Technic 2018 Set Discussion

[Meatman]

1 hour ago, I_Igor said:

But 3 + R transmission is highly unrealistic, so IMHO this way is much better. For 43mm tire size we need smaller differential because current differential would be few milimeters over ground...

Well, if a real car has a 7 speed gearbox that shifts in order and Lego designs one based off of that real car that not only shifts out of order(1,3,2,4), but only has 4 speeds, then a generic model incorporating a 3 speed + reverse gearbox should be perfectly acceptable.

 

Edited November 27, 2017 by Meatman

[sxpert]

1 hour ago, I_Igor said:

But 3 + R transmission is highly unrealistic, so IMHO this way is much better. For 43mm tire size we need smaller differential because current differential would be few milimeters over ground...

agreed.
problem is, what will TLG do in 2020 when they'll need to come out with that year's supercar... a model of the tesla roadster 2

[1gor]

1 hour ago, Meatman said:

Well, if a real car has a 7 speed gearbox that shifts in order and Lego designs one based off of that real car that not only shifts out of order(1,3,2,4), but only has 4 speeds, then a generic model incorporating a 3 speed + reverse gearbox should be perfectly acceptable.

 

I understand your point and I still think that pdk transmission on Porsche should have been 7 speed + R 

1 hour ago, sxpert said:

agreed.
problem is, what will TLG do in 2020 when they'll need to come out with that year's supercar... a model of the tesla roadster 2

Or perhaps they'll make solar car (that would be interesting for Australian market - they have lots of sun...) 

About Tesla, it would be better to make elektromobiles by Rimac 

Welcome to Eurobrics forum 

Edited November 27, 2017 by I_Igor

[Sariel]

1 hour ago, tgrbailey said:

Do you usually know they are coming or do they just land on your doorstep?

They usually only let me know when a parcel is on its way already. If they wanted reviews to be ready by December 1st, as usual, then it's already too late.

[Rudivdk]

 Just my 2cts on the supercar thingy: if LEGO produces "light" vehicles with basic functions and good assortment of panels, I know I will buy them so I can keep MOCcing big supercars myself. If they produce them, they would become too expensive and leave less room for creating original MOCs...

42066 is waiting on the shelf, so rallycar would be nice addition to medium blue assortment (is it confirmed medium blue yet?). I already have motorcycle and hotrod, so guess what color my next MOC will be...

Edit: and Mack with dark grey panels is first of all a wonderfull model by itself, but also a dream come true when it comes to panneling for car interiors... hope TLG will release more panels in both shades of grey

Edited November 27, 2017 by Rudivdk

[technic_addict]

4 minutes ago, Rudivdk said:

42066 is waiting on the shelf, so rallycar would be nice addition to medium blue assortment (is it confirmed medium blue yet?).

No official confirmation that I have seen yet but from the photos posted with the set under normal lighting with the boy and man it is medium blue for sure.

[Rudivdk]

Just now, technic_addict said:

No official confirmation that I have seen yet but from the photos posted with the set under normal lighting with the boy and man it is medium blue for sure.

Yes, it seems like an unedited photo, compared to all other pics. Fingers crossed...

[allanp]

I'd say the rally car kinda compares to the Dakota wrecker released in 1994. They both have a v6 engine driven via the rear wheels, both have full suspension, the Dakota wrecker has a winch while the rally car has opening doors. The differences are that the Dakota wrecker was £35 on release (equivalent to £65 today) and it has a bunch of new parts (I mean real new parts, not some variation of connector peg) to bring a suspended steered front axle to a set this scale, not seen before except only in much larger sets. Back then, there was a need to improve in terms of mechanical complexity and authenticity on what came before (even in the smaller sets), not just simply have the same but repackaged in a different shape/colour. Because of this, the rally car does not appear to have such innovation or improvement from previous years as the Dakota wrecker did, and is more expensive even with inflation taken into account. Here are some examples of what new things I think the rally car MIGHT have had, had it been designed with more of a golden era mindset, but in 2017 with all the sets of previous years to contend with and seek to improve upon:

A new wheel hub holder piece, similar to what it has but it accepts a suspension spring directly into it allowing a McPherson strut setup possible, 

A front transverse mounted inline 3 engine driven by the front wheels (there are many front wheel drive rally cars),

A 20t clutch gear (extending the range of clutch gears from 1 to 2!) to make an extremely simple 2 speed gearbox with very few parts,

At this price point, possibly all of the above!

So for those AFOLs who got to enjoy the golden era of the late 80's through to mid/late 90's as children, I can see why some may be a little disappointed. However todays kids aren't the same kids as we used to be. Now there's so many more distractions and sources of instant gratification from social media, the internet and so on. I only had 4 TV channels to choose from! So more emphasis (read more of the sets budget) kinda has to go towards it looking good and attention grabbing on the box, while at the same time keeping at least the same level of functionality so as not to go backward into irrelevance (because Technic with mechanical functions is a pointless thing). It's nice to see with the Mack truck that a striking, bold looking and impressive model can be made from grey, and not goofy colours like baby blue or purple. Like a monkey in a bra, simply being striking does not equal being desirable! It's a tightrope that the designers walk on between being what Technic should be (well crafted engineering marvels that appeals to all ages), and what it has to be to sell in a world full of distractions. But at the end of the day the rally car is a 1st haft set and not the biggest first half set of 2018, so it really should be no surprise that it falls on the childish side of the tightrope. And that's fine, if it helps keep Technic popular then it's great, because when Technic is profitable it means we can look forward to a second half which has a larger budget to help make it have an even greater appeal to both kids and adults, as it should be, because that's when it's at it's best.

[Ngoc Nguyen]

42077 can be seen as a cheap way to get the Porsche/CLAAS wheel hubs.

[degenerate]

8 minutes ago, Ngoc Nguyen said:

42077 can be seen as a cheap way to get the Porsche/CLAAS wheel hubs.

Not counting all the other parts you'd get, I'd hardly call 100 euro cheap 

[Vectormatic]

1 hour ago, Ngoc Nguyen said:

42077 can be seen as a cheap way to get the Porsche/CLAAS wheel hubs.

are those different from the hubs in 42039? id expect those to return, considering the wheels are the same size, and the suspension and drivetrain will most likely be the same

[Ngoc Nguyen]

@vectormatic Hubs for the rear wheels are the same with those in 42039, but hubs for front wheels are Porsche ones.

[Vectormatic]

ah, didnt know those were different, looks like it should be possible to drive the front wheels, so an awd conversion is possible

[AVCampos]

3 hours ago, Rudivdk said:

if LEGO produces "light" vehicles with basic functions and good assortment of panels, I know I will buy them

[Ngoc Nguyen]

^ That would be ultralight though 

[Vectormatic]

itll be cheap though, im hoping the rear axle has shocks, and while the two cylinder boxer weirds me out in a car, i do like the set, should be a good basis for modification, ditch the panels in the back, the stickers and put a bigger engine in and its a mini 42029

[BrickbyBrickTechnic]

12 minutes ago, vectormatic said:

itll be cheap though, im hoping the rear axle has shocks

I doubt the price will go over $40. That is a good thing, but shocks will probably be less likely due to this. How many pieces does this have?

[Ngoc Nguyen]

@BrickbyBrickTechnic It does have a shock. One shock only.

 

[BrickbyBrickTechnic]

Just now, Ngoc Nguyen said:

It does have a shock. One shock only.

That's kind of quite a downer.

[Bartybum]

5 hours ago, BrickbyBrickTechnic said:

That's kind of quite a downer.

I know, right? This set could totally use a torque tube for the rear axle.

[Jurss]

13 hours ago, Meatman said:

then a generic model incorporating a 3 speed + reverse gearbox should be perfectly acceptable.

And then You would complain, that in original car there is at least 5+R 

[Ivan_M]

15 hours ago, I_Igor said:

But 3 + R transmission is highly unrealistic, so IMHO this way is much better. For 43mm tire size we need smaller differential because current differential would be few milimeters over ground...

So any transmission is more unrealistic than none? I mean 43mm wheels, not tires:

[dimaks13]

8 hours ago, BrickbyBrickTechnic said:

I doubt the price will go over $40. That is a good thing, but shocks will probably be less likely due to this. How many pieces does this have?

513. 

[Jim]

14 hours ago, allanp said:

I'd say the rally car kinda compares to the Dakota wrecker released in 1994. They both have a v6 engine driven via the rear wheels, both have full suspension, the Dakota wrecker has a winch while the rally car has opening doors. The differences are that the Dakota wrecker was £35 on release (equivalent to £65 today) and it has a bunch of new parts (I mean real new parts, not some variation of connector peg)....

I agree with your assessment.

One thing I'd like to add though. When I was young, I was totally unaware that a set had new parts. They were just....parts. Point being; I am not sure how aware kids are of new parts and how much it matters.

[Saberwing40k]

I was acutely aware of new parts as a kid, and I still am today. (My childhood experiences may not be that common, though. I got a UCS Star Wars set at like 8, and built it.) I also think that good looks and technical functions are not mutually exclusive. Wanting the set to look good on the box has little to do with how many functions are or aren't present.

Also, kind of unfortunately, I think Wabra might be suffering some burnout, so he does some easy things to meet the deadline. I don't know for sure, but maybe, just maybe, some of the magic is gone, and now he's doing stuff like 42070 and 42077, versus 8258 or 42030