[VIDEO REVIEW] 42056 - Porsche 911 GT3 RS

[Sariel]

So, this is the set TBB already dubbed a "breathtaking perfection" (because it's pretty, you know) and a whole lot of people will buy it just for looks. Unfortunately, I see a Technic badge in there, and Technic line used to be about something more than just looks. That's why I'm going to review it considering its functions, and to put it shortly, when it comes to functions the 42056 feels like a slap to your face. Sorry TBB, someone has to do the ugly job of raining on your parade.

This is literally the most expensive set in the entire Technic line, a set which is being promoted by Lego as if their lives depended on it. It's literally being announced as "ultimate supercar" and "art of engineering". Well, bad news. The art of engineering 2016 edition looks like that:

- no PF in sight, literally no electronics, nor an easy way to make this set RC

- dead simple suspension that has been done dozens of times. Were you wishing for something fancy, maybe McPherson struts, Ackermann steering, caster angle? Too bad, the suspension is the same as in $60 sets.

- dead simple steering with new wheel hubs added only so Lego could pretend there are brakes. All these fancy new wheel hubs and fancy new wheels still don't turn in the center like 8448 set's wheels do.

- Lego could give us working brakes. Lego could at least give us a realistically looking calipers and maybe some nice brake discs. Instead, Lego gave us a 1x4 tile with a sticker.

- a transmission that takes half of a chassis, then works poorly and doesn't really do anything useful

Seriously, for $300, which is the money that will buy you e.g. both new Claas tractor and Volvo excavator, you get a bunch of beams, panels and gears. Note how short the parts list is. What this money gets you is a big, great-looking car that is only really good for display. Functions? Steering with a lot of backlash, ridiculously simple suspension and transmission whose main job is making grinding sounds. Yeah, really, the transmission has so much friction in it, Lego actually threw a 24t clutch gear in there to let the wheels rotate when transmission locks up from abundance of friction. Someone had this weird idea to make a 4-speed sequential transmission and then add a separate forward/reverse selector to it, resulting in up to TWENTY gear wheels being active at the same time. And the best part? Well, there are two: first, the transmission only affects the piston engine, and you can't really see it because it's all covered up under the body. So the only real job for transmission is to change the frequency of the grinding sounds. Second, the transmission's speeds are actually messed up because as Crowkillers has noticed, someone put two gear wheels wrong in the instructions. Thus, for a paltry $300 you get a transmission that goes 1-3-2-4. Art of engineering indeed.

The biggest problem with the 42056 is the price. Consider 42055: it's bigger and has PF, yet its price-per-piece is much lower. If Porsche had the same price-per-piece, it would cost around $192 - a not unreasonable comparison since these sets are released at the same time. So what's the extra $100 for? Just the Porsche license and a fancy box? For that kind of money you can get a proper RC car from an established manufacturer, with high performance motors and waterproof electronics. Yet Lego expects you to cough it up for something that can, um, look pretty (if you don't mind the gaping holes, that is).

Pros:

- really big, impressive and exquisitely looking unless you hate orange

- finally it's not red again

- the box and instructions are so good, they make UCS sets look like something you drew in class when you were 10

- a lot of new useful pieces, including the wheels

- superb "starter pack" for those who want to build their own supercars

Cons:

- this is a $300 set with roughly $192 worth of Lego pieces

- the "art of engineering" can't hold a candle to the 8880

- seriously, there's barely any function in this set that works flawlessly or makes actual sense. But hey, you get a luggage compartment and a bag with Porsche logo so who cares, right?

- there's no PF nor an easy way to add PF

- size, weight and limited functionality make it more of a display model

- instructions come with an error

- there's no B-model

- $300 for what?

Some comparisons:

Edited June 1, 2016 by Sariel

[Jim]

I love your comparison at the end of the video

Would it be possible to post the screenshot in hi-res?

[Sariel]

Yeah, but they're only readable in full HD which exceeds sizes allowed at EB, I believe.

[Jim]

Download links then?

Or we could make an exception for once

[Sariel]

Added 3 comparison images to the first post.

[legosamigos]

Sariel, I heard, that the price is 300 Euro, not $300

[Sariel]

Sariel, I heard, that the price is 300 Euro, not $300

Not to be rude, but my video literally starts with that information, and there are various prices for various regions, as I'm sure you're aware. And all these prices are listed at the very beginning of my video.

Edited June 1, 2016 by Sariel

[Jim]

Added 3 comparison images to the first post.

Sweet!!

[TheItalianBrick]

Sariel one can tell you've never owned a real Porsche....beautiful cars with lots of issues :laugh: so this set reflects the real one!!

[Vectormatic]

Good video sariel!

It complements Jim's review nicely in that this shows the set in motion, and highlights the poor gearbox operation.

[JunkstyleGio]

Harsh words on a very costly model. Too bad all of them are true!

(I'm still going to get it anyway...)

Edited June 1, 2016 by JunkstyleGio

[nicjasno]

Very good review! Kinda confirms what i suspected, unfortunately.

To me, the benchmark for lego models is still 8880.

[tripletschiee]

Great review video, Sariel! My respect!

One comment: you should have added in the supercar-comparison, that the 8880 has AWS, nit just Ackermann-streering.

[TomasHubik]

Thanks for review! I really like the compatirion on the end! True is, that you can spend €300 better! (From more Lego offcourse!)

[allanp]

Great review Sariel .

I am so torn by this set. I know I can't justify the price, but I also know me, if i was to see it on a shelf at a discount I will probably just buy it!

The thing is, I would have been happy to rush out to the nearest lego store (which for me is 80 miles away) and buy it on day one for the full price and with the same functions, but aside from the wheels there are no new parts in this that I want and the functionality, whilst it's enough for me, it's not executed very well at all. If they had made it closer to real life it would have worked better and with far fewer gears. But there are no new parts to make that happen. Sure, there is the smooth axle connector, but that's some pretty small and insignificant part right there. There are the arches, but bright orange is a pretty ugly colour for a car and even a much more accurate lava orange would have limited it's use in MOCs even further. Hopefully I can resist buying it until some of these parts appear in other sets or maybe at a reasonable price on ebay or bricklink, I know they are gonna be pricey though. In the mean time I'll see about properly designing the much needed parts for a future ultimate set, only for my own amusement (I can't expect lightening to stike twice! ).

Edited June 1, 2016 by allanp

[JamesJT]

(Wrong thread)

Edited June 1, 2016 by JamesJT

[brunojj1]

Thank you for your brilliant review, Paul!

I´ve always liked your humor and in this case the bulked irony which adds another bitter flavour into the designer´s coffee, they really deserve it.

Especially I love the comparison with Sheepo´s Porsche at the end of your video !

[nicjasno]

I'm definetly not buying this.

[Nick Barrett]

So, not great hamster transport, then ? Thanks for your very informative and honest review. Can't say the lack of PF is a great problem, but I totally agree with everything else you say here. You may have saved me £250, so thanks for that. I should donate it to a hamster sanctuary

[hsky]

"People who hate Orange" - You made my day Sariel

Very Nice Review anyway! :thumbup:

[Alasdair Ryan]

I enjoyed this review, and I share your opinion on this set.

[Didumos69]

Sariel, thank you very much for this extensive and informative review!!!

One minor detail: On the LEGO Porsche - Sheepo Porsche sheet at the end of the video you state the Sheepo Porsche has negative caster angle and positive camber angle. Shouldn't that be positive caster angle and negative camber angle?

[jorgeopesi]

I didn´t see this thread and I agree with what I read, I hope Lego learns something, it is a poor set even for no AFOLs, always IMO.

[Victor Imaginator]

Sariel, thanks for put so much humor in this review) Was really nice to watch.

[JJ2]

dang... This must be a hard hit to Lego, but I could have been much better.

Next supercar Lego makes I want to be made by Crowkillers