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    Discuss This Story ReviewSunday, September 20th, 2020 at 12:03am by Benjamin, BZPower Reporter

    I've been fascinated with LEGO cars for a few years now, and desperately looking to expand my Technic horizons given the lack of BIONICLE sets to buy. The Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 scratches both itches with a sleek design and plenty of Technic-al know-how. This 2019 set is still populating the shelves among several other Technic and System cars, so let's take it for a spin. Read, and watch, in this sports car review.

    First off, thank you to LEGO for providing the set so that I might provide my personal opinions on the set. Next, you'll notice that this comes with instructions for a hot rod model, which will be reserved for a live build when I get back to streaming. Finally, the details: This is a $50 Technic set with 579 pieces. Not bad, even if lots of those pieces are tiny Technic pins, considering some of those parts are large Technic panels. Now, onto the review!

    Presentation
    From the design of the box to the instruction manual, these are the first things you see before building the set.

    Box front Box back

    The front of the box is pretty flashy, with the Corvette speeding along a road with a city and mountains in the background, possibly along a bridge next to water. All the usual logos are there, along with a sleek “Corvette ZR1” in the bottom right corner. Overall the car looks great at this angle and color. The back has some more details, like how large the set is, the feature of the engine's cylinders, and comparing it to a real ZR1.

    Building
    Half the fun is had building the set. How fun is it to build and how easy or challenging is it?

    Technic 1 Technic 2 Technic 3 Technic 4 Technic 5

    Corvette front Corvette top Corvette side

    I enjoy a good Technic build, partly from my history with Bionicle building, and partly because it's different from System. Here we get to see an interesting frame being assembled, with various gears and pegs that will be put to use once finished. As the assembly continues, the panels are added so the car starts to take shape. I'd like to say it's not too challenging, being a smaller Technic set (compared to some of the big cars we've gotten lately), but even I missed a step which was essential with the wheel and motor. But the challenge is part of the fun.

    Set Design
    Now that the set is complete, we can critique how it looks from every angle. New or interesting pieces can also be examined here.

    Pieces

    There are a lot of fun Technic pieces in here. First off, Bohrok eyes in orange and clear. Secondly, lots of panels in different angles in black and orange. And that doesn't even include all the regular Technic that comes in the box.

    Corvette side Corvette angle Corvette under

    Corvette back Corvette rear Corvette back side

    It's got a great look for a car. Plenty of angles, but plenty of curves. The Technic build gives it a different shape than a System car does, which is to be expected with the various pins, panels, and beams. There have been lots of Technic cars over the years, and for the size this gets the look pretty well.

    Exhaust

    The frame, as seen underneath the car, was very well designed. I was impressed while building it, especially when I had to backtrack a few steps, with how well connected everything was. It's also cool seeing how the gears work in and around each other.

    Playability
    The other half of the fun is in playing with the set. How well does the set function and is it enjoyable to play with.

    IMG 24 25 26

    Windshield Engine Rear gear

    There are two main points of function, which lead into the playability of it being a toy car, which it does very well. First is the engine cylinders pumping, activated by gear movement from the back wheels. The second is steering the front wheels by utilizing a grip in the back bumper. Both are added in very clever ways. Throughout the build you have two sets of gears behind the seats, with one allowing for an axle to pass through cleanly, turning separate of the gear, so both can move without hindering anything else. I added a few more of these gears to my BrickLink wanted list, I found them so cool.

    Final Thoughts
    Once it's all said and done, how does the set stack up? Should I get it?

    Pros
    What's to like?

    • Sweet orange Technic parts.
    • Great build for some Technic fun.
    • Cool gear features to bring the car to life.

    Cons
    What's not to like?

    • Has huge, tacky stickers, which I didn't apply.

    In the end, I really liked building the Corvette, and I really like displaying it too. It's great for someone who can't afford the larger Technic cars but still really likes the design of LEGO cars. You get to dip into the model car hobby while still building. And if you take it apart, there are some great orange Technic parts to add to your collection.

    Discuss This Story

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