As part of my ongoing review series for LEGO products, I was sent this LEGO Technic Corvette ZR1 model to build as an article suggestion for Father’s Day. A three-hour build-time later and many swearwords exchanged I wouldn’t wish this present on anyone and here are my reasons why.
Appearance
I personally feel the LEGO Technic range is far too focused on making things look absolutely nothing how they should be intended. If I hadn’t peeled a corvette sticker off and placed it on the hood of the car this model could be anything, it really could. It could be a kit car, a drag strip racer but its boxy wooden look makes it look more like a soap-box racer with a curved roof and a funky spoiler. Just look at those wheel arch gaps. The tires look tiny!
Let’s just take a look at a real Corvette ZR1 vehicle and compare:
Look at the choppy curves and aerodynamic structure. Look at its bodywork so flush to the ground and wheels proportionate to the framework. I can’t really say any of these aspects have been worked into this LEGO (and I use this word lightly) ‘replica’.
Build Time
For a LEGO novice like me, I found the build to be quite straightforward if albeit long. The complete build took me just under 3 hours to make but for a set aimed at 9+ range, I can see a 9-year-old needing some help with this one. Some pieces are fiddly and tricky to put together and it certainly doesn’t go together as smoothly as your normal LEGO set. The technic range is certainly more ‘technical’ but at what cost? We are left with a rather strange looking model that is no use as a toy and is unrecognizable as a model.
Price Point
A £39.99 price point for this model would be reasonable if the model resembled the actual car in question. Sadly, this one falls way short of the mark and a £20-£25 pricepoint feels more reasonable to me. I believe the £39.99 price point was the original LEGO quoted cost but you can get itmuch cheaper via other retailers. Probably because they’re not selling many if I had to hazard a guess.
Alternative Options
If you want to build a LEGO car that actually looks like the model it was designed after you cannot go wrong with this. The beautiful LEGO Creator Ford Mustang is a beautiful LEGO rendition of the 1960’s American muscle car. The price point of £199 (can be found cheaper online) justifies just how incredible this model looks. The time and effort put into this piece would be worthwhile.
Overall
Whilst the Technic range isn’t all bad (check out the better, if albeit still weirdly shaped Bugatti Chiron) I still feel as thou this range doesn’t really suit the cars they’re modeled after. After writing this LEGO Corvette review I can safely say this is a model I’d stay away from personally. However, if you have an abstract taste. Well, you can’t go far wrong but I’d much prefer that lovely, lovely Mustang.
