well designed, but I will let the specialists give us their opinion on this point.

The selector barrels, which will undoubtedly definitively replace in the future those of orange color delivered for the first time in the set 42083 Bugatti Chiron, are incidentally stamped with a letter-based marking which facilitates their alignment during the construction of this subset, it is a good point for all those like me who only assemble a set of this range of times time and who are not necessarily accustomed to the subtleties of these elements. The instruction booklet is very didactic, sometimes to the extreme, but it is appreciable. It's hard to make a mistake about the alignment of gearbox parts, the booklet provides several visuals that make sure everything is in order before moving on and a side indicator installed on the chassis allows you to check the correct transmission operation based on its position before proceeding.

Here we find the fork shock absorbers, the rear central shock absorber with its false spring, the rims and the tires already used on the bike on the same scale of the set 42130 BMW M1000RR, the color of the shock absorbers and rims being adapted to this new model. As this is a product from the LEGO Technic universe, it's a bit of a mess with the colored pins that remain visible on the model, in particular under the two transparent panels at the front of the handlebars which are crossed by a red pin.

Fans will say that it is the "signature" of the range and that it is normal and acceptable as it is, others will consider that this visual pollution is frankly detrimental to the overall rendering of this model for adults, to each his report with this mix of colors. The bike is however not completely lined with stickers, it's good news for all those who had suffered a lot with that of the set 42130 BMW M1000RR.

What is certain is that visually, we are well within the concept "HyperNaked" developed by Yamaha with sports models that do without a complete fairing and which leave a large part of the mechanics visible. The LEGO version necessarily adapts this concept and a large surface of the model is therefore not faired and leaves parts and various and varied apparent pines.

It's sometimes a bit messy but the designer gets away with it honourably, in my opinion. We find, for example, in a more or less symbolic way, the Öhlins Gen-2 cylinder just above the central rear suspension, the engine shoe in two textures to symbolize the decomposition of the element intended to better channel the flow of air, the titanium exhaust line or the 4.2" TFT dashboard embodied by a sticker with a very faithful design. I am a little less convinced by the seat of the vehicle which, in my opinion, lacks a little volume and by the fairing of the tank with its central protrusion a little off topic.

The set will take advantage of the augmented reality (AR) capabilities offered by the official dedicated app, a feature that should appeal to anyone who would like to see the bike's internals in action after assembly or enjoy detailed views of the engine and transmission. It is therefore not a simple overlay of interactivity without much interest, these functionalities will allow you to really enjoy the product and to learn a little more about the operation of the different mechanical parts.

We could discuss the public price of this product, set at 229.99 € by LEGO but we all know that it will quickly be possible to find this box for much less elsewhere than at LEGO, it will be enough to be patient and opportunistic. I admit finally that I am impressed by this pretty model which will have allowed me to discover a little more the LEGO Technic ecosystem, the experience is worth the detour and the result obtained seems to me very successful.

Note: The product shown here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at July 21, 2023 next at 23:59 p.m. Just post a comment under the article to participate. Your participation is taken into account regardless of your opinion. 

Update : The winner was drawn and notified by email, his nickname is indicated below.

Today we are quickly interested in the content of the LEGO ICONS set 10321 Corvette, a box of 1210 pieces which will be available via the official online store and in LEGO Stores from August 1, 2023 at the public price of €149.99. You already know since the official announcement of the product, this involves assembling a reproduction of the 1 C1961 version of the Chevrolet Corvette, with its four rear lights which then replaced the two optics installed on the wings, its overhead valve V8 engine and hardtop.

Might as well mention it right away: all this frankly lacks chrome or, failing that, metallic parts. The reference Chevrolet Corvette gives pride of place to chrome equipment and this LEGO version does not pay homage to it on this point, while the retouched official visuals highlight reflections which are non-existent on the "real" product at the level of the different elements. very light gray.

Once again, this model aimed at an adult collector audience takes some aesthetic shortcuts with much less curvy curves and not-so-curvy curvaceous lines. The wheel arches are also a little strange, it lacks roundness especially when the vehicle is observed in profile. We're starting to get used to LEGO, even if the designer does much better here than when it came to reproducing James Bond's car with the set, for example. 10262 James Bond Aston Martin DB5.

The solid floor of the vehicle is as often made up of a few plates and other Technic beams, we then attach the various bodywork elements and the interior equipment. It's quickly put together and immediately realizes that the retouched official visuals promised us a shade a little darker than in reality. This Corvette C1 is bright red, yet I would have tried the Dark Red (dark red) just to give it a little more cachet at the risk of having to deal with the usual color differences.

The grille based on sausages, handlebars and gray bananas seems to me much too simplified and here we have to be content with a very symbolic representation of this yet emblematic detail of the vehicle. Same observation for the four front headlights, simply composed of a Tile pad-printed round and a transparent piece, it lacks a bit of volume and it's a bit too flat to really look like the real ones.

The doors are on the other hand well designed, they use two new elements which make it possible to reproduce rather faithfully the white zone, set back by half a tenon on the LEGO model, present on the sides of the reference vehicle. The upholstery is relatively simple but sufficient and well executed, as is the driving position with its counter, pedals and gear lever.

There is obviously a small sheet of stickers in the box, I scanned the thing for you, and everything that is not there is therefore stamped, such as the "chrome strips" which circulate on the bodywork, the contours of the seats or the Corvette logo on the front of the hood. It should be noted that LEGO has progressed when it comes to aligning a pattern printed on different elements, it is not yet perfect but it is for example much better than on the lower body of the Mustang of the set 10265 Ford Mustang. It suffices here to interchange the four plates struck in a straight line until an acceptable alignment is achieved.

The rims are a little dull, here too it lacks shine to perfectly reproduce the contrast between the bodywork and the wheels. The white rims used nevertheless make it possible to obtain the desired vintage effect, but the very light gray of the rims is disappointing.

In terms of functionality, it is necessary to be satisfied here with the openings, doors, front bonnet and trunk, and a direction brought back to the steering wheel. No complex mechanism for the steering but the function has the merit of existing and the engine is also reduced to its simplest expression. The supplied hardtop can be easily installed or removed, it will be up to you to see how you wish to expose the vehicle and the opening of the trunk whose bonnet is flush with the rest of the bodywork is managed by a part placed under the vehicle which serves as push button allowing it to be half-opened so that it can then be grasped with the fingers. It's ingenious.

The two identical windshields are packaged separately in paper bags and that's great news. LEGO is thus freed from the plastic protection applied directly to the parts attempted in the past in a few boxes and these two bags finally make it possible to obtain elements in perfect condition upon unpacking. Well done for that.

This Corvette C1 is probably not the best vehicle in the range at LEGO but it still looks great in my opinion. It will undoubtedly help to highlight the other models displayed on a shelf: a little red will ultimately not hurt in the middle of the black Camaro of the set 10304 Chevy Camaro Z28, the blue of the Mustang from the set 10265 Ford Mustang or even the white of the Porsche of the set 10295 Porsche 911. It will probably quickly be possible to find this Corvette C1 a little cheaper than the price charged by LEGO, so there will be no reason to skip this box.

Note: The product shown here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at July 21, 2023 next at 23:59 p.m. Just post a comment under the article to participate. Your participation is taken into account regardless of your opinion. 

Update : The winner was drawn and notified by email, his nickname is indicated below.

Today we take a quick tour of the content of the LEGO Star Wars set 75360 Yoda's Jedi Starfighter, a small box of 253 pieces which will be available from August 1, 2023 on the official online store and in LEGO Stores at the retail price of €34.99. This derivative product will finally take over from the set 75168 Yoda's Jedi Starfighter (262 pieces - €29.99) marketed at the start of 2017 and withdrawn from the LEGO offer at the end of 2018. The subject covered in this 2023 novelty is the same, it is simply a question of refreshing the product and putting it back in the catalog for two years.

In principle, it wouldn't be necessary to make a big deal about this type of product, which is in the price soft underbelly of the range, but this new version sees its retail price increase by €5 compared to the previous version. This price difference will seem negligible for some fans, but others on a tighter budget will probably hesitate a little more before adding this box to their basket or to their shopping cart.

No miracle on this scale, the 13 cm long by 16 cm wide and 7 cm high vessel remains relatively basic even if the designer has really made the effort to give it a certain look and the functionalities are there. -YOU.

The pretty canopy with its unique pad printing opens onto a cockpit, access to which is facilitated by a mobile element placed on the top of the cockpit and which in principle embodies the extension of the canopy, Yoda can therefore easily be installed at the controls. even if he has to stand because the figure is equipped with short legs. the character's saber can be hung on the back, so children will avoid losing it. LEGO provides a second handle in the bags but no second blade.

Two Spring-Shooters are integrated into the bottom of the ship, it's always taken to shoot the neighbour's cat. R2-D2 is comfortable in its location and everything is easy to handle without breaking everything.

On the construction side, we will especially remember the use of a Technic pin to manage the opening angle of the wings, the small element knows how to be forgotten and the technique is ingenious. Both wings gain in finesse compared to the 2017 version, it is visually more coherent.

For the rest, it is relatively well executed even if the red pines which are used to attach the wings to the body of the ship are a little too visible for my taste, that the central ball of the ship is not really a ball.

There are obviously some stickers to stick on the cabin and as usual, the background of these stickers does not match the gray of the parts on which they are placed. You end up getting used to it, but that's not a reason not to mention it anymore.

LEGO does not provide a support with this little ship, it's a shame knowing that it would have been enough for one or two transparent pieces to allow the object to be displayed correctly on a shelf. The maker should imagine that the youngest toss their toys in the bottom of a bin and never display them on their bedroom shelves like adult fans do.

On the side of the two figurines provided, Yoda benefits from a pretty new torso with a hood stamped in the back on which we plug the usual head in Olive Green available since 2013 and the R2-D2 figurine is the one with pad printing on both sides of the cylinder delivered in the sets 75339 Death Star Trash Compactor, 75355 Ultimate Collector Series X-wing Starfighter and which will also be provided in the set 75365 Yavin 4 Rebel Base from August 1st.

This little set will probably not make an impression, but it has a few arguments to make to seduce the youngest fans of The Clone Wars series thanks to several interesting features as well as the most assiduous figurine collectors with a Yoda at the unique torso. 35 € for that, it is in my opinion still expensive paid even if the vessel benefits from some welcome aesthetic improvements compared to the previous version.

Note: The product shown here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at July 18, 2023 next at 23:59 p.m. Just post a comment under the article to participate. Your participation is taken into account regardless of your opinion. 

Update : The winner was drawn and notified by email, his nickname is indicated below.

Today we are quickly interested in the content of the LEGO ART set 31209 The Amazing Spider-Man, a box of 2099 pieces which will be available via the official online store and in LEGO Stores from August 1, 2023 at the retail price of €199.99.

As with other recent products in the LEGO ART range, this construction breaks away from the usual concept of a flat painting with a subject treated in three dimensions. Here, Spider-Man appropriates the frame which becomes a box on a comic strip and the character takes advantage of the border of the painting to give the impression that he is stepping outside the limits of the work. Why not the idea is excellent with a new dynamic that should appeal to hardcore fans of the spider-man.

The chassis of the product is not designed like most of the other references in the range and this product does not use the usual 16x16 black plates which are often used as a starting point. Here, we first create an internal structure equipped with two elements that allow the painting to be hung on the wall and on which we then install ten 16x16 green plates, the central part of the construction remaining hollow to accommodate the system that will be used to fix later the character's head.

We then alternate between a batch of large filler pieces to create relief and a selection of Tiles various and varied which ensures a sufficient level of detail in the background of the painting and finally we add the visible sections in relief with the shoulders, the forearms, the hands and the head.

The assembly is quickly dispatched, the most laborious being not to forget one or more Tiles green, even if it is not so serious because the final rendering will not be affected unduly. The construction process is entertaining, the different stages are well distributed and you don't get bored. We sometimes wonder how the whole will end up representing something coherent and there is a real satisfaction in discovering the final result by taking a step back from the end of the assembly.

However, I am rather torn about this proposal, which at least has the merit of innovating a little: I really like the halftone effect Benday on the background of the painting which reminds me of the assiduous reading of Strange or Spidey comics during my young years, it is successful. The presence of a white spider's web in relief on the bottom frame of the box is also an appreciable detail and the fifteen or so spiders to be distributed over the whole of the painting is also a nice finishing detail.

I'm much less of a fan of the execution of the central character though, it's a bit rough up close and it lacks some of the iconic attributes of the Spider-Man suit including the shoulders, waistband, and cuffs. forearm.

Six of the seven pad-printed pieces delivered in this box are used for the cobweb pattern on the head and I find the rendering of the Spider-Man costume a little poor as it is. The colors used do not help, we find once again the "classic" red and blue of the LEGO universe and I am always a little disappointed by the use of these colors which seem dated according to the set concerned.

The shadows on the folds of the costume or on the musculature of the character are also really symbolic here, it's crude and you really have to take a step back for this lack of finish to fade. Same observation for the shoulders which are framed by very large elements and whose very basic finish has difficulty in being forgotten even when the painting is observed from a certain distance.

Some Tiles flanked by the pattern seen on the Spider-Man costume would have frankly helped to improve the overall rendering. I understand the desire to offer a "stylized" version of the character, but in my opinion we feel more here a desire to save money than a desire that would really come from an artistic bias.

As for the proportions, everything seems quite correct to me except perhaps for the forearms which are a little thin and the left calf which lacks volume and which is visually lost in the background. The left arm lacks muscle and the junction with the hands seems a bit sloppy to me.

We could also discuss the position of the hands, that of the right hand really lacks naturalness with an improbable angle. The fingers that come to grip the edge of the frame are on the other hand well executed, it will even be possible in principle to orient those of the left hand differently so that they do not interfere when the frame is placed on the dresser in the living room.

In fact, it's laborious and annoying: by passing the four fingers of the hand flat outwards from the bottom of the frame, you have to be careful not to unhook the pieces that form the upper part of the hand.

The yellow plate placed at the bottom right of the work is pad printed, there are no stickers in this box. Do not look for the statement indicated by the official description of the product, "...a box at the bottom quotes his motto "With great power comes great responsibility"...", she is not there.

The initial idea is excellent and the possibility of obtaining a purely decorative product that offers something other than alignments of small parts was enticing. Unfortunately, the execution leaves in my opinion a little to be desired and it will be necessary to take a lot of hindsight so that the defects of the product are forgotten. The overall finish is therefore too approximate to convince me, especially at 200 € for the poster in relief.

I'm still looking for thesurprising details" vaunted in the official description of the product and I remain on my hunger in front of a table which could have been much more successful. I hope that LEGO will show a little more ambition on future proposals of the same barrel, the possibilities are numerous, especially in the Star Wars universe.

This product therefore deserves in my opinion encouragement if not mentioned, it opens the door to future creations that could seduce me if the manufacturer is a little less stingy in pad printing and more diligent about the important details of the subject treated. We will therefore wisely wait for a significant reduction in the price of this product at LEGO or elsewhere.

Note: The product shown here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at July 16, 2023 next at 23:59 p.m. Just post a comment under the article to participate. Your participation is taken into account regardless of your opinion. 

Update : The winner was drawn and notified by email, his nickname is indicated below.

Today we take a quick tour of the content of the LEGO Marvel set 76262 Captain America's Shield, a very large box of 3128 pieces currently in pre-order on the official online store and which will be available at the retail price of €209.99 from August 1, 2023.

I'm not drawing you a picture, this is about building a reproduction of Captain America's shield 47 cm in diameter and you will have understood that the assembly phase is not the strong point of this derivative product: it will have to work on the assembly line to finally have the pleasure of displaying the thing on a shelf alongside, for example, the hammer from the LEGO Marvel set 76209 Thor's Hammer (119.99 €).

If you are wondering where the 3128 pieces of the set are, just look at the photos below to understand that this shield is not a simple disc on which we would distribute plates diverse and varied colours. The internal structure of the accessory consumes most of the inventory and it is designed so that it supports standing and moving. It is also thanks to these alignments of parts that the shield takes on a little volume with a very successful curved effect and the designer has applied himself to proposing a model that fits rather well with the aesthetics of the reference accessory.

It's the subject that wants that, so almost the entire assembly process is broken down into sequences consisting of building the same thing 18 times, and those who love LEGOs for the diversity of assembly techniques will be in for their costs. Here, it is only the end that justifies the means and we are bored while waiting to finally have the possibility of exposing this shield on its support. The only instruction booklet provided seemed strangely thin for a product of more than 3000 parts, I quickly understood why by discovering the sequences consisting of multiplying the same sub-assemblies in a loop.

The whole is flawlessly rigid, thanks in particular to the solid cross made up of axes which takes place in the center of the construction. Placed very quickly in the center of the construction, it ensures the shield a perfect distribution of the sub-assemblies which constitute the internal structure of the object and makes it possible to no longer have to worry about the solidity of the whole.

We could discuss the choice of colors, I would rather have used dark colors, Dark Red et dark Blue, rather than basic shades for the outer surface of the shield, the result would have been only closer to that offered by the abundantly retouched official visuals of the product. In "real" with these basic colors, this shield immediately has less cachet than on the product sheet available online or on the box and it will be necessary to play on the lighting to attenuate the flashy side of the red and blue pieces a little used.

The black support supplied with its pad-printed plate which serves as a reminder that the owner of the object is indeed Captain America is a version on steroids of the usual presentation bases, you have to be able to hold the shield in place without risking it falling . The part of the internal structure of the shield which rests on the base is also reinforced, this is the area identified by a Plate red on the visuals above.

The central star offers a slightly more entertaining assembly sequence than the rest of the product, it's always taken and it's the finishing detail that gives a little cachet to this shield which looks like cracked up close over its entire surface. From further away, the object is necessarily an illusion while recalling that it is indeed a LEGO model with its studs visible on 100% of the outer surface. Nothing has been planned to be able to get rid of the base and hang this shield on the wall, but the most resourceful will necessarily find a solution to install the object, the area with the Plate red seems to me sufficiently reinforced to allow it to be suspended.

The set therefore seems extremely well designed to me and nothing has been left to chance, except perhaps the absence of a handle at the back to grab the shield like a superhero. Was this by-product essential? Nothing is less certain but it will be up to everyone to assess the interest of having a large shield with a surface dotted with studs on its shelves.

LEGO adds a minifig of the owner of the shield in the box, just to furnish a little at the foot of the presentation base and to make the whole thing even more imposing by creating a comparison of scale. The supplied Captain America figurine is not exclusive to this box, it is the one already seen in the sets 76189 Captain America and HYDRA Face-Off (9.99 €) and 76260 Black Widow & Captain America Motorcycles (15.99 €) and we can conclude that this is good news for collectors of minifigs, they will not have to invest more than 200 € in this shield to obtain the figurine in question.

LEGO provides both the character's mask and additional hair. how you want to expose the character is up to you. Small printing defect on the shield accompanying the minifig in the box I received, it will once again be necessary to call on customer service to obtain a perfectly pad-printed element.

It is obvious that this product is aimed at customers who would not necessarily buy the usual classic sets and who want to be able to display their passion for the Marvel universe without getting stuck with the cars, ships and other motorcycles that the range distills for us year round. LEGO attracts here interior decoration enthusiasts who buy their New York posters at Ikea and who proudly display the word "Welcome" based on large wooden letters found at Nature et Découverte on the wall of the living room. It's simple: if this shield does not seem essential to you, it means that you are not the target of the product.

It is therefore lifestyle pushed to the extreme, and even if the object benefits from pretty techniques which allow it to obtain a very acceptable finish, the construction process is unequally monotonous which will undoubtedly put off the most LEGO fans looking for a bit of diversity in the techniques used. It will be without me, anyway I don't have the space to display this big shield at home and I already have the minifig provided.

Note: The product shown here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at July 14, 2023 next at 23:59 p.m. Just post a comment under the article to participate. Your participation is taken into account regardless of your opinion. 

Update : The winner was drawn and notified by email, his nickname is indicated below.