Today we make a little detour to the LEGO Technic range with the set 42096 Porsche 911 RSR (1580 pieces - 149.99 €) that LEGO presents to us as "developed in partnership with Porsche"and which allows to assemble"an authentic replica"of the vehicle in question.

You might as well get rid of the inevitable comparison with the Porsche 911 GT3 RS from set 42056 marketed since 2016 (2704 pieces - 299.99 €), the two models do not share much in common apart from their desire to reproduce two versions of the same vehicle. This 911 RSR is 7 cm shorter and 5 cm narrower than the GT3 RS version and it does not benefit from the same features as the model "Luxury"from 2016.

So don't expect to have many Technic functions here, it's more of a simple licensed mockup based on Technic parts than a product that will turn your kids into future NASA engineers.

You have to be content with the doors that open, a steering that is a little soft and hardly usable with a steering wheel placed very low and difficult to access, a six-cylinder engine set in motion by the rear axle and whose pistons move during travel and four suspensions that do their job very well. No sequential gearbox, steering wheel paddles or other mechanical refinements on this model.

I do not generally post photos of the sticker sheets present in the different sets that I present to you here, but this Porsche 911 RSR does not exist without its wrapping (do not listen to those who tell you the opposite to hide their plates stickers in a binder ...) and there is also another problem posed by the fifty or so stickers to stick on the vehicle.

Some of these stickers are printed on a pristine white background which is not the same shade (slightly cream) as the body parts. The end result is a little disappointing because of the contrast between the two shades which becomes obvious depending on the light used.

The assembly is very pleasant, with the usual progression of chassis, functions, engine, bodywork. Nothing complicated here, this set is accessible even to the youngest fans. It will take a little patience to finally see the Porsche take shape thanks to the implementation of the various bodywork elements.

The four wings are pad printed, it's always four less stickers to stick. The wheel arches are a little too wide for my taste, or the wheels are too small in diameter, but we'll make do with it.

Competition vehicle requires, the cockpit comes down to a bucket seat, a few instruments and the steering wheel. This is consistent with the sporting vocation of this vehicle which evolves in the FIA ​​World Endurance Championship, we can't blame LEGO on this point. As I said above, the steering wheel seems to me to be placed a little too low in the passenger compartment.

The naturally aspirated flat-six engine is recessed at the rear, but it won't completely disappear under the body and will remain visible when lifting the rear panel. This is a good point that allows you to take advantage of the only assembly really "Technic"from the set.

The curves of the body are embodied by tubes Flex which are struggling a bit on this model as on others. It is also necessary to place them and bend them correctly for the effect to be successful. On this model, LEGO also split a reproduction of the central wiper. Why not, even if I could have done without.

The roof hatch is embodied here only by a simple sticker and we could also discuss the somewhat rough rendering of the headlights. On the reference vehicle, the bubble effect is not as pronounced as on the LEGO version. I still prefer the option chosen here by the designer rather than the flat headlights of the model of the set 42056 which leave too much empty space around their location.

Speaking of glass surfaces, I wouldn't be against a few transparent elements to reproduce the windshield and side windows of these models, no offense to the fundamentalists of the LEGO Technic range. This range is already evolving with the regular addition of new parts and will continue to evolve with or without their agreement.

Where this Porsche 911 RSR also makes a big impression is in the finish of the front and rear rocker panels. Apparent blue pines aside, the solutions adopted by the designer ensure a very clean rendering. Special mention for the ingenious use of two quarter-toothed crowns at the front and at the rear with a perfectly reproduced diffuser.

The rear spoiler is perfectly positioned, it just lacks the Adidas stickers on the side trim ... The mirrors are a bit massive but that doesn't shock me too much.

In short, this Porsche 911 has nothing to envy aesthetically to its big sister of the set 42056 Porsche 911 GT3 RS even if it logically offers fewer features. I prefer the sporty look of this exhibition model, having no particular passion for LEGO gearboxes ...

If you haven't bought the 42056 set (€ 299.99) yet and just want a Porsche 911 to display on a shelf, you can in my opinion save some tickets and go to this set which is sold at the retail price of 149.99 € on the LEGO Shop which will inevitably end up on sale around 100 € at Amazon.

If you prefer to keep your stickers in the back of a cupboard, you will not really enjoy the look of this Porsche 911 RSR, many stickers reproducing details of the different body parts.

It's up to you.

Note: The set shown here is put into play as usual. To participate in the raffle, simply post a comment on this article before January 13, 2019 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.

Today we take a quick look at the LEGO Marvel set 76115 Spider Mech vs. Venom (604 pieces - 54.99 €).

First of all, I want to clarify that despite what is indicated in the description of the product, there is in my opinion only one mech in this box: that of Spider-Man. The Venom minifigure is just an evolution of the character who doesn't really need a robot to fight opponents.

The name of the set also indicates that this is simply a clash between Spider-Man's robot and Venom himself. But children who absolutely want to organize a robot fight can always place the Venom minifigure in the cockpit discreetly integrated behind the figure's head.

Spider-Gwen aka Ghost Spider comes with a rather successful flying surfboard that matches well with the dominant colors of the character's costume. It's consistent and this character has here a real element of playability with the added bonus of two Stud Shooters positioned at the front of the board. This accessory makes all the difference, instead of playing two with this set, we can play three. Ghost Spider isn't just a minifigure thrown in the box, he's a character who gets really into the action.

The Spider Mech looks a little pale against Venom, but it's also a way of making the latter more prominent. This exoskeleton that houses the Spider-Man minifigure is well designed even if it may seem a bit messy at first glance.

It is stable, it can take many poses and can even throw a few web traps thanks to the Stud Shooter integrated in the left arm. The assembly can be handled with both hands without any parts escaping in passing.

Venom is obviously the real star of the set. The figurine is impressive, although the arms seem a little gaunt while the musculature of the legs is visually very successful. As with the Spider-Man mech, stability and the possibility of taking many poses are there, especially thanks to the finish of the character's feet. Sometimes you have to carefully seek the balance point of the figurine, but with a little practice, you can get there without getting excited.

The handful of stickers to stick on the chest will quickly be forgotten, these stickers partially disappearing behind the character's scary, very successful jawbone. the hemisphere with the eyes, however, is pad printed. Too bad for the visible blue Technic pine in the palm of the figurine's hands.

In this box, LEGO provides four characters: Spider-Man, Ghost Spider, Aunt May and Venom.

Fans have been waiting for a long time for LEGO to finally deign to bring them a version of Spider-Gwen. It's now done, even if the result is a little minimalist. No pad printing on the arms or on the legs, a torso that is satisfied with two small colored inserts at the shoulders, I know some who will continue to prefer the version of Phoenix Custom with reflections on the hood and pad-printed arms ...

For the rest, it's pretty decent with a nice pattern on Spider-Man's torso, a metallic eye shade, and a pair of legs molded in two colors.

The new version of Aunt May is quite acceptable with two facial expressions and the minifigure of Venom finally shows the character's tongue between the two rows of teeth. Nothing revolutionary here, but these four minifigs are welcome in our collections.

In summary, I say yes because the minifig assortment is consistent and the Venom figure / mech is really very convincing.

Note: The set shown here is put into play as usual. To participate in the raffle, simply post a comment on this article before January 13 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.

Today we talk briefly about The LEGO Movie 2 set 70841 Benny's Space Squad (68 pieces - 9.99 €), a small box which does not really deserve to be made a lot about it. Either its contents mean something to you, or you just find these four colorful astronauts and their pretty cool mini-vehicles.

The good news here is that LEGO makes fan service very accessible. No fuss, those nostalgic for Space Classic get here four colorful astronauts who will remind them of memories, a piece with the logo of this cult range pad printed and enough to assemble two machines that justify the name "construction toy".

Lenny (in pink), Kenny (in yellow) and Jenny (in white) accompany Benny in this set. The latter is the only one to be equipped with the usual split helmet and the slightly faded logo on the chest. The other three members of the fine team are dressed impeccably.

The helmet worn by the three characters who accompany Benny is thicker and more resistant than the old versions which had a tendency to split at the chin as on the copy worn by Benny. Nothing prevents you from putting a chisel in it if you absolutely want to ...

For those who have not yet bought this set, I would like to point out that it is not me who invented the names and the associated color, everything is clearly indicated on the back of the box ...

I see from here coming all those who will regret not having the right to a few more astronauts in this set, or a character in a red outfit instead of a pink one, etc ... It's like that. We are also not immune that the team is made up of other colorful astronauts who will perhaps be available in a future set. Who knows.

For the youngest, there is not much fun for hours with this box and it will be necessary to wait to know where, when and how the team of astronauts intervene in the film to associate this set with the one of the many other boxes already available or to come.

For collectors, it's risk-free. They will be able to wipe away a small tear in front of these colorful astronauts who will remind them of good memories. And they can then spend long hours comparing these new minifigs with the previous versions that are lying around their drawers. For 9.99 €, it's an unbeatable price / nostalgia ratio.

I say yes, of course, especially because for once LEGO is doing a good big fan service that tries without plunging its hand too deep into the pockets of nostalgic fans.

Note: The set shown here is put into play as usual. To participate in the raffle, simply post a comment on this article before January 10, 2019 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.

Today we are interested in The LEGO Movie 2 set 70821 Emmet and Benny's 'Build and Fix' Workshop! (19.99 €), a small box of 117 pieces stamped "4+"whose content is logically within the reach of the youngest.

Small paranthesis about the sub-range "4+"which takes over from the LEGO Juniors range in 2019: This classification is not new, it already existed in 2003/2004 and it allows the boxes concerned to be found in the same department as the rest of the range to which they belong.

By being associated with other boxes on the same theme, these sets intended for young fans in the process of transitioning from the DUPLO universe will therefore have under their eyes all the products derived from the universe that attracts them ... On a level purely marketing, it's always more interesting than finding the LEGO Juniors sets stored on a separate shelf in the store.

You know the principle of this intermediate sub-range: an easy-to-assemble product that uses the bricks of the range System with in the lot of very large pieces which allow to avoid the frustration of the children who are not yet used to this format and to the different construction techniques.

Here, it's a matter of fifteen minutes, taking your time. On the one hand, Emmet's all-terrain vehicle with a mini-service station-style decor with workshop trolley, a few tools, a pad-printed piece of wall and a little nod to the Octan brand. The large chassis of the vehicle accommodates a few parts and voila. The vehicle is also rather successful if we take into account the low number of parts used.

No stickers in this box, everything is pad printed, even the Classic Space logo placed on the nose of Benny's ship ...

So that those who have never had a LEGO Juniors or "4+" sets in their hands understand the principle, I have given you exploded views of Emmet's buggy and Benny's spaceship.

Another nod in the direction of the fans, Benny's ship with his buggy which is stowed in the back. Long-time fans will fondly remember the Classic Space 924 Space Transporter (1979) set of which LEGO is delivering a very simplified version today.

It's minimalist, but we find the flat side of these blue, gray and yellow vessels from our childhood. Here too, LEGO makes it easier for the youngest with a huge gray piece that embodies the base of the ship.

We quickly stack a few pieces on this base that give the ship its final look. Nothing complicated and the result is very honest despite the limited number of parts.

The final model is admittedly less ambitious than the enormous ship in the set 70816 Benny's Spaceship, Spaceship, SPACESHIP! marketed in 2014 on the occasion of the theatrical release of the first part of The LEGO Movie saga, but the minimalism of the thing refers directly to the sets of our childhood, at a time when the imagination and a few bricks still worked miracles .

It is possible to load the buggy at the back of the ship by moving the two reactors apart. This is the only feature of the set but it is the one that will undoubtedly allow a scene from the film to be replayed. Fans of the Classic Space universe will only have eyes for the coin with the pad printed logo and the yellow windshield. We understand them ...

In the view below, we can see the large gray part which constitutes the cabin of the vessel on which the thirty or so elements are placed which allow it to take shape.

at 19.99 € the 117 pieces, the two minifigs and the fifteen minutes of assembly, we can consider that it is a little expensive. We still get two machines, two important characters from The LEGO Movie saga and a nice nostalgic wink. It is enough for me.

In my opinion, the objective is achieved by this small unpretentious set which above all aims to bring together two generations of fans around the LEGO toy: Daddy buys the set because ... SPACESHIP !, the children get their hero Emmet and it 's. left for a few hours of sharing and fun. I say yes, just for that.

Note: The set shown here is put into play as usual. To participate in the raffle, simply post a comment on this article before January 6, 2019 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.

While waiting to talk about the Porsche 911 RSR from set 42096, let's take a quick detour to the LEGO Technic set 42093 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 (579 pieces - 39.99 €) which proposes, as its name suggests, to assemble a LEGO version of the Corvette ZR1 in its livery Sebring Orange.

And this box is really a very good surprise, if we keep in mind that this is a small set sold for 40 €. As usual with LEGO Technic sets, it is better not to get carried away by the number of pieces displayed on the box: in this set, there are more than 200 various and varied pins, i.e. more than a third of inventory.

No surprise here regarding the assembly logic. It is quickly assembled starting with the chassis which integrates the engine and the steering axis which will be finally managed via a dial placed at the rear of the vehicle. The steering wheel is not functional, it turns in a vacuum and has the sole function of dressing the cockpit.

The eight cylinders of the engine are set in motion during travel and remain visible through the two large openings in the front cover. It is aesthetically original even if it is obviously not very realistic.

The balance between the phases of assembly of the various mechanical elements and the stages of finishing using the large body parts makes it possible not to get bored. We move quickly and we can test the few features planned before having finished assembling the model. This is the ideal combination for the youngest who want to know what a particular set of gears can do without having to wait until they reach the last page of the instruction booklet, and then regret not seeing the mechanism. concerned which is found hidden under some panels and other meta-pieces.

If we could legitimately blame the Porsche of the set 42056 Porsche 911 GT3 RS (299.99 €) its aesthetic approximations, difficult to be so demanding here. It is not a model as ambitious as the 911 which was sold in a luxurious cardboard box. This set is more of a mid-range product that will allow those new to the LEGO Technic range to place a few gears, then a few body panels, quickly and inexpensively. The Corvette will then find its place on the corner of a shelf to fill an empty space and complete a collection of supercars in LEGO Technic version. Except for the ladder freaks who might not want to pair this mini-Corvette with their Bugatti Chiron ...

Turning the vehicle over, we see that the finish is rather successful even on this invisible part without completely concealing the mechanism which allows the engine to start moving and the steering to operate. A good point, which allows you to really understand how the different movements are transmitted from the rear wheels to the engine placed in the front.

This Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 definitely has a good face, but this is especially the case depending on the angle from which you observe the vehicle. Some positions are less flattering and the profile view reveals the aesthetic limitations of the model with wheels that look really undersized (or raised) under the new fenders and a few slightly empty spaces between the doors and the front fenders. The real Corvette ZR1 has different sized wheels at the front (19 ") and rear (20"), the LEGO version overlooks this detail. No ceramic blue Brembo brake calipers visible through the rims either. For 40 €, you shouldn't ask for too much.

The stickers representing the air intakes at the front of the doors almost duplicate the gaping holes in the bodywork which in fact perform this function ... The doors do not open, the rear spoiler is fixed, the 'front is a bit too messy for my taste and while the purists of the LEGO Technic range won't necessarily agree with me, I think the visible blue pines detract from the overall rendering of this supercar a bit. Even if it means trying to offer a successful model that visually conforms to the vehicle it claims to reproduce, a few orange pins would have been welcome to ensure the connection of the various bodywork elements.

Lots of stickers to stick in this set, but the orange tint on the roof and door covers is relatively faithful to the base color of the body parts. Too bad once again that the brand's logo is also placed on simple stickers stuck at the end of the front cover and at the back. Licensed products deserve at least the luxury of offering a pad-printed logo of the brand they are promoting.

In summary, this small unpretentious set offers a good compromise between functionality, admittedly rather limited, and aesthetics. The end result may seem rather rough from some angles, but we recognize the model that served as a working basis for the LEGO designer in charge of adapting and simplifying the thing. It is quickly assembled without spending long hours to have the impression of placing only pins, the result is solid and playable, the eight movable cylinders bring a little movement. I say yes.

Note: The set shown here is put into play as usual. To participate in the raffle, simply post a comment on this article before January 3, 2019 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.