I tested for you: LEGO Creator Expert 10262 James Bond Aston Martin DB5

LEGO and cars is quite a story. And it is a sometimes turbulent story.

Reproducing an exceptional vehicle while retaining what precisely allows it to be exceptional is always a risky bet. And a pretty box is not enough to pass the pill, the LEGO Technic set 42083 Bugatti Chiron in my opinion has already demonstrated this brilliantly.

The Aston Martin DB5 is best known for being James Bond's car. And it is therefore the version used by the British spy, with its on-board gadgets, that LEGO is marketing this summer under the very explicit reference LEGO Creator Expert. 10262 James Bond Aston Martin DB5. This is what saves this set of 1295 pieces sold today for the modest sum of € 149.99 on the LEGO Shop, we will see later.

Fortunately, LEGO clearly indicates on the packaging what it is. This adaptation does not really pay homage to the original vehicle even if we find on the LEGO version some of the characteristic attributes of the DB5. However, the essential is missing: The curves of the machine which make it a vehicle of a crazy class and which precisely differentiate this elegant sports car from a lambda car coming out of a factory in Eastern Europe.

Again, I cannot be indulgent with LEGO. Getting into such a project requires being able to offer an aesthetically convincing interpretation, at a minimum. This is far from being the case here.

However, the box indicates that this is a product from the LEGO Creator EXPERT range intended for adult and teenage fans and which prides itself on being officially licensed by a brand whose logo proudly sits on it. 'packaging. Apart from collecting some royalties, what is the motivation of the Aston Martin brand for having authorized this derivative product?

I want to hear that it is not really a model, that it is only LEGO, that everyone has only to make their own DB5, that the MOCeurs will find something to improve the thing , blah blah ... Yes, but no. It's ugly. If you find me a little harsh, don't worry, you will find many "reviews" that will try to convince you that it was anyway difficult to do better and that from the right angle and with the right lighting this DB5 in LEGO version almost looks like the model it was inspired by.

This last statement is not, moreover, totally false. In profile, the vehicle is almost an illusion. This is the only angle from which we can find some real similarities between the LEGO model and the vehicle from which it is inspired. Otherwise, it is far too approximate to be convincing.

The only part that's really true to me is ... the engine. The designers are doing well, we find the characteristic elements of the six-cylinder 4.0 L that equips this vehicle. Fortunately, the front cover opens and we can at least admire this very successful sub-assembly.

The front of this Aston Martin in the LEGO version is particularly missed. The shape of the grille has absolutely nothing to do with that of the original model and if the present grilles are relatively faithful, there are two really unsightly holes on each side. The windshield is the final element to disqualify the LEGO version from an aesthetic point of view. The part is far from resembling the curvaceous windshield of the original vehicle.

I talk about it even if this detail is ultimately only a minor problem: The door hinges that protrude from the bodywork only help to move the LEGO model a little further from its objective. It is unsightly and not respectful of the reference model. Even the deuchinella of the set 10252 Volkswagen Beetle did not have this flaw.

In the radius of the other annoying details: The movable insert on the roof of the vehicle and which opens to allow the ejection seat to pass is indeed the same color as the other parts, but it is matt and decked out with a point of injection in its center. It's unsightly. The rest of the body is made from shiny parts which offer some welcome reflections and this matte part spoils the finish.

We also regret the many color differences between the different parts that make up the body. Sometimes it's subtle, but that's enough to spoil the overall appearance of the vehicle from some angles. We go from dark gray to light gray, with some pieces tending towards yellow as if they had aged prematurely.

As usual, the various logos of the brand are provided on stickers. We will eventually get used to it. The curve of the rear side windows and the windshield pillars are also stickers. Even with these stickers, we are still very far from achieving an acceptable level of aesthetic finish.

If the resemblance to the model seen in the cinema is more than doubtful, what is left of this set? As this is James Bond's car, it is marked on the box, LEGO has integrated some gadgets that the spy in the service of His Majesty is fond of. And these elements are quite successful.

There are indeed some good ideas in this box and the choice to reproduce the James Bond vehicle is a pretext which allows to offer some anecdotal but fun functions.

Don't get carried away by rotating license plates, you have to turn them by hand. Too bad, it is in my opinion the gadget that deserves the most attention in this set. A selector placed in the driving position to activate an integrated mechanism would have been welcome.

I would like to point out in passing that the instruction booklet is supplemented with a few illustrations showing the different functionalities that are integrated during the different assembly phases. It's fun and helps to break up the monotony of the blend. I also note that the accompanying texts are in both English and French. Well done for that.

Among the slightly more elaborate functions, we find the rear bulletproof screen which is raised by rotating one of the two exhaust pipes, the machine guns hidden behind the front headlights which are set up by operating the lever. gear and the ejection passenger seat activated by pulling the rear bumper.

You only have to pull very hard to open the roof and release the bumper to eject the passenger seat. The latter is obviously on the left in the passenger compartment, the Aston Martin being a right-hand drive vehicle.

More anecdotal, but they are all the same amusing references to the world of James Bond: the telephone hidden in the right door, the dial which allows to reveal the radar in the cockpit and the blades which come out of the wheels that it will be necessary to place manually.

Be careful, the LEGO model does not include a steering, the wheels are fixed and turning the steering wheel is useless. Too bad not being able to orient the front wheels at least with an angle of a few degrees, it looks better on a shelf.

This Aston Martin has some good ideas, but I expect from a set from the LEGO Creator Expert range that offers a reproduction of an existing vehicle a minimum of fidelity to the reference model. This is far from the case here, which disqualifies this box in my eyes, references to James Bond or not.

Too bad the designers have spent so much energy to integrate various rather interesting features into an aesthetically failed model. We have known for a long time that reproducing curves with bricks is complicated. There are challenges that must be met with a little more application than usual. It seems to me that this Aston Martin has not been given all the care necessary in its design. In short, it's sloppy.

If you unconditionally collect vehicles from the LEGO Creator Expert range, this box is likely to join your shelves. If you were hoping to get a gorgeous LEGO brick Aston Martin, in my opinion you can go your way. I say no.

The LEGO Creator Expert set 10262 James Bond Aston Martin DB5 is available today on the LEGO Shop and in the LEGO Stores at the retail price of 149.99 €.

Note: The set shown here is put into play as usual. To participate in the raffle, simply post a comment on this article before August 1 at 23:59 p.m.. You have every right to disagree with me, this is not eliminatory.

Update : The winner was drawn and was notified by email, his nickname is indicated below. Without a response from him to my request for contact details within 5 days, a new winner will be drawn.