10304 lego icons chevrolet camaro z28 20

Today we are quickly interested in the content of the LEGO ICONS set 10304 Chevy Camaro Z28, a box of 1456 pieces which will be available from August 1, 2022 on the official online store and in LEGO Stores at the retail price of €169.99.

The title of the product is sufficiently self-explanatory, so it is a question here of assembling a reproduction of the Chevrolet Camaro Z28 from 1969, a vehicle 36 cm long by 14 cm wide and 10 cm high in its LEGO version, to personalize thanks to the three different sets of bands and the possibility of removing the roof to convert it to a convertible version. It's a little less sexy than the Mustang in the set 10265 Ford Mustang but this Camaro will easily take on the role of second knife on the shelves to highlight the other vehicles that will be lined up there.

LEGO has chosen to decline the machine in black, why not, the manufacturer thus avoids the headache linked to color differences Dark Red (Dark red) which had somewhat ruined the very successful aesthetics of the vehicle in the set 10290 Pickup Truck. But the choice of black also has its drawbacks, mainly because the manufacturer does not take care of all the stages of its production and logistics, we will talk about this below.

No surprise during the beginning of the assembly phase, the chassis of this new vehicle is as usual composed of Technic frames and beams on which we install the floor, the central tunnel and the various elements that will allow you to enjoy integrated management. The set is not lacking in interesting techniques, those who buy these boxes to offer themselves an entertaining editing experience should not be disappointed.

The upholstery seems very successful to me, it contrasts a little with the austere appearance of the exterior and it knows how to be pleasantly noticed when this Camaro is in version Convertible. The doors are mounted on the usual hinges but the designer adds a little extra with an arm that holds them open, the steering is functional, the trunk is empty and the engine compartment is properly laid out with a small, simple assembly that allows to lift the hood without being too disappointed not to find the expected reproduction of the engine there. No moving pistons here, it's not Technic and the engine is dummy.

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We welcome the presence in this box of new wheel arches which avoid the two usual half-arches with their rendering not always very appropriate depending on the type of vehicle on which they are used. This new part is successful, it remains discreet and it integrates perfectly with the whole of the bodywork.

The lines and curves are there, you know it's a Camaro from the first glance and I think the designer has nothing to be ashamed of even if the windshield is as often a little too flat, we do not find the curvature present on that of the reference vehicle. This detail is a bit detrimental to the overall aesthetics of the upper part of the model, but we will have to be content with this piece that LEGO must cushion.
The rims and the central caps are well metallic but this is not the case for the bumpers, the door handles and the mirrors and that is a shame. The gray used is somewhat sad and LEGO could have made an effort to metallize these elements, especially at €170 per car.

The model does not escape a sheet of stickers with 18 stickers to put in place on the bodywork and various interior elements. That's a lot for a pure show model whose career will end on a shelf. Moreover, at least one sticker is missing to cover the center of the steering wheel, it's a bit empty as it is. The two striated headlights offered as an alternative to the round version at the front and the two rear lights are stamped, these parts are correctly executed and have their little effect.

I'm not a fan of the two gray glasses used for the mirrors, there was probably better to do, especially on a "serious" model which already makes a lot of compromises with the reference vehicle in terms of curves and finishes. These popsicles seem a little off topic, although I know that some will not fail to salute the ingenuity of whoever thought of this piece to embody the two mirrors of this Camaro.

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On the form, we can therefore say that it is generally rather successful even if this Camaro is not flamboyant. Basically, it's much less obvious. The black parts are all more or less affected by surface defects with scratches, tenons visible by transparency and various and varied traces which will be more or less noticeable depending on the lighting used. Choosing a black livery was probably only a choice out of spite, the result is not very flattering for a high-end model sold for 170 € and I would gladly exchange this pile of black parts for a batch in Dark Red, too bad for color differences.

The two panes are simply thrown into the bags and they are therefore more or less damaged upon unpacking. It's full cardboard in the copy I received with two beautiful scratches. One could have imagined that LEGO would continue to protect these large elements with an additional piece of plastic as was the case in the sets 10300 Back to the Future Time Machine et 75341 Luke Skywalker's Landspeeder but that's not the case in this box.

The promised functionality which should in principle make it possible to choose between three sets of colored strips and combined with the hard top or convertible version is there but it is frankly laborious: To switch from one version to another you have to disassemble from memory certain elements and then follow the instructions from the page concerned. As well choose the version that suits you from the start, this product is "transformable" but it is not a question of simply exchanging a few Tiles to obtain the expected result as the official visual that shows the vehicle with its color variants already assembled suggests. LEGO could have supplied the extra parts needed to have these pre-assembled items on hand and only need to swap out a few blocks of parts.

To conclude, I think this product is acceptable but it will probably not make an impression. It's just one more American vehicle in the LEGO inventory that will expand a collection and highlight the other more iconic models it will accompany. Finally, be aware that the era of vehicles in the Creator Expert range sold for €140 is now over, the new pricing announced by LEGO applies to this product and you will have to pay €169.99 to afford this black Camaro.

And yes, I mixed the colors on the cover, I do what I want, you can do the same.

Note: The set presented here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at July 26, 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.

Hussar56 - Comment posted the 16/07/2022 at 18:44
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