42137 - Formula E Porsche 99X Electric

[Ngoc Nguyen]

 

From promobricks.de:

For € 49.99 you can get a 422-part Formula E Porsche in January. In terms of color, the model comes very close to the prototype with a white-black basic color and a red wing. The details, straight the nose and the upward sloping halo, are probably less well taken. Apparently this model is also equipped with a pull-back motor.

Set number:  42137
Name:  Formula E Porsche 99X Electric
Number of parts:  422   
Release date:  January 01, 2022
RRP:  49.99 euros

Edited October 10, 2021 by Ngoc Nguyen

[Gumalca]

This would be a good opportunity for something we never had in an official set: a pullback motor that can be disengaged and steering that can be locked, so that it can be driven in both manual and pullback mode.

[Bartybum]

3 minutes ago, Gumalca said:

This would be a good opportunity for something we never had in an official set: a pullback motor that can be disengaged and steering that can be locked, so that it can be driven in both manual and pullback mode.

It would definitely be interesting, but I would bank on TLC just fixing the front axle in place.

[R0Sch]

A 50€ pullback set? That's a novelty. You can forget about steering for sure. But again a Porsche... it's as if they have a life long dept with them. How about a VW or Audi at least.

[kbalage]

32 minutes ago, R0Sch said:

A 50€ pullback set? That's a novelty. You can forget about steering for sure. But again a Porsche... it's as if they have a life long dept with them. How about a VW or Audi at least.

42106 was technically a $50 pullback set, although with 2 vehicles. It'll be interesting to see if they split the build to the race car itself + some accessories or it will be a single build. I'm also looking forward to the B model, since those have been shifted to the pullback and other sub-$50 sets mostly. 

[Dami]

This set should can have a Pullback motor, but you can easily take off this from the model and make it manual, it would be much more interesting

[Gray Gear]

Why does TLG make life so hard for themselves? Why pick such a difficult design in such a small scale? Those front wheelarches can only look like $hit without a purpose-made piece, which will not happen. I guess they only choose what they think what would sell well, and don't check if it can even be made to look good.

Edited October 10, 2021 by Gray Gear

[1gor]

1 minute ago, Gray Gear said:

Why does TLG make life so hard for themselves? Why pick such a difficult design in such a small scale? Those front wheelarches can only look like $hit without a purpose-made piece, which will not happen.

Well that sounds like honest comment 

[syclone]

14 minutes ago, Gray Gear said:

Why does TLG make life so hard for themselves? Why pick such a difficult design in such a small scale? Those front wheelarches can only look like $hit without a purpose-made piece, which will not happen. I guess they only choose what they think what would sell well, and don't check if it can even be made to look good.

Ecologically friendly car, with a Volkswagen badge slapped on top 

[Zerobricks]

33 minutes ago, Gray Gear said:

Why does TLG make life so hard for themselves? Why pick such a difficult design in such a small scale? Those front wheelarches can only look like $hit without a purpose-made piece, which will not happen. I guess they only choose what they think what would sell well, and don't check if it can even be made to look good.

Agree, unless there's some kind of a new element like a 3x7 curved panels or such which would help.

[Ngoc Nguyen]

I think TLG is just gonna slap the white Corvette mudguard on it.

 

[Gumalca]

4 hours ago, Gray Gear said:

Why does TLG make life so hard for themselves? Why pick such a difficult design in such a small scale? Those front wheelarches can only look like $hit without a purpose-made piece, which will not happen. I guess they only choose what they think what would sell well, and don't check if it can even be made to look good.

Lego Technic is always some kind of abstraction of the real thing. They could do this model even smaller, only the level of abstraction has to rise. Personally I don't mind such high levels of abstraction, because even the big supercars don't look anything like the real thing with all the gaps and holes. That's just the technic style. Even a small hot wheels car looks more realistic.

[Gray Gear]

@Gumalca Of course you always have to compromise when building LEGO. And while the Supercars have some gaps and can use some improvements, they are recognizable for sure. 

6 minutes ago, Gumalca said:

*snip* even the big supercars don't look anything like the real thing with all the gaps and holes. That's just the technic style. *snip*

Just no. Having huge holes in your bodywork is NOT a part of building Technic. If you have huge gaps and holes in your bodywork that just means your panel skills suck.

[Bartybum]

9 hours ago, Gray Gear said:

Just no. Having huge holes in your bodywork is NOT a part of building Technic. If you have huge gaps and holes in your bodywork that just means your panel skills suck.

Different strokes for different folks. On the flip side I much prefer being able to see internal mechanisms working, like suspension, drivetrains, steering, linkages, etc. For me, ideal bodywork is just flex axles that capture the important body lines and proportions.

[sm1995]

47 minutes ago, Bartybum said:

Different strokes for different folks. On the flip side I much prefer being able to see internal mechanisms working, like suspension, drivetrains, steering, linkages, etc. For me, ideal bodywork is just flex axles that capture the important body lines and proportions.

 

Which is why trying to recreate actual cars in technic is futile… go through painstaking effort to build clever mechanisms only to hide it all up with a half baked body that’a only recognizable as the real car when you squint hard.

Leave the pretty bodywork up to creator expert. Focus on what makes technic, technic..

Edited October 11, 2021 by sm1995
Idk what’s going on with the text I tried to fix it :/

[Bartybum]

2 hours ago, sm1995 said:

 

Which is why trying to recreate actual cars in technic is futile… go through painstaking effort to build clever mechanisms only to hide it all up with a half baked body that’a only recognizable as the real car when you squint hard.

Leave the pretty bodywork up to creator expert. Focus on what makes technic, technic..

I wouldn't go as far as to say it's futile - it's definitely possible to make some nice stuff. We see heaps of examples all the time, after all. I just think that such a hardline stance on something being or not being the way to build Technic cars to be a bit... inelegant. But granted, it's only presented as an opinion, if a strong one.

[Gray Gear]

4 hours ago, sm1995 said:

Which is why trying to recreate actual cars in technic is futile… go through painstaking effort to build clever mechanisms only to hide it all up with a half baked body that’a only recognizable as the real car when you squint hard.

Leave the pretty bodywork up to creator expert. Focus on what makes technic, technic..

It might be futile for you. I think a mix of technic and system bricks on a technic chassis can create a much better body than just using system.

I have yet to see the "pretty bodywork" of creator. Most look like bricks on wheels, look at the The Aston Martin DB5. 1:8 Technic could have done the smooth lines of the car much better. Just because creator bodywork doesn't have gaps doesn't mean it looks good, or accurate.

[Bartybum]

1 hour ago, Gray Gear said:

I have yet to see the "pretty bodywork" of creator.

Ford Mustang would like to know your location

Edited October 11, 2021 by Bartybum

[Maaboo the Witch]

22 minutes ago, Bartybum said:

Ford Mustang would like to know your location

Agreed. I'm not a car person by any means but the Mustang almost tempted me. 

[Gray Gear]

1 hour ago, Bartybum said:

Ford Mustang would like to know your location

You prove my point. The one creator car that doesn't look bad is the one that looks like a brick irl too. There are only straight lines on the 1967 Mustang, that car was made to be built with system. 

[sm1995]

4 hours ago, Gray Gear said:

You prove my point. The one creator car that doesn't look bad is the one that looks like a brick irl too. There are only straight lines on the 1967 Mustang, that car was made to be built with system. 

10295 911 is one of the most beautiful Lego cars I’ve ever built/seen. Firas’ b-model is also stunning and a good example of what you can do with system bricks…

 

1:8 lego cars allow for “smoother” bodywork due to their sheer size rather than an inherent quality of technic. If a panel is a pixel, the larger the image, the better you can make your curves look and vice versa… look no further than small scale technic cars for proof. 

I understand that this is a strong opinion to voice in the technic forum, but even the best technic bodywork leaves a lot to be desired for someone who’s not indoctrinated into technic culture. In a sense, it’s like abstract art - it doesn’t make sense to a lot of people, but once you learn more about it’s history, and engage with the drawing you learn to appreciate it more and more… 

Edited October 11, 2021 by sm1995

[Gray Gear]

@sm1995 True the 911 looks pretty good, but TLG had to make special new slopes for all the challenges, like the rear wheel arches and the rear fenders. Any design can be made to look good with purpose-made pieces.

Yeah that Lambo looks pretty good, but the windshield looks... creator.

Of course there will be some MOCs that can overcome the problems most other models have, but that's true for both creator and system. Example:

Is this abstract art to you? No creator bricks could beat this, not in 1:8 Scale either.

I'd love to see a 1:8 scale creator car with smooth bodywork like this. I could learn a lot from it.

I myself like to mix system and technic. System is good for small details, and Technic is good for large smooth surfaces.

That's why Creator cars are all so small, they are constrained by the size of their small pieces. If creating a more accurate car with creator is so easy, why is there basically nobody building large scale then?

Edited October 11, 2021 by Gray Gear

[Gumalca]

It's a beautiful model. But you don't get the point. Like sm1995 said, it's an abstract form of art. There are gaps all over the place. There are holes on every surface. That's what I said, gaps and holes. It's the technic style.

Those mudguards are nice and smooth, but they don't look anything like the real thing. You can't say that whatever mudguards Lego will come up with for the set we are taking about will be "$hit" (citation) and at the same time say the ones in the moc are perfection. They are both very abstract representations adhering to what's possible in the scale with a certain medium (Lego).

 

[Gray Gear]

@Gumalca Believe me, I can. The soulution will look like $hit, no matter if with system or technic bricks. Too difficult for the scale. Lost cause without new purpose made piece.

And are we really going to complain about pinholes in panels? I am done here, this is a joke. I am outta here. They are a part of LEGO Technic just like the studs you creator guys have visible on your wedge plates. If you want a model without anything like that LEGO is not for you.

[howitzer]

32 minutes ago, Gray Gear said:

@Gumalca Believe me, I can. The soulution will look like $hit, no matter if with system or technic bricks. Too difficult for the scale. Lost cause without new purpose made piece.

And are we really going to complain about pinholes in panels? I am done here, this is a joke. I am outta here. They are a part of LEGO Technic just like the studs you creator guys have visible on your wedge plates. If you want a model without anything like that LEGO is not for you.

I don't think they were talking about pinholes, but rather the gaps between panels.