[REVIEW] 40517 Vespa

[Clone OPatra]

SET INFORMATION
Number: 40517
Name: Vespa
Theme: Creator
Released: 2022
Part Count: 117 (I counted them)
Minifigures: 0
Set Price (RRP): Probably $10 USD / $13 CAD / 9 GBP / 10 EUR / 15 AUD
Links: Brickset, Bricklink

INTRODUCTION
After the Tuk Tuk and Yellow Taxi (and High Speed Train at a higher price point), next in LEGO's Creator non 3-in-1 transportation line is this red little Vespa, little compared to the big boy Creator Expert Vespa coming out anyway.

It might not be in the most exciting of colour schemes, nor recreate the most exciting of subject matter, but let's see if 40517 is worthy of ornamenting your desk or supplementing your parts bin.

Thank you LEGO for providing this set to Eurobricks for review. 

THE BOX
I presume this is the same box size as those other little Creator vehicles. I have to presume, because I don't own either of them.

The artwork looks lovely and pairs well with the Vespa, which feels at home in its native Italy. The shots of the model on the front and back look practically the same, but LEGO had to put something back there.

A shiny, reflective sticker with the Vespa V logo adorns the side, letting you know this is an ultra authentic licensed model. Bellissimo.

THE PARTS
I hadn't really looked very closely at the pictures before opening the set up, so I was pleasantly surprised at how very 2022 this parts selection truly is. This set simply could not have existed in this form before last year because of all the parts it uses that were introduced in 2020 and 2021.

As the set consists of predominantly red parts, I split the parts between red and "everything else". While red is a classic colour for both LEGO and Vespa, it isn't the most eye-catching because of how common it is. That said, this set includes some rare parts in red, such as the sloped rounded corner bricks (67810) which are exclusive to this set as far as I can tell, and the 1x3 concave "shoe" slopes that only come in one other 2022 set thus far.

As for everything else, you get two of the 1x5 plate(!) in black, that very new dark grey wheel fork (77598), the technic pin 3L with no friction, those little bars with ridge... just to name a few of the 2021 parts without which this model would have to be quite different. Seeing the double flick-missile holder (85940) surprised me since it was so prevalent from 2009 through the first half of the 2010s, and I didn't know it was still hanging around, but so it is!

THE BUILD
Small builds can rarely be called boring, because even the least inspired of them will be over quickly, but this set thankfully has lots going on to maintain your interest all the way through. It's fun simply seeing various slopes married together, and you have parts going in multiple directions and a bit of Technic keeping things together to boot.

Here are shots of the various different components that get built and then attached together. It's especially fun to see how they attach the foot rests to be parallel to the ground at the end, while the rest of the model sits at an angle.

THE MODEL - Sans Stickers
You might have noticed in the build pics that I didn't apply stickers yet. There are only three stickers in the set and none of them are a pain, but if you prefer to leave your pieces unadorned, the Vespa looks perfectly good without them.

Overall the model looks great, and instantly recognisable as what it is. All of the different slopes have been put to good use to try and make something as curvy as a real Vespa, and the slight angle achieved for the whole thing is also effective.

If there's one area that looks a little worse than the rest, it'd unfortunately be the front: the whole column going up to the handlebars feels awfully flat, as it is just a couple of plates deep. The top of the handlebars behind the light also feels as if it has been abruptly cut off.

Comparing it with pictures of real Vespas, it's obvious that even with all of these slopes, LEGO is still a bit boxy and wants to be rectangular. The curvy taper of the real deal would have been exceptionally difficult to achieve at this scale, though maybe something better could have been done to attach the handlebars in a way that doesn't leave the top so flat.

In any case, it's a small set after all, so you can't expect as much accuracy as you might get in a large, Creator Export scaled one.

 

THE MODEL - With Stickers
Here it is with the stickers applied: a little Vespa logo on the front, a bit of engine showing on one side, and a license plate with another logo on the back. If you're going for display, the stickers add that little bit of finishing touch, but certainly aren't essential.

And in case you're wondering, here's how it scales with a Minifigure. Unfortunately I didn't have any of my old Technic figures at hand to try out - I think they might be close to a good match in scale for this model, unlike Ross!

SUMMARY & CONCLUSION
What more is there to say?

If you like red and you like slopes, it should be a good parts pack for you. The build is brisk and fun, and perhaps even inspiring to those of us (myself included) who aren't great at MOCing but are always looking to learn techniques of LEGO geometry.

The end model would look perfectly nice on a desk, though again the front looks slightly too flat and awkward, and red isn't the sexiest colour. Still, the set exceeded my expectations.

SCORE
How do I rate this set?

10 PIECES

Wonderful selection of contemporary parts, and a fine amount of them.

8 DESIGN

The back half, angle, and sturdiness of the whole thing are great, but I had to dock a little for the front column, despite knowing it'd be unrealistic to expect much better.

10 PRICE

I'm rating this before knowing the price, but if it holds to the $10 USD and equivalent price points like the Tuk Tuk and Taxi, it's a perfectly agreeable price for what you get.

9.33 OVERALL - It's both a good parts pack and a good model, with a little bit of awkward flatness to the front that's not at all detrimental.

[Redhead1982]

Thanks for the review. This is areally interesting model. I'd also prefer a less common color, even though red fits nicely. The curves are flattering and mimic the shape of a real Vespa very well (based on pictures, not a real model).

[Flossie]

I really like this set and think it would look great next to the creator expert cars that have already been released, especially the Fiat 500. 

[Oky]

Thanks for the good review (and sorry for accidentally posting one of mine right after you). I hope this will be easily available and not a GWP as I would like to get it for it's good selection of parts... or to mod it into a Book of Boba Fett MOC.