Обзор lego technic 42125

Обновлено: 17.04.2024

Nothing compares to the intensity of the FIA World Endurance Championship. 24-hour long races, mid-race driver changes, and multiple car classes sharing the track are a monumental challenge for any team. Race team AF Corse and racecar builder Ferrari have had an incredibly successful partnership in endurance racing, while The LEGO Group and Ferrari have enjoyed similarly astounding teamwork bringing over 50 co-branded sets to fans since 1997.

The new LEGO® Technic 42125 Ferrari 488 GTE gives racing fans the biggest Prancing Horse set ever with 1677 pieces, over 300 more than previous record holder 8653 Enzo Ferrari 1:10. At 48 cm (18¾”) long this model breaks the 13-year hiatus since the last 1:10 Ferrari model. This set is now available priced at US$169.99/ CA$229.99/ £169.99 / €175.45.

The paper pieces

First impressions imply serious business with the modern “Ages 18+” package design displaying the finished model in an elegant all-black showroom above the box’s handsome red bottom edge. The Ferrari’s box stripe pictures red greebling built from Technic liftarms, gears, connectors, and fairing elements, many of which are included within.

Another welcome commonality between this and other new 18+ sets’ packaging is the inclusion of a stiff white cardboard folio protecting the Ferrari’s instructions and two opaque sticker sheets. It has “6345740” printed on the front which looks suspiciously like an Element ID. how long until someone incorporates this into a build as a forbidden element?

The instruction books' beginning and end are rich with photos comparing the model and the real racecar and AF Corse team information including portraits, stats, and quotes of drivers Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado, and Daniel Serra. Text is bilingual in English and Ferrari’s native Italian. One page is dedicated to the Technic 488 GTE’s development by LEGO designer Lars Krogh Jensen, shown inspecting a model without stickers and wheels. Jensen’s car mostly matches the final design with a key difference: some elements are white prototypes (possibly 3D-printed) which give a sneak peek into this set’s brand new elements.

The new elements in Technic set 42125 Ferrari 488 GTE

All-new moulds

At this set’s announcement, my eyes immediately went to the fenders. Over the rear wheels, a set of inner wheel arches extend the rear fenders for an aggressive widebody stance. These new fender flares pair with similarly new 13-module long mudguards. This means these Bright Red/ Red fenders are a new mould, 2 modules shorter in length than the Bright Yellowish Green/ Lime 15-module long rounded arches found in 42115 Lamborghini Sián FKP 37.

The arched mudguard rests on top of the all-new fender flare piece. No clutching force is present, but the fender flare has full-length lips on both the inner and outer sides of the top edge to prevent movement between these two parts. These lips are spaced wide enough to accommodate the thickness of a thin Technic liftarm. The only connection points on the lower flare are two longitudinal axle holes. In the finished Ferrari these connection points meet liftarms and panels shared by the upper mudguard to keep the pairs of fender pieces together. LEGO intuition dictates the new flare ought to pair with the flat-topped 13 x 2 x 5 mudguards (42545) found in 42096 Porsche 911 RSR, though I have none to compare to.

The Ferrari 488 includes a few more new-for-2021 Technic components which do more than give racecars wide hips.

2x Technic, Panel Curved 3 x 2 in White (6334548 | 71682). Keen eyes first spotted this in the 42123 McLaren Senna GTR where it appears in Blue and Black while 42122 Jeep Wrangler and 42124 Off-Road Buggy have introduced this part in Bright Yellow/ Yellow and Dark Azure respectively.
2x Technic, Liftarm 2 x 3 L-Shape with Quarter Ellipse in Black (6326047 | 71708).
3x Technic, Panel 3 x 7 x 1 in Black (6331935 | 71709). The Jeep Wrangler features this part in black and yellow, and the RC Off-Road Buggy shows this new panel in dark azure.

The new 2 x 3 liftarm is exciting from both mechanical and aesthetic perspectives, and there’s no doubt builders around the world will put it to both uses. The cam-like profile matches that of existing 2 x 3 Technic panels but in the form of a thick liftarm. Thin liftarms have sported round quarter ellipse outlines since 2000 and I welcome this new chubby baby sibling to the Technic quarter ellipse family.

Onboard the AF Corse Ferrari, both copies of this new piece are used to widen the dashboard - an almost purely visual use. As natural as the part usage is here under the Ferrari’s invisible windscreen, it would be equally at home transferring mechanical loads over its eccentric ellipsoid edge. The rounded shape begs to be utilized in a kinetic sculpture or Great Ball Contraption leveraging its curved surface.

New recolours

Many relatively new and useful Technic elements see their palettes expanded thanks to Rosso Corsa - “racing red” in Italian. Rightfully so, many of these new bits give Technic scale builders more options for cars suited to Ferrari’s favorite colour. All parts shown below are Red unless noted otherwise.

Just enough of part 15100 are provided to build your own red Technic pincube. I found all eight to be just barely darker in colour from other red pieces, presumably due to the plastic used.

Rare parts

A storied past is sprinkled throughout the Ferrari GTE’s inventory with parts hearkening back to earlier LEGO Ferraris and Technic history.

4x Technic, Liftarm 3 x 5 L-Shape with Quarter Ellipse Thin in Yellow (6339224 | 32250). These are somewhat common in Technic construction vehicles but have been unavailable since 2017.
4x Technic, Liftarm 3 x 5 L-Shape with Quarter Ellipse Thin in Blue (6339225 | 32250). arer than its yellow sibling, these have been absent from LEGO sets since 2007. In 2002, The LEGO Group included an identical amount of this element in Ferrari’s Formula 1 rival 8461 Williams F1 Team Racer.
2x Hose, Soft Axle 7L in Red (6334708 | 32580). These curve-attaining axles have only been seen in this length and colour in three sets from 2001, 2010, and 2011. Rejoice, Technic scale builders!
2x Brick, Round 2 x 2 with Axle Hole in Transparent Red/ Trans-Red (6334501 | 39223). This brick is exclusive to large Ferrari Technic models, appearing exclusively in 2005’s 8653 Enzo Ferrari 1:10, 2007’s 8145 Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano, and now in this similarly-sized 2021 set.
2x Technic, Liftarm 1 x 7 Thin in Red(6349634 | 58486). The round 2 x 2 and red 1 x 7 liftarms are kindred Ferrari spirits with both appearing exclusively in the 1:10 Enzo. Few additional appearances have been made by this element - just two other mid-2000s sets.

Printed elements

In endurance racing, drivers and their cars are expected to outlast even the daylight. To faithfully recreate the Ferrari’s crucial nighttime gear, two mirror-image printed elements (6335200 and 6335199) form the headlights of the 488 GTE. Windscreen 6 x 4 x 1 Curved (35303) is no stranger to cars but - as the name implies - usually has the honour of being a windshield. These are common in six-module wide Speed Champions cars, although always in Transparent Brown/ Trans-Black. Fittingly for “Speed Champions”, the series hosts several Ferrari automobiles; the Ferrari 488 alone now has three printed windscreens dedicated to it with a third (18973pb11) appearing in Speed Champions 75886 Ferrari 488 GT3 “Scuderia Corsa”.

Only one LEGO set has included a Transparent/ Trans-Clear version of this curved windscreen before now. The clear canvas of the Ferrari’s headlights allows us to make an educated guess into how The LEGO Group transforms a transparent part into a partially opaque and metallic design. A layer of white ink has been applied to the part first as a primer for the red ink which overlaps the base layer. Two shades of metallic silver are applied as a base for the individual lamps and reflector, and then a final black outline is applied.

The support structure for these lights is a stair-stepped set of plates joined to the Technic frame by a pin and brick arrangement. The top inside surface of the windscreen rests on a red rounded 1 x 2 plate (35480) with no stud connection, and the selection of this plate appears to be due to it having no LEGO lettering atop the studs - a smooth move. Any raised letters would push the back end of the windscreen up, causing it to be misaligned. There is sufficient room between the lower black plate and the windscreen to add a 2 x 2 plate roughly in the center with even more room for non-LEGO components, perhaps a custom lighting kit to guide your driver in the dark.

The build

Careful thought has been put into recreating the 488’s elegant lines and a few clever spots make effective use of the new components introduced in this set. The finished model is fairly sturdy but has enough flex and somewhat loose sections to make me wary of spirited play.

The build proceeds as normal for a large Technic creation starting with the rear axle and heart of the racing beast - the engine. Adequate detail is found in the engine bay with a smooth black engine cover and two curved pipes alluding to two large intercoolers which flank the real car’s engine. Two Medium Stone Grey/ Light Bluish Gray rigid hoses are held by short bars with clips (48729) to form the X-shaped portion of the roll cage over the engine. The arrangement here causes the Technic roll cage to bend and overlap whereas its real-life counterpart is straight and self-intersecting, but the inclusion of this detail is welcome even with slight imperfections. Few large gaps are present on the model due to its abundance of panels, but the gaps above the rear wheels are largely hidden from promotional and box photos. All three new black 3 x 7 Technic panels are used to form the car’s monstrous rear wing which is easily pulled straight off if your car needs a low-downforce setup.

Hidden under the car’s front is our lone blue 3 x 7 Technic flat panel. The underside of the car reveals how to convert Osprey rotor blades from lifting to providing downforce. With only a few pin holes on one end of the blade, all holes are occupied to secure the rear of the skirts. Two more freely-rotating short bar clips per side provide some support along the inboard edge of the rotor blades, but I found these to come misaligned often during handling. My instinct is to grab the car by a point between its wheels when lifting it, but I’ve shifted to gently gripping it by the roof so as to not disturb the side skirts. The Technic Lamborghini Sián utilizes this same mould in the same place but rotated 90 degrees, an arrangement I can only assume provides better stability.

Mechanical details include a full double-wishbone suspension supported by four hard springs. Suspension travel is limited on the front two wheels by contact between a white Technic 1 x 2 thick liftarm (60483) and red pin tow ball (6628) - on my model those parts have already begun to wear and shed particles from rubbing under spring force. Technic is mechanical and mechanical things wear out; at least those parts are easy to keep spares of. AF Corse might be concerned if their car’s front end starts riding gradually higher, but I won’t notice on my plastic replica.

The tyres have plenty of clearance but some rubbing is present at full suspension compression or full steering lock. The only steering control is a steering wheel. Both doors open to reveal a spartan race-ready interior with just one seat. This rightfully-vacant interior leaves deep spaces in the cabin and under the hood where the right Technic wizardry ought to be able to squeeze in a Powered Up hub and motors, or just add some strength to the soft chassis.

Instructions call for the application of full-coverage stickers to nearly every panel. I first built the model with only non-livery stickers applied and found the car still looked race-ready. For builders seeking a road-spec 1:10 scale Ferrari 488, some modifications must be made apart from tossing aside the sticker sheet. Components of the livery have been built into the car with white, yellow, and blue accents needing replacement. The racecar’s aggressive ground effects package is a far cry from a streetworthy 488’s bumpers, but most of the car could be directly used in a roadgoing variant.

AF Corse wraps their cars in a modified tricolore stripe livery which is broken up due to Technic and sticker limitations. The moderate fragmentation didn’t deter me from covering my car in stripes and sponsors. In the real world I would never refuse a sponsorship to drive a Ferrari, but if you want your LEGO shelf a bit less commercialized by UPS, Hublot and Shell, omitting stickers is always an option.

Conclusion

Ferrari, motorsport and Technic fans can add this 1:10 scale model to their garages for US$169.99/ CA$229.99/ £169.99 / €175.45. If you enjoy our work and would like to support New Elementary, consider using our affiliate links to purchase this set (or any): UK LEGO Shop | UK Amazon | USA LEGO Shop | USA Amazon | Australia LEGO Shop, for other countries 'Change Region'. New Elementary may get a commission.

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Продолжаем знакомиться со всеми флагманами Лего Техник. Вспомним раритетные наборы, поговорим о развитии серии, и проследим прогресс дизайна. В сегодняшней части: тяжелая строительная техника, гоночный автомобиль Феррари, лицензионные модели Вольво и Мерседес, а также нас ждёт описание одного из самых крутых наборов конструктора во все времена.

Предисловие:

20 место. Феррари 488 GTE AF CORSE 51. Артикул № 42125.

Перед нами наисвежайший набор – флагман первой половины 2021 года. Наборы второй половины года не войдут в статью. Данный набор может как влюбить в себя с первого взгляда, так и разочаровать при внимательном осмотре. Лично я не большой фанат наклеек на деталях, но тут без них было бы грустно, т.к. все они взяты с реально существующего автомобиля, который участвовал в гонке, и для полного сходства это было просто необходимо. Еще во время выхода пресс релиза многие, и я в том числе возмущались наклейкой вместо фар, но оказалось, что именно фары выполнены в виде принтованное детали, что еще раз подчёркивает любовь и внимательность The Lego Group к своей продукции. Изначальная цена: 170 $, деталей: 1677 шт. Подробнее тут .

19 место. Вездеходный эвакуатор 6х6. Артикул №42070.

Следующий набор представляет юбилейный для Technic 2017 год (серии исполнилось 40 лет). И мы с вами видим огромный грузовик на радиоуправлении, чем-то напоминающий наш родной ЗИЛок. Что мы имеем в комплекте?

Набор 2 в 1 (альтернативная модель – грустный КАМАЗик), набор электрики (пульт, батарейный блок, ресивер, средний и большой мотор) и внушительное количество довольно крупных деталей (чего стоят только колёса!). В общем крепкий представитель серии. Изначальная цена: 290 $, деталей: 1862 шт.

18 место. Эвакуатор. Артикул №8285.

Перемещаемся в 2006 год, и видим просто мощнейший американский тягач-эвакуатор. В моём детстве такие мощные машины. В моём детстве подобные машины били на пике популярности. Да и до сих пор внешний вид такого тягача способен вызвать уважение.

Что касается модели – то она 2 в 1, причём альтернатива – это еще один тягач, на этот раз с прицепом и краном. В набор не входит электрика, зато в инструкции есть раздел как её подключить, если купить отдельно. Изначальная цена: 120 $, деталей: 1877 шт.

17 место. Автокран. Артикул № 8258.

Любопытно, но с предыдущим набором у этого самые тёплые отношения, по сути они братья-близнецы. Сейчас объясню почему. Этот набор 2009 года, а предыдущий 2006. Ровно через три года эвакуатор перестали выпускать и миру явился автокран. У них одинаковое количество деталей и одна и та же «суть» - огромный грузовик с подвижными элементами.

У этого богатыря в комплект входит электрика, позволяющая привести элементы в движение. Альтернативной моделью является пикап с прицепом. Любопытный набор, не так ли? Изначальная цена: 150 $, деталей: 1877 шт.

16 место. Мобильный кран. Артикул № 8421.

В первую очередь обращают на себя внимания детали Lego System, те самые дырявые брики, которые не всем нравятся. Для набора 2005 года он имеет впечатляющие параметры: 46 см в длину и 64 см в высоту. А также очень интересный функционал (который так или иначе присутствует у всех желтых кранов из конструктора) и не слишком лёгкую сборку. Изначальная цена: 150 $, деталей: 1885 шт.

15 место. CLAAS XERION 5000 TRAC VC. Артикул № 42054.

А вот тут у нас нечто особенное – перед нами лицензионная, немецкая сельскохозяйственная техника. А именно крутой, мощный и крупный трактор с рукой-манипулятором, который можно переделал в альтернативную модель – трактор с плугом, который немного напоминает комбайн.

Что бросается в глаза? Конечно же крупные красные диски на огромных колёсах, продуманный дизайн в стиле техники фирмы Клаас, и наличие небольшой электрики позволяющий двигаться тому самому манипулятору. Набор 2016 года. Изначальная цена: 180 $, деталей: 1977 шт.

14 место. Mercedes-Benz Unimog U 400. Артикул № 8110.

А вот с этим знаковым набором, родом из 2011 года мы наконец-то перешагиваем рубеж в 2000 деталей! Итого: 40 наборов с 1000 до 2000 деталей и всего 14 наборов свыше 2000. (спойлер: дальнейшие наборы прилично увеличиваются в размерах, а не так медленно, как все предыдущие).

Итак! Перед нами еще одна лицензионная модель реально существующего средства передвижения. Unimog – это семейство универсальных немецких крупнотоннажных грузовых автомобилей-вездеходов для специального использования и транспортировки в экстремальных условиях. Отсюда такой несуразный (на первый взгляд) внешний вид кабины.

Основная модель – грузовичок-погрузчик с очередной рукой-манипулятором, алтернативная – крупная снегоуборочная техника. Набор снабжен большим количеством трубочек и пневматики, а также электрическими моделями. В 2011 году набор был венцом технической мысли датской компании, и дизайнеров техник в частности. Изначальная цена: 200 $, деталей: 2048 шт.

13 место. Сочлененный тягач Volvo 6x6. Артикул № 42114.

А вот и набор 2020 года, сразу чувствуется изменение в дизайнерском стиле, особенно на контрасте с десятилетними (и старше) старыми наборами. Всё-таки мастерство создания новых наборов конструктора на месте не стоит. Я упоминал в первых частях статьи, что скандинавские компании Вольво и The Lego Group сотрудничают с удовольствием и часто, и перед нами очередной их гигантский набор.

Перед нами огромный жёлтый строительный самосвал для тяжелых работ, скорее всего для работы с породой в какой-нибудь шахте. Набор снабжён внушительным количеством моторов и прекрасно ездит, поднимает кузов и плавно поворачивается. Работает кстати на приложении в телефоне, джойстика управления в комплекте уже нет. Изначальная цена: 250 $, деталей: 2193 шт.

12 место. Экстремальное приключение. Артикул № 42069.

А вот этот набор на первый взгляд не вызывает у меня желание всё бросить и купить его. Что-то в нём неестественное. Вышел этот набор также в юбилейный для Technic 2017 год. Насколько я понимаю в модели отсутствует электрика, но довольно много любимой технической механики – открываются двери, подвижная лебёдка, подвеска шасси – рабочие гусеницы, закрывающийся багажник и другое. Вот что мне правда понравилось, так это канистры, такие они какие-то родные.

Альтернативной моделью является передвижная арктическая база. На мой взгляд фиолетовый дизайн набора является одновременно его плюсом и минусом, все-таки не очень он подходит для экстремальной езды по Арктике, там бы что-нибудь более яркое. Или я не прав? Изначальная цена: 180 $, деталей: 2382 шт.

11 место. Транспортировщик машин. Артикул № 42098.

Еще один довольно свежий набор, о котором еще свежи воспоминания. И у меня они примерно такие: «О, это же очередной трейлер, который перевозит новые машины из техник», а потом приходит осознание, что это первая единственная такая модель из Technic. Удивительно.

Модель получилась просто на загляденье – крупная, довольно продуманная и красивая, а еще и альтернативная модель имеется – еще один перевозчик, с уже двумя машинками в прицепе. На самом деле прекрасный как выставочный, так и игровой набор без большого количества умных функций, зато большого размера. Изначальная цена: 180 $, деталей: 2493 шт.

10 место. Лэнд Ровер Дефендер. Артикул № 42110.

Такой набор будет идеальным и нетривиальным подарком многим «взрослым мальчикам», и даже девочкам. The Lego Group выбрали отличную оливковую цветовую гамму, снабдили модель редкими деталями и вложили душу сопроводив внедорожник аксессуарами в виде чемоданов и сундучков. В общем абсолютнейший хит! Изначальная цена: 200 $, деталей: 2573 шт. Подробнее тут .

Какие выводы мы можем сделать из этой статьи? Чем дальше в топе (читай чем больше деталей) тем больше вероятности, что это лицензионный продукт последних лет. Мы четко прослеживаем политику увеличения количества деталей в наборах, они всё более продуманные, большие и дорогие. А еще отмечаем огромную плотность наборов 1000-2000 деталей – это ходовые наборы и резкое увеличение количества деталей после преодоления рубежа в 2000 элементов. Там скрываются коллекционные наборы, на которые покупателей гораздо меньше.

Есть у Лего серия конструкторов, предназначенная для взрослых собирателей) Тудя входят модели техники и построек с количеством деталей за тысячу, а иногда за несколько тысяч штук. Часто это наборы по лицензиям известных компаний из разных областей. Ну и цена там соответствующая. Взрослость этих наборов обусловлена не только ценой, но и тем, что дети просто не смогут высидеть, собирая такое количество деталей.

Данный набор представляет собой копию гоночной машины Ferrari 488 GTE, о чём свидетельствуют надписи на большой коробке. Там же указаны ТТХ машины и размеры собранной модели.

В инструкции показан оригинал и сравнение с собранной моделью. Этапов сборки целых пять, причём каждый из них очень масштабный.

После первого этапа мы получим заднюю часть кузова с мотором и задней осью. Клапаны в моторе подвижны - будут двигаться при вращении колес.

После второго этапа сборки мы сможем оценить длину машины) Добавляет передняя ось и бампер, кабина с рулем и сиденьем - оно здесь, кстати, одно - для водителя.

На третьем этапе мы собираем капот и приборную панель.

Четвертый этап - задняя часть кузова

Ну и последний этап - крыша, спойлер, двери и колеса. Машина готова) Размеры машины - 48х20х13см. У неё открываются двери, поворачиваются зеркала, клапаны в моторе ходят при движении колес. Руль связан с передними колесами - поворачиваются они синхронно. Есть тут и подвеска, вполне себе заметная и адекватная.

К сожалению, модель не моторизуется официально, но возможно умельцы что-нибудь уже придумали сами.

Для сравнения - фото с гоночным автомобилем из набора 42039

P.S. Модель масштабная, подробная и очень реалистичная. Если бы не цена, особенно в текущих реалиях, рекомендовал бы всем.

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The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

The box & packaging

The new Ferrari falls into the same category as the 2019’s LEGO Technic 42096 Porsche 911 RSR; these two sets have a similar number of pieces, the cars are of the same size and scale, plus they are both track vehicles designed to compete in endurance racing. However, the packaging design elevates the 488 GTE from being just a building toy into a markedly different category of hobby building sets. Although many fans claimed the new boxes are dull, it did wow me when I saw it the first time.

I also loved the box design is the custom logo containing the make and the car model. You can see it on the front and the side flaps. There is something in its design that instantly reminded me of the way the boxes of Tamiya modelmaking kits are decorated.

Inside the box are five groups of bags and a white cardboard envelope protecting the building instructions and the sticker sheets. We’ve already seen an envelope like this one in Ghostbusters 10274 ECTO-1 set.

Since the set targets the adult audience, it offers more than just plastic pieces to build the model. With that said, the book’s first several spreads offer сomprehensive information about the car, the racing team, and, of course, about the design created by LEGO designers.

Stickers

Usually, we don’t talk about stickers much except for when there are way too many stickers in a set, but I think the new Ferrari 488 GTE deserves special commentary. The set comes with two enormous sheets containing a whopping 61 stickers in total. However, almost none of the stickers are meant to alter the shape and the look of the car to be achieved using plastic pieces. The actual Ferrari’s livery is mostly plain red, and it can be easily replicated with the brand LEGO red shade. But since the 488 GTS is an endurance racing car competing in several racing series, to copy the actual vehicle’s look, the designers had no other choice but to include a ton of stickers with numerous sponsors’ logos.

When assembling the review copy, I first decided to build it without applying any of the stickers to look at the actual LEGO build as it is. But once the car was complete, I noticed how great the matte Technic panels look, and I hope you will agree with me after taking a look at the pictures below. Applying so many large glossy stickers would create a weird mix of matte and shiny surfaces. Thus, my first recommendation is to consider the stickers carefully; the only thing they are meant for is to add sponsor and racing logos, but they do so by spoiling smooth matte surfaces of LEGO Technic panels. Obviously, you should go with stickers if you are a fan of the actual car’s look but be reminded that not applying stickers is also an option. For this review, I opted to leave stickers on the sheet to have a better look at the build itself and all the panel work.

New, interesting pieces and pieces in new colors

The new Ferrari is the largest LEGO Technic set of the first half of 2021. Usually, sets like this one include most, if not all, of the new pieces introduced for the year. Indeed, there are a lot of interesting pieces, including brand new designs.

You don’t expect to see a huge blue panel when building an entirely red Ferrari, but here we are. The 3x11x1 Technic panel isn’t a new piece, but this is the first time we get it in blue. However, the smaller 3x7x1 panels are brand new for 2021. You’ll find two of these in the set.

The new small 2×3 Technic panels seem to be in demand for the new 2021 sets. You’ll get two of these in white in the Ferrari, three in yellow in the 42122 Jeep Wrangler, and there are some in in the 42123 McLaren Senna GTR as well.

Another brand new design, a 2×3 curved beam, has all chances to become a game-changer. Basically, the element is similar to a 4×2 Technic beam, but it’s a tad shorter and has a cross axle hole at the base. The new design perfectly fits the 3×5 Technic panels, too, so it has great potential as the panel connector/extender.

While the 42096 Porsche 911 RSR’s headlights were brick-built and featured a smart use of transparent cockpit glass pieces, the Ferrari’s headlights are just prints. What is interesting, the printed pieces here are the windshield pieces that can be found in the smaller Speed Champions sets, for example, in 75886 and 75889 mentioned above. The prints are asymmetrical with left and right variations, and thanks to unprinted areas, you can easily turn them into functioning headlights; there is enough space for regular LEGO LEDs inside each of the pieces.

Since Ferraris are red, the set is more than rich in red Technic panels, both old and new. If you are starting your LEGO Technic collection or planning to build a vehicle in red, the new 488 GTE is your choice.

I bet many Technic fans are anticipating the set because of wheel arch panels, but here’s the news: the 488 GTE introduces yet another type of wheel arches, 5×13 panels. They are just two studs shorter than those in 42115 Lamborghini Sián FKP 37, meaning that, unfortunately, you won’t be able to build a red Sian or a lime Ferrari in the same sizes. Besides the four new panels, Ferrari brings a brand new arch fender piece. It’s a thinner arch with two cross axle holes at both ends; the new piece perfectly fits the new 5×13 wheel arches thanks to a small groove along the edge. However, you’ll need a couple of liftarms, axles, and pins to fix the pieces together.

The build

Even before starting the assembly, you can tell a lot about the model’s inner structure just by looking at the list of play features and functions. Like the 42096 Porsche 911 RSR, the 488 GTE has a fake V8 engine, functioning steering, and fully independent suspension. Under the Ferrari’s body hides a regular LEGO Technic chassis. It will be familiar to anyone who has built any of LEGO Technic supercars, or, for example, 42077 Rally Car.

Along both sides of the chassis, you’ll find long helicopter blade pieces. Unless we consider the canceled 42113 Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey, 42125 is the first set containing the pieces in black. The blades look extremely cool as part of the car’s molding. I also liked how the blades are kept in place by a couple of bars with clips, but later it turned out that the clips don’t really work that well. The blades are way too flexible to be held in place by a couple of small clips. While preparing this review, I had to retake dozens of pictures because of misplaced blades.

With the pieces from the second stage, you finish the front of the car. This is when the Ferrari starts to take its iconic shape. Because most of the panels are pretty massive, it doesn’t take many pieces to cover the front area.

With no stickers applied, the model demonstrates some very intricate panel work in the front. Small panels facing multiple directions do a great job of copying the actual car’s shape and giving the LEGO version a very aggressive sporty look. Obviously, it is not a perfect copy, but I did enjoy assembling this area.

The next stage is all about the rear part of the car. The rear fenders take their places inside the rear wheel arches giving the 488 GTE its distinctive look. The build at the stage is pretty straightforward and enjoyable.

I particularly liked the use of blue and yellow elements at the back of the car. The real car is covered with sponsors’ logos, hence the non-typical colors on a red Ferrari. I’m very pleased to see this solution instead of black/gray elements with colorful stickers applied on top. Of course, the sticker sheets include the corresponding stickers to be applied on both sides, but the livery looks recognizable even without them.

One more interesting piece you’ll find in the set is 2×2 round brick in transparent red. Two of these are used as the rear lights. This element/color combination makes a comeback after 13 years since the last appearance, and this is only the third LEGO set to include the piece. What is peculiar, so far this is strictly a Ferrari element; the other two sets to include it are 8653 Enzo Ferrari 1:10 and 8145 Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano 1:10.

The rest of the assembly includes a bunch of panels and flexible axles that form the car’s silhouette.

The finished model

Several hours and many panels later, you get the best looking LEGO Techni Ferrari car so far. Both the front and the back of the car make great use of all types of panels available in the set, creating a very aggressive, sporty look. Whether you display it on a table, on a shelf, or even hang it on a wall, it looks great from almost any angle.

The 488 GTE’s nose and the distinctive front wing are my favorite elements of the LEGO design. Obviously, the possibilities are limited by the smaller Technic panels’ actual shape, but I believe the design team deserves praise.

The most arguable point of the set’s design is the roofs’ silhouette. When comparing the LEGO version to the actual car from the side view, you can notice that the brick-built roof is slightly too high closer to the end of the cockpit. In my opinion, this is a minor issue since the LEGO version is actually full of compromises.

Image © John Chapman, via Wikipedia.

The suspension height has always been one of the weakest features of LEGO Technic cars. Without any adjustment mechanism, you are always stuck with the road clearance that the chassis offers. For this Ferrari, the situation is unfortunate around the rear wheels. Take a minute to compare the space between the top of the tire and the fender in the real car. You’ll notice that the actual 488 GTE has a lot lower ride height.

The rear of the car isn’t as impressive as the front, with a lot more openings. I suppose some of the points could be improved with alternative panel combinations, but that would mean even more compromises in other parts of the car.

Right behind the cockpit, there is a very nicely decorated rear window revealing a V8 engine model inside. This area may lack detailing, but it is on par with the rest of the model. This whole area is elegant and gives nice examples of how to use flexible elements.

The bottom of the complete model turned out to be one of the most surprising points. The center of the chassis is a large LEGO Technic frame. This piece is perfect if you want to put a gearbox inside it, but the frame is just a structural element in this Ferrari. So, when you turn the model upside down, get ready to discover that the car has no floor at all. Actually, it’s a brilliant design idea, as it saves a lot of pieces yet lets you create a fairly robust structure.

Conclusions & recommendation

The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

Hello and welcome to another LEGO guest review by Greg McDonald from the For The Love of Brick podcast. Greg runs a fantastic LEGO podcast, where he interviews plenty of interesting guests from all across the LEGO spectrum.

Check out Greg’s other guest reviews from this year 31121 Crocodile and 41683 Forest Horseback Riding Centre.

Special thanks to LEGO for providing the set for review

I was very much looking forward to reviewing and photographing this set as it is the closest I will ever get to a Ferrari! I decided to take some photos of it without the stickers first, so I could get a sense of how the stickers affect the look of the car.

You can compare the looks with my Before and After photos in case you don’t want to commit to applying the stickers.

The Box and stickers

The bold black of the box looks nice against the contrast of the red Ferrari. The box catches the eye and it makes it feel like you are purchasing the LEGO equivalent of top shelf liquor.

The use of black is more successful in the packaging of the Ferrari as opposed to other sets e.g. Winnie the Pooh.

This set contains twelve bags of LEGO spread across five numbered bags and two blank bags.

The set has two sticker sheets with 57 stickers and thankfully they were placed inside the book, meaning they are unlikely to get wrinkled.

The Build

Bag One

This stage of the build is spread over two bags and consists of building the engine and the rear drive train of the car. This stage has some nifty build techniques like how to build a functioning motor.

I have never built a motor that has moving pistons so I was really impressed with how this is done. I also enjoyed the rear suspension assembly.

This first bag really lets you jump straight into the building experience and you can quickly see how big this car is going to be. Like all Technic sets, take your time as it’s easy to miss or bungle an important step. This resulted in me not noticing I missed a step until something didn’t fit ten pages down the track, and I would spend ages backtracking to figure out my mistake. In saying that, the instructions are fairly clear (for Technic) so mistakes shouldn’t happen that often.

Bag Two

This stage of the build has two bags consisting of the the rest of the chassis and the front end steering.

Again I like how the suspension was done – it’s simple but effective, and the steering was also a treat to see
in action

Bag Three

You get three bags to work on the front body of the Ferrari. The printed headlights on a transparent LEGO
element is a nice touch.

I will try lighting the headlights up in the future to see how well they work. At this stage, the car is starting to take shape and you get a real sense of how big this bad boy is going to be.

This particular section requires careful attention to detail when building the front end. When I was building this section, the front grill didn’t look flush and it was simply due to a L-shaped lift arm being flipped the wrong way around, throwing out the entire front.

Bag 4

In bag 4, you have two bags to build the rear and attach the back panels. I love the rear wheel panels, they
help enhance this car’s curves.

Bag 5

You have three bags in the home stretch. This part of the build focuses on the doors, roof and rear wing, as well as the wheels. It all comes together fairly easy at this point. The Ferrari looks sweet once completed, as you can see from the photos.

This part of the build did highlight some real concerns for me about the build that had been niggling at me throughout the entire build. The car does feel a bit flimsy i.e. it flexes more than I thought it would.

An example is if you pick the car up from the roof, it feels like it will pop off or you will knock out the flex tube. Or you feel like you might knock out the driver’s seat if you pick it up from underneath.

I also discovered the rear spoiler constantly falls off.

My last gripe is a pronounced door gap when the door is closed (see in the pic below). My solution to this was adding a red 1×5 lift-arm to the front of the door hinge to close this gap and moved the two top panels
on the door forward.

Closing the gap makes it look so much cleaner, however this technique doesn’t maintain the curves of the car at this section, but for a quick fix it will do. I’m sure some smart Technic cookie
will figure out a better way to do this.

Things I liked:

The car photographs really well.
It is a good display set for a wall or shelf.
They captured the feel and look of the 488 relatively well given they were restricted by the Technic part palette.
It looks great with or without the stickers, but my preference would be no stickers.

Things I disliked.

Final thoughts
If you want to dip your toes into the Technic car range, this is a good starting point. Even though it is not cheap, it is one of the more affordable sports cars and it will defiantly spark your interest in the genre.

Technic has come so far from when I was a kid and if I was a car head, I would be in financial trouble.

Is this set the most realistic and largest LEGO Technic car set? No. But is it still a beautiful and inspiring car to look at?

Yes it is. This will definitely stay in the “not getting pulled-apart pile” for a while.

On a more personal note, About a week before my little boy Alby passed away, we went into a LEGO store, I felt him tugging on my shorts, he had seen the Ferrari set.

His eyes lit up and I swear I saw some drool. I asked him what he thought of the car and he said it was beautiful, then asked, ‘ can I play with it?’ I told him he will get to play with it soon, we were just waiting on the postman to deliver it. It arrived about two days after he passed.

To hear Alby’s story, Greg recorded a special episode dedicated to his late son – check out the For Alby episode on the For the Love of Brick Podcast,

About Greg McDonald and For the Love of Brick

For the Love of Brick is a podcast for people, young and old, who love LEGO. Join Greg McDonald, a fellow LEGO enthusiast, as he interviews people from all over the world about their love of LEGO and explores the different ways it features in people’s lives. We will meet builders, artists, health workers, entrepreneurs, and everyone in between. For the Love of Brick celebrates people and their unique connections with LEGO.

For the Love of Brick is currently on hiatus, but you can catch up on past episodes wherever you get your podcasts from.

Thanks for the great review, Greg – it was great to get a different perspective on sets, and I hope you enjoyed this guest review. Be sure to go check out the For the Love of Brick podcast!

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