LEGO Speed ​​Champions 76903 Chevrolet Corvette C8.R Race Car and 1968 Chevrolet Corvette

Today we quickly tour the LEGO Speed ​​Champions set 76903 Chevrolet Corvette C8.R Race Car and 1968 Chevrolet Corvette, a box of 512 pieces which allows, as its very long title suggests, to assemble two Chevrolet vehicles. On the one hand, a racing car, based on the C8 model, which races in American championships that most of us have probably never heard of and on the other a vintage Corvette C3 from 1968.

At LEGO, nothing looks more like a supercar than another supercar and this C8.R uses the usual canopy, here pad printed to fit into the model concerned. Once again, the use of this part common to many LEGO models makes the vehicle treated here relatively banal and only the few most characteristic elements of the machine remain, such as the rear wing, the entrances. side air and the slew of stickers to stick to save the furniture.

I quickly got excited about LEGO's decision to pad print the headlights of certain vehicles, it seems that only a few flat parts are affected by this technical choice as in the set 76905 Ford GT Heritage Edition and Bronco R. Here you have to install two stickers per headlight to get something that vaguely resembles the optics of the reference vehicle.
The side windows are artificially extended by two stickers which make it possible to respect the design of the glazing of the reference vehicle. It's ugly, we go from smoked plastic to a black area on a sticker with a too dark gray background, nothing works.

The minifigure supplied with this Corvette C8.R is also a little muddled: the white of the torso does not match that of the legs and the "combination" effect is frankly missed. Some will be satisfied without complaining, but at 40 € a box, I think LEGO could make real efforts on the finish of these products.

I will spare you the Prévert inventory of the different stages of assembly of the two vehicles, the photos speak for themselves and it will be up to those who will make the effort to buy these sets to discover what the designer their reserve. There is an inevitable sense of déjà vu when building the supercar, but the assembly of the vintage Corvette is a little more entertaining with some rather ingenious subassemblies.

As usual, the model making regularly takes over even if LEGO has grouped the phases of installing the stickers in sections so as not to permanently interrupt the person who builds the different models. This grouping will allow a young fan who is not used to exercising to really enjoy the moment and to call on an adult only two or three times per session.

LEGO Speed ​​Champions 76903 Chevrolet Corvette C8.R Race Car and 1968 Chevrolet Corvette

LEGO Speed ​​Champions 76903 Chevrolet Corvette C8.R Race Car and 1968 Chevrolet Corvette

If the very generic interpretation of the supercar leaves me a little over my hunger, the 1968 Corvette that accompanies it seems to me almost successful: the color is well chosen and we find the shapes of this vehicle overall. very aggressive. The pad-printed hubcaps contribute to the finish of this Corvette which also accommodates a large handful of stickers and these four elements compensate a little for the lazy reuse of the classic windshield which lacks a little curve to really convince. The two big ones Tiles of the roof reinforce this "square" effect of the upper part of the vehicle from certain angles, we will do with it.

The problem with this product: all stickers to stick are printed on a transparent background. In theory, this solution should make it possible not to create color differences between the parts and the stickers and the approach is commendable. In practice, it is an aesthetic disaster with very large transparent stickers flanked by a simple pattern that cover all of some Tiles and through which we see the glue. The effect is amplified here by the lighting, it will undoubtedly fade a little on your shelves but it is very present.

As a bonus, the repositioning of these stickers is almost impossible without completely disfiguring the model. I'm not one of those who usually advise against putting the stickers on a LEGO product, but I make an exception for this Corvette which will undoubtedly be prettier without these different stickers. As often, it is better not to get too carried away by the official visuals used by LEGO to sell its products, the reality is generally a little disappointing in terms of finish.

The minifigure delivered with this 1968 Corvette can obviously be installed at the wheel of the vehicle but it only fits correctly with its helmet on the head. The long hair that goes down the back of the young woman does not indeed allow the character to be installed without having to tilt the torso forward or remove the back of the seat.

LEGO Speed ​​Champions 76903 Chevrolet Corvette C8.R Race Car and 1968 Chevrolet Corvette

Even if the stickers frankly spoil the rendering of the vehicle, I would have gladly dispensed with the generic supercar delivered in this box and only bought the 1968 Corvette which at least has the merit of being immediately recognizable.

In short, this box seemed much more attractive to me on official visuals than it actually is, the fault of too many approximations and risky technical choices. I know LEGO doesn't skimp on staging and touch-ups to showcase its products and I'm generally a good player when it comes to real content.

In this specific case, I can't help but be a little more disappointed than usual, the real product not being aesthetically up to the promise made on the official online store. I also have the impression that the work of the designers who make the effort to try to offer vehicles as similar as possible to the reference machines and to integrate original construction techniques is a bit sabotaged by a sloppy finish.

Even if many will be satisfied with this product as is, it is up to everyone to set their level of tolerance and indulgence and as far as I am concerned, I think that the LEGO Speed ​​Champions range puts forward a real knowledge- to make on behalf of the designers who work on these different vehicles and that it deserves better than visible traces of glue and stickers with poorly calibrated tint.

LEGO Speed ​​Champions 76903 Chevrolet Corvette C8.R Race Car and 1968 Chevrolet Corvette

Note: The set presented here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at 12th June 2021 next at 23pm. 

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.

Stanevan32 - Comment posted the 31/05/2021 at 18:18
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