[REVIEW] 42056 - Porsche 911 GT3 RS

[Kristof]

^ Right, the striking comparison works for 8880 as well if you consider the functionality only. The reason for which I compare with 8448 instead is the similarity in building proces and aesthetics. Even though the porsche has fully enclosed body, which is perhaps it's biggest achievement (yet I personally prefer seing the insides and the wireframe that mimics the shape is all I need) that might possibly be called 'ultimate', 8448 already offered smooth curves of a supercar and I can easily imagine the inclusion of some panels, should you wish to close it up. Also the way of building the chasis, engine and the bodywork separately is common and here again, I think it's better executed with 8840 which actually offered bodywork modifications. To be fair though, the design of the porsche is strictly directed by the real thing so no complaints here.

[brunojj1]

Thank you Jim for this fantastic review !

I´m shocked! What disappointing discoveries! Jamming gearbox despite of new sliders design (we had a new design few years ago already)? They messed up the gear´s order which results in errors in the building instructions??? Oh come on... All the other minor flaws combined don´t count here. And now the recall the first batch to fix it - that leads to customer´s satisfaction as well because even the biggest enthusiasts who might have wanted the set first will be scared off.

You´ve tried hard to do justice to this set. Nobody and nothing is perfect, but this statement can´t be applied to the Ultimate Porsche now! Even the best photographs and nicest description can´t come around the true fact: the whole set is a huge disaster! Especially the asked price is even more ridiculous now.

Anyway I stupid idiot will buy it for some unexplainable reason: I love Technic supercars and will need the parts to build my own.

[Jim]

Thank you Jim for this fantastic review !

...

You´ve tried hard to do justice to this set. Nobody and nothing is perfect, but this statement can´t be applied to the Ultimate Porsche now! Even the best photographs and nicest description can´t come around the true fact: the whole set is a huge disaster! Especially the asked price is even more ridiculous now.

Thanks! I think your statement/conclusion (which I used in my review) fits the bill perfectly.

Anyway I stupid idiot will buy it for some unexplainable reason: I love Technic supercars and will need the parts to build my own.

Well, you should try to build your own supercar....o wait....

(reminds me I still need to finish your Ferrari....your previous Ferrari)

[Nick Barrett]

Superb review, thankyou Jim. I really thought I'd get this on day one but now... it's a lot for 42039 functions plus a flawed gearbox in a 911 suit. Pass.

[Seasider]

Going to pass on this set. I'm a huge technic and car nut and I actually have the benefit of going to weissach quite a bit for my job so I know a bit about Porsches and also with 20years in the car industry know how they're built.

Although a Porsche isn't my favourite sports car I was interested in this model. But the cost of the model and the flaws in its operation and some gaping holes in the body mean I'll give it a pass. I'll be interested to see if this is a start of a UCS Technic line and if so what is next.

I think I'll buy the Claas instead as that seems more impressive to me.

[Alternator]

I'm actually surprised by the number of no buys by people in the thread - I don't know how I feel about that - sad I guess.

Although I don't like the direction if this set is to be the harbringer of above flagship technic models to come (that's just me), I find it more distressing the idea that there is a Technic model at this level that isn't popular.

Since coming out of my dark ages, I have never seen a technic flagship viewed as anything but awesome, even if the model wasn't for everyone (technic fans).

I have sat and thought about this and putting the disappointing on the functions to one side, I know there is one true thing - I would love to have this set sitting alongside my other flagship technics and Lego super cars... if not for that price point...

[allanp]

It is slightly saddening, but even the best musical acts of all time release a stinker of a song every now and then. So it's not like we are shouting at lego "No! NO! Bad Lego" and I would not want to say anything against it's employees and designers. But I feel we do have a certain duty to keep TLG on the good path by not saying everything they do is wonderful. Most companies best products and higest quality standards are behind them. Lego is one of the few companies that may still have their best work ahead of them and they are doing better and are more successful for it. For that reason, these reviews and the many "no buys" may not be what TLG want to hear, but it is certainly what TLG needs to hear and this information will be far more valuble to TLG in the long run than blind praise.

Edited June 1, 2016 by allanp

[Alasdair Ryan]

It is slightly saddening, but even the best musical acts of all time release a stinker of a song every now and then. So it's not like we are shouting at lego "No! NO! Bad Lego" and I would not want to say anything against it's employees and designers. But I feel we do have a certain duty to keep TLG on the good path by not saying everything they do is wonderful. Most companies best products and higest quality standards are behind them. Lego is one of the few companies that may still have their best work ahead of them and they are doing better and are more successful for it. For that reason, these reviews and the many "no buys" may not be what TLG want to hear, but it is certainly what TLG needs to hear and this information will be far more valuble to TLG in the long run than blind praise.

I agree,this set in my eyes is a disappointment,the other 2h technic sets are more appealing to me.

[AlphaX]

I'll also pass most likely, at least to the official lego price its a no-buy - even as a porsche fan.

Lets see how the Ideas Caterham turns out. I'll probably get that one before.

Edited June 1, 2016 by AlphaX

[nerdsforprez]

Given that the regular Porsche thread has now been closed, i will post the following statement here. I didn't want to open yet another thread on the Porsche without consulting members. So, if there is enough feedback, Jim - can we go ahead and open a thread on Porsche availability? I am sure there will be enough questions regarding this. From what I understand, here is what we have so far.....

LEGO 45056 was to be available at LEGO S@H today, 1 JUN. However, this is not the case. I can only speak for the US website, but reading elsewhere it appears to be the same thing. It has been postponed due to complications with the set. We will wait for an official statement by LEGO in terms of when it will actually be available.

However, this was to also be available in some places in Europe (stores) on 1 JUN. This is still the case. Workers of individual stores either never got the message about the postponement or were never notified by TLG and they decided to sell as is. Fans are buying these sets now. I forget what countries exactly in Europe have these, please anyone fill in this missing information.

In the US and Canada, however, the set was never going to be available in stores until 1 AUG. So, obviously in the US and Canada we do not have the set, and 'cuz it is now not available online, we cannot buy it at this time.

I think the above information is correct, anyone please feel free to correct or fill in missing information......

EDIT: Sorry, forgot to add the following:

If the above is correct, I am wondering if people think this will add to the value to the sets that are currently being sold? If there are changes to come, that means the sets being sold right now will have some objective differences than those in the future. Yes - perhaps some form of error or mistake but because of rarity they may increase in value or be more valuable than those to be sold in the future? If there are "fixes" - what do people think?

Edited June 1, 2016 by nerdsforprez

[Jim]

Given that the regular Porsche thread has now been closed, i will post the following statement here. I didn't want to open yet another thread on the Porsche without consulting members. So, if there is enough feedback, Jim - can we go ahead and open a thread on Porsche availability? I am sure there will be enough questions regarding this. From what I understand, here is what we have so far.....

Let's change the Pricing topic to Pricing & Availability

Can you post your last post there?

[nerdsforprez]

Really good idea. Yea.

[Beard]

Did anybody try the unique online content yet?

[Balrog]

Awesome review Jim. Very good photography as always and well written. To think you got the set on a relatively short notice

Too bad the set has some more or less obvious flaws. I'll still get it anyway, though the price really is a bummer.. Also, I think the set is a very good parts pack and I hope people will still get it and come up with fantastic B-models.

I guess it's up to the community now to make the set a little more worthy.

[allanp]

I wonder if they released it in June because they knew there might be issues and wanted to get feedback before releasing it to the wider audience. That's a pretty smart move IMHO. They obviously knew there was a problem otherwise they would not have included the white clutch gear. I guess that was their "fix" to the problem and I would not expect to see another fix.

[nerdsforprez]

I doubt it. They have more than just their brand to be concerned about. Think of the Porsche people. They cannot be happy. If they are unhappy think about new potential licensing opportunities. They will plummet. If indeed this is a new line up of"ultimate" sets TLG is starting off on the wrong foot.

[Victor Imaginator]

Jim, thanks a lot for making so detailed review with all these comparsions and videos. It looks amazing) And finally i can clearly see a parts list in nice resolution. After reading all this i know that this Porsche is must have for me, at least as parts donor.

[Jurss]

Ultimate review.

Why theres no B-model. They could make at least some cabrio.

[Vectormatic]

I'm actually surprised by the number of no buys by people in the thread - I don't know how I feel about that - sad I guess.

Although I don't like the direction if this set is to be the harbringer of above flagship technic models to come (that's just me), I find it more distressing the idea that there is a Technic model at this level that isn't popular.

Since coming out of my dark ages, I have never seen a technic flagship viewed as anything but awesome, even if the model wasn't for everyone (technic fans).

I have sat and thought about this and putting the disappointing on the functions to one side, I know there is one true thing - I would love to have this set sitting alongside my other flagship technics and Lego super cars... if not for that price point...

I think it will sell well regardless, this might not appeal to the die hard technic AFOL, but for carnuts porsche fans, this is a very nice thing to have on display.

[jorgeopesi]

Sheepo told me but I had to see it for myself, no stud for axle in wheels... Lego would have to make versatile pieces not otherwise...

Edited June 1, 2016 by jorgeopesi

[Seasider]

I think it will sell well regardless, this might not appeal to the die hard technic AFOL, but for carnuts porsche fans, this is a very nice thing to have on display.

I know lots of Porsche owners / fans at work and they're all put off the price ... they're not AFOLs so the price seems even steeper than usual for a box of ABS (as Jim put it). To some of my nonAFOL friends £200 is a lot for a Lego set.

[TheNextLegoDesinger]

you're review made me wanna have it, but then i watched Sariel's and now i'm tottally confused again. i'm back on the page of choosing 42055 or 42056

i love the looks but i hate the price.

[WvG_853]

I've made a video to show his, with just a few steps, you can take the bodywork off the chassis to show off the innards.

Good idea and very clear instructions! Will definitively make this change the day I get this set.

Edited June 1, 2016 by WvG_853

[astra]

Jim, Thanks for an excellent review. As objective as it can be, but it doesn't make things more clear for me .

At first I was wiling to pay the Dutch price. Then I read the topic (which is now closed) and thought 'I'll get it in Germany'. Now having read your review (and other reviews), I'm thinking that I'll probably wait for the price to come down to a more reasonable point. I really hoped for more Technic 'challenges' in this Ultimate model, besides the PDK...

[Alternator]

...

If the above is correct, I am wondering if people think this will add to the value to the sets that are currently being sold? If there are changes to come, that means the sets being sold right now will have some objective differences than those in the future. Yes - perhaps some form of error or mistake but because of rarity they may increase in value or be more valuable than those to be sold in the future? If there are "fixes" - what do people think?

I get the rough principle, but I don't believe it can be blindly applied - which is quite literally how it would have to be applied here, unless there is some kind of differentiation on the outside of the box. I don't think an opened box is going to have more value than a closed one.

Also there are plenty of errors in Lego instructions that I don't think such a thing would hold a lot of novelty interest.

Perhaps some rich person in the future wants the Porsche Lego set to go with their new Porsche - but chances are Porsche themselves will be happy to oblige those individuals (one would assume they'll have a stockpile stored away).

Though I guess if one were hoping to make money from buying a Lego set, it would be buying one that flops which people then decide after production ends that they must have it... bit of a gamble though.