Review: 8159 Speed Racer - Racer X vs Taejo

[Tarfful]

This is a review of Speed Racer set 8159 Raxer X Vs Taejo. This is my second review and the first review of this paticular set and the only one on EuroBricks... at the moment X-D

So without further ado I present to you my review... (I like that saying so much I decided to use it again in this review, it's originally from my review of 8158, which can be seen here.)

Note: Sorry that this review got delayed, but there was a hostile takeover of the computer, X-O don't worry everythings fine now. X-D

Set: 8159 Racer X Vs Taejo

Theme: Speed Racer

Price: $19.99US

Pieces: 237

Minifigs: 2

Note 2: I did not take photos of just the new pieces this time because they're the same "new" pieces as in 8158, just in diff. colors. If you want to see a picture of them click here.

First off pictures of the Box, Instructions, DSS, and Minifigs:

Not quite as many stickers as set 8158, but there still are quite a few.

Can you guess which ones which? :-D

Yes, Taejo's hair really is Red and Black, for Racer X's head TLG just reused the baddie's head from 7620. |-/

Now onto the build:

First Racer X's X Racer :-D (Thats not it's official name.. I think.) :-$

Back end of the car.

The cockpit, and yeah there are no seats for Racer X's hiny, just a flat 2x2 Dark Bley plate.

The cockpit and rearend of the car connect using an S-shaped connector piece.

The front part of the car.

The fornt and the cockpit are also connected using an S-shaped connector piece.

Adding some details including Yellow fenders.

The underside of the car, so far.

Adding some more detail.

Newly added motor vents and smooth details.

Adding a front bumper, amongst other things.

Side view of the car, so far.

"No backseat driving, wait a minute, there's no backseat!"

The underside with newly added axles.

Demonstrating how hubcap piece is put on the car.

Now onto Taejo's GRR (Glorious Red Racer) :-P

Front part of the car.

Cockpit, regular seats... check.

Cocpit and rearend of the car connected using S-shaped connector piece.

Adding some detail.

The front part of the car.

Front and cockpit connected also using the S-shaped connector piece.

Adding some fenders to the car.

Underside of the car, so far.

Adding some smooth details.

Taejos is the only car with an actual hood.

Side view of the car, so far.

Underside of the car with axels.

Now some finished shots of both cars:

First Racer X's fine Black and Yellow racer

Reminds me of an older Ferrari from this angle.

Up close and personal.

I'm guessing the 3 holes are exhaust outlets.

Racer X rollin'.

Now it's time for Taejo's Red racer

"I could've sworn I ordered some hubcaps!" -guess who... Taejo

Racer X admiring Taejo's fine red automobile.

Up close with 'Big Red'.

Rearend shot of the car.

"I challenge you Racer X!" -Taejo

Racer X bein' a complete badass and smokin' Taejo. >:-)

Now for some comparison shots:

(The Silver pocket knife is just to hold up Taejo's car.)

Now a shot of the extra pieces:

Now if you combine 8158 with 8159, you get this:

"Go, Go, Go!"

Now it's time for the summary:

This set is an excellent buy at $20 dollars, it's well designed and has lot's of details, it also has very unique minifigs. (Which are always good in a set.)

It's only downfalls are the lack of acessories for the minifigs and that there are no cool contraptions on the cars, and by "cool" I mean lethal to the other racer(s).

Now to the scoring of the set:

Price:10/10

Pieces: 8/10 Too many stickers for such a small set.

Minifigs: 10/10 Unique and creative.

Playability: 9/10 Would have been perfect except for the lack of acessories and cool contraptions on the cars. (But both are easily modified/fixed hence the nine.)

Overall: 37/40 A great set!

Bonus: Try and count how many times my Silver pocket knife appears and win... the knowledge of knowing how many times the Silver pocket knife appears. :-P :-D

This concludes the review, more pictures of either set 8158 or 8159 or both available through request, via PM-ing me. ;-)

See ya' next time folks... of course I don't mean that literally X-D ...

General Tarful

Edited June 1, 2008 by imperialshadows

[iamded]

29 times!

Great review, these are some sweet lookin' rides. :-D Very similar to the other set, but still great. *y* Thanks!

~Peace

[Dragonator]

Those are some beautiful cars, thanks so much for the review! *sweet* Of the two, I like Taejo's one best, as red is my colour. >:-) A perfect car for you and the bird to roll round in. :-D

I like the windscreen pieces, they're new right?

[hollisbrick]

I saw ur pocket knife 20 :-D times yay do i win 8-| mm anyway great reveiw can't wait til these come to my stores. Btw i don't know which one to get so could you reckomend me one? thanks and great reveiw! *y*

[WhiteFang]

Great review! I personally do not like the stickers very much. It's great that you show us the cars without stickers. Hehe, it look nice! Was thinking why other characters do not have a visor in front of their helmet

[Ronan Nissen]

Was thinking why other characters do not have a visor in front of their helmet

Yeah, They're supposed to have see-through visors over their eyes like this:

Can't wait for Speed Racer Lego!

Edited March 24, 2008 by Ronan Nissen

[trooperdavinfelth]

29 times!

Great review, these are some sweet lookin' rides. :-D Very similar to the other set, but still great. *y* Thanks!

~Peace

Curses! You beat me to it. :'-( Anyhow, I saw it 29 times as well. I'm probably gonna get the truck and the Grand Prix. Racer X was a letdown; I expected a kickass awesome unique head and all I get is Bruce Wayne rubbed in my face again. *sing* (that is me screaming)

Anyways, these sets look cooler and cooler! More reviews! I must see more! *y*

[Derek]

Wow! Not as cool as the other set but awesome nonetheless...I can see that red car being a sportscar for City. And I hope that Bruce Wayne head does't become of liscened themes that the sunglasses face for City :-|

[WhiteFang]

Yeah, They're supposed to have see-through visors over their eyes like this:

Can't wait for Speed Racer Lego!

Haha, thanks for the lovely pic. If LEGO had such helmet, it will be great! :'-)

[Asuka]

A very good review, thanks GeneralTarful. *y*

That´s an interesting set for sure, and especially the red car looks really fine. Air intakes, very nice.... :'-)

[Oli212Lego]

speed racer GO! >:-)

[Batbrick]

Thanks for the review General Tarful! I only saw the knife 27 times :'-(

I like this set, but I probably won't justify the price, the other set has orange ( *wub*) and THE Mach 5, as well as better fleshie head I reckon.

To the Batbrick Cave! >:-)

[Tarfful]

First off I would like to thank you all for your feedback. *sweet*

29 times!

Great review, these are some sweet lookin' rides. :-D Very similar to the other set, but still great. *y* Thanks!

~Peace

I counted only 28 times. X-D Thanks Iamded, and yes they are very similar.

Those are some beautiful cars, thanks so much for the review! *sweet* Of the two, I like Taejo's one best, as red is my colour. >:-) A perfect car for you and the bird to roll round in. :-D

I like the windscreen pieces, they're new right?

You're welcome Dragonator, and yes the winshield piece is new. ;-)

On another note long live dragons!

I saw ur pocket knife 20 :-D times yay do i win 8-| mm anyway great reveiw can't wait til these come to my stores. Btw i don't know which one to get so could you reckomend me one? thanks and great reveiw! *y*

Nope. :-P And thanks Hollisbrick. They are both really similar so it really depends on which colors you use more in MOC-ing, or which characters you like more. My personal choice is 8159 as it has cooler minifigs, except for Racer X's recycled head :-|, and the colors are more useful to me. Then again if you're like Batbrick the only thing that matters is if a set has Orange in it. :-P

Great review! I personally do not like the stickers very much. It's great that you show us the cars without stickers. Hehe, it look nice! Was thinking why other characters do not have a visor in front of their helmet

Thanks Whitefang_sg, I don't put the stickers on because they can be very valuable latter on down the road. Yeah me too, but in 8159 you get an extra black visor.

Yeah, They're supposed to have see-through visors over their eyes like this:

Can't wait for Speed Racer Lego!

When TLG makes a helmet like that, Hell will freeze over, we will finally get a proper open helmet Clone Pilot.

Curses! You beat me to it. :'-( Anyhow, I saw it 29 times as well. I'm probably gonna get the truck and the Grand Prix. Racer X was a letdown; I expected a kickass awesome unique head and all I get is Bruce Wayne rubbed in my face again. *sing* (that is me screaming)

Anyways, these sets look cooler and cooler! More reviews! I must see more! *y*

As I stated above I only counted it 28 times. :-P Yeah at first I wasn't going to get any SR sets but when I saw them in person I could not resist, now I intend on collecting them all.

More will come as soon as I get more SR sets...

Wow! Not as cool as the other set but awesome nonetheless...I can see that red car being a sportscar for City. And I hope that Bruce Wayne head does't become of liscened themes that the sunglasses face for City :-|

Why is it not as cool as 8158? *wacko* Yeah me too.

A very good review, thanks GeneralTarful. *y*

That´s an interesting set for sure, and especially the red car looks really fine. Air intakes, very nice.... :'-)

You're welcome Asuka, and yeah the red car is fine.

Thanks for the review General Tarful! I only saw the knife 27 times :'-(

I like this set, but I probably won't justify the price, the other set has orange ( *wub*) and THE Mach 5, as well as better fleshie head I reckon.

To the Batbrick Cave! >:-)

You're welcome Batbrick, and wait untill you see set 8561 it has the Mach 6! X-O

Regards, General Tarful

[Matn]

Again, nice review!

LEGO should have used this for their helmets, you can put a (protecting)glasses(don't know the name) in front of it:

Offcourse with a little 'M' printed on it.

[hollisbrick]

Nope. :-P And thanks Hollisbrick. They are both really similar so it really depends on which colors you use more in MOC-ing, or which characters you like more. My personal choice is 8159 as it has cooler minifigs, except for Racer X's recycled head :-|, and the colors are more useful to me. Then again if you're like Batbrick the only thing that matters is if a set has Orange in it. :-P

Regards, General Tarful

Thanks *y* probably will get this set although the orange..oh the orange peices 8-� haha anyway once again thanks for the reveiw, and meditate on the decision i will *yoda* X-D

[Lt. Col. Thok]

Nice! It is probably the only Speed Racers set I will buy - and I will buy multiples! Those cars look awesome.

[Lasse D]

Thanks for the review. And for giving me directions :-P

I think the design of these two cars looks to be better than in the other set. The drivers are positioned lower compared to the windscreen and the design of the front on th red car is really nice.

I'm missing details of motors and cars this big could use a working steering mechanism.

[Brainbox]

Thanks for the review, mate. I may get this as well, so I can get Racer X. Axctually, I see what TLC's done here, splitting up the two more well-known characters, Speed and Racer X, so you have to get both sets.

LEGO should have used this for their helmets, you can put a (protecting)glasses(don't know the name) in front of it:

Visor? I'd have to agree with you with regards the helmet. I would've preferred this, especially for Speed.

Interestingly, my pocket knife is the same as that one. I didn't count its appearances though.

[Squeaker]

Speaking of pocket knives, I just got Speed Racer and Snake Oiler at K-Mart and might mod the helmet so it actually looks like the cartoon. The problem is - I don't want to shell out two bucks for a clear visor! >:-( By the way, I know trans-clear visors are non-production, but where did they come from? a pick-a-brick? if so, what store? Well at least if I do go through getting the elusive clear visor, it's not as bad as the insane $25+ red vader helmet!

This set is great. I would have gotten this along with the one I purchased, but I didn't have enough dough with me to get both.

[VBBN]

Crap, now I want these sets!! Great review!

[lego.ryan]

Very good review! These sets are a lot better than I expected, and for $20, I might have to pick up both!

My family and I are going to Orlando this summer, hopefully I'll pick these and some other sets up at the Lego Store in Downtown Disney. :-D