Review: 8448 Super Street Sensation, part 2 - The Technic convertible or gull-wing-door sports car
Posted by FlagsNZ,
Two weeks ago, I started this review of 8448 Super Street Sensation.
This has always been one of my favourite Technic sets. Part 1 of the review looked at the box and packaging, instructions and stickers, and the first part of the build - the chassis.
The second part of my review continues the build by making the two versions of the main model and starts the four concept cars. It also looks at how modern Power Functions fits in nicely with this 1990s set.
Read on to see why I believe that, currently, this set is one of the best super cars produced by LEGO.
8448 Super Street Sensation is built in modular sections. For the first time in a LEGO set, parts are divided into eight smaller boxes. Part 1 of my review shows that when all of these boxes are held in place in the main box an ingenious metallic silver swirl wheel water mark can be seen.
I believe that this is currently the only LEGO set to have numbered boxes to segregate parts and that this set also introduced the modular building format. I would welcome any information from Brickset members that challenges these claims.
It was through looking at the teaser for the release of 42056 Porsche 911 GT3 RS that I decided to bring forward the first part of this review, because it looks like 42056 Porsche 911 GTs RS reintroduces boxes to segregate the parts during the building steps.
The Chassis - Book 1
The first five boxes make the chassis, from which all other models are built upon.
Book 2 instructions
To recap some of the first part of the review:
Book 2 has complete instructions for the two variants of the main model. Book 2 is 209 pages long.
There is a flow chart showing the page numbers for the various building options. The options are colour coded:
- Yellow - Convertible
- Green - Wing Doors
- Red - Concept Car
- Blue - Racer
- Black - Hot Rod, and
- Orange - Buggy
Only the convertible and wing-doors models have complete instructions: the other four models have partial instructions and some concept drawings. Above the four concept cars is a character using a light bulb to think about the necessary steps to complete these four builds.
The bottom corners of the pages are colour coded to correspond to the relevant stages of the building steps. This guides you to follow the appropriate steps to build one of the six models.
Finally, there are some purple pages that show how all the models can be motorised using 8735 Motor Set.
Book 2 has a fold-out flap which has 1:1 scale diagrams for axles, soft axles and angled pin connectors. Two black 16M Technic Bricks are used in the gull-wing-doors variant of the main model.
Box 6
Both versions of the main model use Box 6.
The parts make the two bucket seats.
The bucket seats are made with white 1x9 bent (6x4) lift arms and white 1x11.5 double bent lift arms.
Mathematically, the 1x9 bent (6x4) configuration plays on the most well-known Pythagoras 3-4-5 right angled triangle. Place this part on a base plate and you will see why this lift arm (in various colours) is used extensively to reinforce Technic trussed beams, while also proving Pythagoras' theorem in the process.
The white 1x9 bent (6x4) lift arm first appeared in 8480 Space Shuttle and has only been seen in five sets in the last 20 years.
The second component built from parts in box 6 is the dash board and wing mirrors.
One of the criticisms I have for this set is that the original stickers cracked and pealed; the white stickers suffered the most. This issue was discussed in sticker horror, a Brickset article posted in 2014.
I have used replica stickers sourced from Stick-2-Quality, an eBay store based in Australia and run by Zacparis. He produces high-quality die cut stickers which are printed on gloss paper so they will not crack. The stickers are slightly thicker than the originals.
I have purchased several sets of stickers from Zacparis and he offers discounted shipping for multiple purchases which is available if you are logged onto eBay Australia. Get in touch with him if you are unable to find this benefit; I am confident he will adjust shipping costs to match this discount which he advertises in eBay.
Below are three of Zacparis' stickers: the speedometer, tachometer and the car's air vent and environment controls have been attached to three tiles. All the stickers for this set adhere to only one part. Gone are the STAMPs found in 8880 Super Car.
Zacparis' Stick-2-Quality replica sticker sheet for 8448 Super Street Sensation also includes a bonus plaque sticker similar to a UCS plaque. This bonus sticker is not found in the original 8448 sticker sheet and one of the reasons why his sticker sheets may appeal to AFOLs who prefer display their Technic sets.
All Technic vehicles are built with left hand steering. Denmark and most of the world drives on the right hand side of the road; it is relatively easy to modify your build to make the vehicle right hand steering, should you want to.
Box 7
Box 7 builds the main body work for both variants of the main model.
This set introduced the soft hose axles into the LEGO System. The 11, 12, 14, 16 and 19 soft hose axles are used to define the organic body lines of this super car.
Ribbed hoses were first seen in 1998 in the Competition Technic sub theme. 8448 Super Street Sensation is the first Technic set to have these parts in light grey.
This set introduced the Technic fairings and therefore starting clockwise from top left, in the image below, is fairing No 1, No 2, No 4 and No 3.
The left fairing (No 1) has the original sticker, while the fairing on the right (No 2) has a replica sticker from Stick-2-Quality.
When the build from box 7 is complete, 8448 Super Street Sensation has taken shape, and has its distinctively organic sport's car shape.
The 8448 Super Street Sensation and 8880 Super Car each have an innovative LEGO Technic logo.
These LT logos have a clever rotational symmetry. These logos have not been carried through to any other Technic set. This set does not rely on any third party branding.
Box 8
It is at Box 8 that the main model build diverges.
Box 8 contains that parts necessary for building either the convertible roof or the gull-wing-doors variants of the main model.
The key part in box 8 are the two air-dampened and sprung shock absorbers. This set introduced this part and it been seen in ten sets since then.
When I was first given this set as a gift in 2001, these two parts failed: the black cylinder cap perished. LEGO replaced these two parts free of charge and I have not had any problems with this part since then. I would be interested to hear from any other member's experience regarding this part's failure.
Convertible roof model
The yellow-coloured pages continue the building towards the convertible roof model.
The convertible roof is a complete module.
The convertible roof attaches to the chassis with the Technic 3M cross-axle with stud and long 3M friction pins shown below.
This is what the model looks like with the roof retracted into a stack.
And the image below shows the roof in place as a hard-top. The small tow-ball activates the roof mechanism.
A side-on view of the car showing its sporty look.
Gull-wing-doors model
The green-coloured pages restarts the build back from the end of box 7 and the gull-wing-doors model is commenced.
This model starts by building the hatchback door. There is plenty of room in the boot for items such as a Power Functions battery box.
The gull-wing-doors mechanism is operated with a tow-ball latch on each side. It pushes a 2M cross axle with ½ bush that tips the air-dampened and sprung shock absorbers to open the doors.
The completed gull-wing-doors version of the Super Street Sensation with the two doors open.
Concept Cars
Throughout the instructions and on the outside of the box are concept car drawings.
There are brief instructions for starting the build of four concept cars.
Each of the instructions show, principally, how to build the air-dampened and sprung shock absorber mechanism.
Concept Car - Red pages
The bucket seats have been recycled from the main model.
The instructions hint at how to take the build further by adding some body panels.
Racer - Blue pages
The engine module is relocated at the rear of the car.
The air-dampened shock absorber is used to raise the engine cover.
This is what the racer would look like when complete.
Hot Rod - Black pages
The engine returns to the front and the mechanism is used to lift the square roof of the hot rod.
The hot rod has a boxy, off-road jeep look.
Buggy - Orange
The buggy mechanism lifts up the windshield.
I could see the buggy racing around on some sand dunes.
Power Functions
All the models can be motorised using 8735 Motor Set. The 9V mini-motor slides into a cavity under the chassis between the steering rack and gear box.
Two yellow Technic 6x4 beams are used to lift the rear wheels up of the ground.
Despite being 17 year's old, it is remarkably easily to incorporate modern Power Functions into the model: it seems as is if it was designed for this future motorised system. There is plenty of room to locate modern Power Function motors items in either the convertible or gull-wing-door models.
I have motorised my 8448 Super Street Sensation with a modern M-motor, servo motor and IR remote control receiver. Full details for this are included in an earlier user-review.
There is an excellent review of PF motors on LEGO Online Shop written by mbellis.
There are several YouTube videos dedicated to motorising 8448 Super Street Sensation.
Overall opinion
I have always liked this Technic set. It has hardly ever been dismantled in the 15 years that I have owned it.
This set fuses the strength and rigidity of the brick built chassis to compliment the modern curved look achieved through the use of flexible axles and panels.
I like the skeletal look of this set as it allows you to see the organic shape of the model and also the working mechanical features; this is also supported with the use of the transparent engine blocks.
The metallic silver swirl wheels with low profile tyres enable this set to have the best steering geometry of any Technic set.
While I like the licenced Technic sets of recent years, this set was built in a more innocent LEGO era and it does rely on a maker's logo or brand to give it presence.
This set was really at the start of new way of designing Technic sets and introduced a range of new building concepts.
For all these reasons, this set is my favourite LEGO Technic Super Car. I am looking forward to the release next month of 42056 Porsche 911 GT3 RS.
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17 comments on this article
Unusually for me, I bought this set as soon as it was released.
The 2 damped door lifters failed for me within a day or so.
I contacted Lego and told them, asking if they were redesigning them to be less brittle.
They didn't seem aware of the problem but sent me 2 replacements, which arrived within a couple of days.
They failed in exactly the same way, so I reported it again.
Some weeks later, I received 2 more dampers. I immediately put them into a compressed state.
Even after a month, they were still fine, so I guess they'd fixed the original weakness.
I'd better check they're still ok now, but they were when I last checked them a few years back.
Wonderful review. Both parts. I completely agree that this set is somehow still unsurpassed. I remember having the poster of this which came from some elder lego catalouge or something. Unfortunately, my parents couldn't afford such pricy gifts, at least at the time, so the poster was as close as I ever got to this car :) Thanks to your review, I can appreciate it once again almost as if I owned it haha :D
I'm afraid that Porsche will be once again no match for this. Fingers crossed for me being wrong though.
Nice review! I als had problems with the air dampened shock absorbers, as in they broke at the same spot. I did not ask for replacements (i got it second hand, so it was nice to see the packaging). Luckily my dad is quite handy, and now the broken plastic parts are replacet with metal parts, and it works like a charm!
IMO the 8448 Super Street Sensation comes second only to the legendary 8880 Supercar as the best large-sized technic car LEGO have ever produced. Third place goes to the 8446 4x4 off-roader (just because of that cool metallic green color :)
Sets like the 8070 Super Car and the new Porsche dont even come close to the awesomeness of the 8448...
Excellent review with lots of useful links. This car is historic in its use of both bricks and panels and the build seems much more interesting than it does at the first glance.
Still, not being personally attached to any of these, I'd rather invest in 8880 or Porsche, than go for 8448. It's almost twice as expensive in new condition.
No dillemma for me anyway, as I can hardly afford BWE and Disney Castle this year.
Some 2005-era City sets had boxes, I think... I remember the instructions for the huge crane showing boxes as well as bags.
Great review! I have to be honest, this set completely slipped under my radar. It's functionally cool, but it doesn't look so hot... now, I'm used to sets like 42040, which have no gaps whatsoever, but still.
This is such an interesting build using both the classic Technic pieces with studs and the newer pieces without. I still prefer the old ones with studs and wish to someday see a comeback of them. Some of the new Technic sets just don't seem like Lego to me anymore.
This is a cool set
Both my damper cylinders failed, too--and like you, Lego replaced them free of charge. Further, it was only October of 2012 that I did this. I can't say how impressed I was that they'd replace faulty parts no questions asked, free of charge, 13 years after the set was released.
Lego is such a class act.
My favourite of the super cars. It's the best of both worlds, using both classic and studless Technic. It's got a clever modular design, the best gearbox and those wheels...
It's got only one design flaw: those 1x5 grey half beams for the gull wing mechanism (highlighted in the yellow box above). I've never managed to take them apart again!
ra226, that's impressive! I'm surprised they still had the pieces!
This was the first set I bought after a 20 year period of not buying LEGO. For me also the 2 dampers failed. Called LEGO and they send me 2 new ones. My son just build the set again a few months ago and they are still fine. Because of that I got the urge to buy more of the super cars. 2 more, the 8466 off roader and the 8145 Ferrari and next month the Porsche and than I got them all 10.
The rep said they were shipping them from Denmark (I live in US)--not sure if that was a form letter or not, but yeah, they had the pieces!
Thanks for all the comments above. I am interested to hear about your experiences with the air dampened and sprung shock absorber failures. It would seem that LEGO still supports this part's replacement despite the original, suspect part being 16 year's old.
I am also interested to hear about various sets with their parts segregated in smaller boxes. In particular, I would like to see images of 10188 Death Star that comes in square, triangle, circle and cross shaped boxes.
^ The boxes aren't shaped, they have printed shape markings on them.
The first 'exclusive' sets like Statue of Liberty and the minifig came in flimsy outer cartons with several more substantial corrugated boxes inside.
Also the sets 8408 and 8440 have the LT logos like this one.
^ Thanks for bringing my attention to those two sets. For some reason, I quite like the 8440 Formula Flash set. It reminds me of a smaller, red version of 8880 Super Car's B model.