Today we are interested in the content of the LEGO Technic set 42140 App-Controlled Transformation Vehicle, a box of 772 parts which will be available at the public price of €129.99 from March 1, 2022. The promise is once again enticing with this new foray from the manufacturer into the world of vehicles equipped with engines and controllable via the application. Control+. The buggy of the set 42124 Off-Road Buggy marketed in 2020 had a very attractive look but it was unfortunately not up to the task in terms of driving experience. Will this new attempt be more convincing?

As usual, do not let yourself be carried away by the illustrations on the product box, this is an indoor toy that it is better to avoid moving around in the mud or in the snow. But LEGO is changing its tune this year and is no longer content to promise us from the product packaging a tracked vehicle with an aggressive look which in the end will roam limply on the floor of the show: the machine is designed to support a reversal and it offers two different skins with a resolutely sporty all-terrain on one side and an exploration vehicle on the other.

Those who already bought this type of product at LEGO in 2017 probably remember the LEGO Technic set 42065 RC Tracked Racer (89.99 €) with a sports machine with a look similar to one of the two skins delivered here but which then benefited from a motorization then based on the defunct ecosystem Power Functions. So we put the cover back, but better.

Under the hood of this new machine, a Smart Hub Powered Up (88012) delivered here in a new version with a battery box cover freed from the usual clips and now equipped with four screws and two L motors (88013). The change of fixing system for the cover of the Smart Hub is welcome, this element no longer risks being unhooked by accident when the hub is used on a product subjected to slightly more violent stresses than those undergone, for example, by a static construction machine. The piloting goes as usual through the dedicated Control+ application.

The assembly of the model is dispatched in a few minutes and it is within the reach of the youngest who will be impatient to see the machine evolve and to check if the promises are kept. The two casings are integrated on the chassis based on Technic beams and colored elements to easily guide the integration of cables.

The two motors are grouped at the rear of the vehicle to facilitate the rocking, we add the tracks, we stick the very large handful of stickers and it's ready. The button of Smart Hub no longer directly accessible, it can be activated via a lever that moves the control to the rear of the vehicle. synchronization with the application only takes a few seconds and it will be necessary to pass an essential firmware update before starting to play.

Two shock absorbers are responsible for deploying the corresponding covering following the overturning of the vehicle, the two cabins are surmounted by small wheels which will protect them from shocks during tipping and the material used for the tracks of the machine has evolved, it was incidentally already the case with the construction machine of the set 42131 App-Controlled Cat D11 Bulldozer : the plastic is less smooth and rigid, it seems to me more suitable for use on slippery ground and the grip here is further reinforced by the presence of small rubber inserts which further improve grip.

In practice, the function of reversal with change of vehicle functions with all the blows as long as your batteries are powerful enough so that the machine raises frankly and begins to hang on the wall. It is this possibility that makes the product so interesting and that compensates for the usual weaknesses of this type of machine piloted via the Control+ application. You will also have to take the time to get used to piloting via the dedicated application which acts as a remote control in which the few challenges offered are of little interest.

This interactivity with a digital remote control with an attractive design and the resulting possibilities will necessarily appeal to the youngest. Those who are insensitive to these digital refinements will therefore simply have fun sending the machine crashing against a wall to see it turn around or make 360° rotations on the living room floor.

I tested two types of rechargeable batteries: classic Panasonic Eneloop Ni-Mh 1.2V 1900 mAh batteries and Ansmann NiZn 1.6V 1600 mAh batteries and the result is clear: the Ansmann batteries offer more power and the machine runs smoothly. moves noticeably faster. If you plan to really play with this type of product, do not hesitate to buy this type of battery and the essential charger compatible with the NiZn standard. The set represents a certain investment but it will save you the usual disappointment of noticing that your vehicle does not move forward and that in this specific case it has a little trouble climbing up the wall to turn around.

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It will be necessary from time to time to check the connections of the various bodywork elements or the presence of all the small rubber inserts placed on the tracks so as not to lose anything, but overall the model is strong enough to withstand intensive indoor use. Smartphone or tablet under iOS or Android essential as for the other sets which use the dedicated Control+ application.

I have often taken a very critical look at LEGO's various attempts to offer drivable motorized vehicles, whether they are based on the old ecosystem Power Functions or on the new Control+ interface. I must admit that the efforts on the part of LEGO to offer a new toy that is more attractive than the previous ones make me a little more indulgent with this new version: the flip function is well integrated, it works every time and it offers playful possibilities certainly limited but really new.

At €130 a box, however, I remain cautious, it's far too expensive for a use that will undoubtedly remain anecdotal beyond the first five minutes of use. I will therefore wisely wait for Amazon to offer this product for less than €100 to pay for it at its fair price.

Note: The set presented here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at March 12, 2022 next at 23:59 p.m. Just post a comment under the article to participate.

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

Today we take a quick look at the contents of the LEGO Technic set 42139 All-Terrain Vehicle, a box of 764 pieces which will be available at the retail price of €74.99 from March 1, 2022.

This set in the soft belly of the range which could go a little unnoticed is a toy intended for the youngest fans of the Technic universe, the theme covered is attractive and original enough to interest them and the few on-board functions allow a first initiation to some assembly principles that are recurring in this range.

It is therefore a question here of building a six-wheeled all-terrain vehicle, freely inspired by the vehicles offered by brands such as Polaris or Can-Am. To make sure to seduce its potential customers, LEGO covered the body of the machine with colorful stickers, it's always sexier than an all-green forestry machine.

Under the hood, a two-cylinder engine with moving pistons and a 2-speed gearbox with neutral. This is enough to present the LEGO version of these features without imposing too complex sub-assemblies which could put off the youngest. The yellow pistons remain visible on the sides of the vehicle and will make it possible to understand the impact of changing gear via the dedicated selector on their speed of movement. In neutral position, the pistons no longer move, it's as simple as that.

The three independent axles are equipped with suspensions, it will be necessary to load the dumpster of the vehicle to really see them in action. The machine is indeed a little too light to take advantage of its suspensions without pressing on it when traveling, but once again the youngest can easily understand the principle thanks to this model.

The machine is equipped with a winch at the front and the pawl which blocks the unwinding mechanism of the line is as often maintained by a simple rubber band. Access to the function is deported to the side of the vehicle with a small easily accessible lever, the pawl being placed under the driver's seat. The winch cable, the usual single string, is then raised via a wheel placed on the other side. The bucket of this ATV tilts to empty it, it is also sufficient to activate the lever provided. The steering is functional, it is accessible from the handlebars of the machine.

All these features are identified and illustrated via very explicit stickers placed near the mechanisms concerned, difficult to do more educational. The lower part of the ATV is not streamlined, so all you have to do is turn the vehicle around to see the differentials and the gearbox at work.

The 27 cm long, 13 cm wide and 11 cm high machine comes with a few accessories that allow you to fill the rear tipper: four trunks and a pretty chainsaw that even has the luxury of being "functional" with a chain that rotates freely around its two axes.

The set therefore has everything on arrival to attract the youngest, with an original look, colorful bodywork and a few simple but easy-to-understand features that will later allow you to approach more complex products without apprehension. This ATV is in my opinion a very convincing entry point into the LEGO Technic range and only its relatively high public price for a box of less than 800 pieces including 230 pins could discourage parents. We will therefore wisely wait for Amazon to break the price of the product before cracking.

Note: The set presented here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at March 10, 2022 next at 23:59 p.m. Just post a comment under the article to participate.

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

We also take a quick look at the contents of the LEGO Technic set today 42141 McLaren Formula 1 Race Car, a box of 1432 pieces which will be available at the retail price of €179.99 from March 1, 2022.

LEGO promises us in the official description of the set: "...Build a detailed replica of the 1 McLaren F2022, with the LEGO® Technic McLaren Formula 1™ Race Car (42141) set for adults...".

We can now say that the manufacturer has engaged a little hastily. Even if we find some elements of the 2022 aerodynamics in the front and rear fins, the LEGO version, which is almost exclusively based on the 2021 version of the vehicle, is far from being a tribute to the 2022 version which was officially unveiled a few days ago. Always in the official description of the product visible on the Shop, we are however assured that "...the designers at LEGO and McLaren Racing have worked closely together to develop their models simultaneously...". The result casts some doubt on the extent of this collaboration.

We understand better now why LEGO chose to unveil its product a few days before the announcement of the MCL36. The comparison between the two would have had no particular interest, except perhaps that of passing the big mention "McLaren Formula 1 Team 2022" present on the packaging for a bad taste joke. The 2022 is probably too much.

Below is the comparison between the LEGO model and the 2022 version (MCL36) on the left and the 2021 version (MCL35) on the right:

[twenty20 img1="56940" img2="56941"]

That being said, fans of the LEGO Technic universe should appreciate getting a Formula 1 in their favorite range, despite the inevitable aesthetic approximations imposed by the inventory of the ecosystem concerned. It should be noted in passing that the inventory of 1432 pieces contains just over 530 diverse and varied pins. This is not a product from the "Luxury" LEGO Technic range like the references 42056 Porsche 911 GT3 RS (2016) 42083 Bugatti Chiron (2018) or 42115 Lamborghini Sián FKP 37 (2020), this set is a "standard" model which therefore does not claim to be an ultra-detailed model even if the vehicle measures 65 cm long, 27 cm wide and 13 cm high on arrival.

The assembly is quickly dispatched, the longest being to build the chassis with its V6 engine with moving pistons and its rear differential, its very rigid suspensions with four compressed shock absorbers and installed horizontally and its steering manipulated via the cockpit console flanked by two micro stickers.

No gearbox, but in the end the product does very well without it. The rest of the process is only made up of the integration of very large bodywork elements and the installation of the countless stickers provided. The mention 18+ on the box is not related to the difficulty of assembling the model, it is a simple toy for children and it only concerns the commercial target of the product.

We might regret the use of very large panels for the bodywork, but that's the price to pay for having a vehicle without too many slightly empty spaces in different places and the compromise here seems very acceptable to me. I prefer a Formula 1 with lines and curves that are more faithful than a skeleton with beams that are too roughly aligned. This may not be the case for the most fundamentalist fans of the Technic universe, each with their own affinities.

LEGO has chosen to leave part of the engine visible through the bodywork of the vehicle and opinions will undoubtedly be very divided on this point of aesthetic detail: some will see an interest in it with the possibility of taking advantage of the functionality integrated into the engine with its six mobile pistons and others will consider that the fidelity of the overall rendering frankly suffers from this choice. I think that this model being in any case already too far from what it claims to embody, you might as well take advantage of one of the rare technical features of the product.

The vehicle is here mounted in Full Wet, which explains the blue pad printing of the flanges that are too flat and which also allows the reuse of the Tumbler wheels. The process is a little lazy, LEGO could have cracked slick tires stamped on a €180 product under official McLaren license. And different width for front and rear, but I think in this case that was too much to ask anyway.

Three large sheets of stickers are supplied with 66 stickers in total, it was necessary to install all the sponsors on the bodywork of this Formula 1. The sheets are simply thrown into the box, and one of these three sheets was a little damaged in the copy I received.

This Formula 1 looks good, no doubt about it. It will be able to sit enthroned on the corner of a shelf, making its little effect and the least observant or the most indulgent fans will undoubtedly find their account there. It's not the McLaren MCL36 as the mention on the product packaging might suggest, but we can always console ourselves by considering this interpretation in the LEGO version as a timeless model, a cross between two versions or a hybrid synthesis between two changes in the regulations governing this sport.

The retail price of the product seems a little high to me for what it actually has to offer, especially for a set from the Technic range that is content with a handful of gears and features. It is not a complex construction machine, the subject necessarily limited the choice of mechanisms and integrated functions. We will wisely wait for Amazon to cut the price of this box, there is no hurry because this Formula 1 is not really the one that will evolve this year on circuits around the world.

Note: The set presented here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at March 8, 2022 next at 23pm.

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

Update : prices returned to their initial level, the intern was fired.

Error of the trainee or final readjustment of the public price? We won't know unless LEGO reacts quickly and corrects the displayed price, but several references in the LEGO Technic range are currently benefiting from a significant reduction in their public price. Unfortunately, it is only possible to order one of these boxes, the others being indicated as temporarily out of stock:

LEGO today unveils a new addition to the Technic range, the set 42141 McLaren Formula 1 Race Car which will be available from March 1, 2022 at the retail price of €179.99. The 1432-piece vehicle was converted into a LEGO version in collaboration with McLaren Racing engineers. Under the hood, a V6 engine with moving pistons, functional steering that can be manipulated directly from the cockpit, suspension and a differential. LEGO specifies that this model pays homage to the 2021 livery and includes some details of the 2022 version which will be revealed later this week.

The vehicle is 65 cm long, 27 cm wide and 13 cm high and is covered with stickers sponsors. We will talk more about this product in more detail very soon.

42141 MCLAREN FORMULA 1 RACE CAR ON THE LEGO SHOP >>

(The link to the shop redirects to the version of the official shop for your country of connection)