Review: 42176 Porsche GT4 e-Performance Race Car
Posted by Huw,
Since the introduction of Control+, the latest iteration of electronics for Technic sets, we have been treated to a variety of remote-controlled cars, which have generally been somewhat lacklustre in terms of looks, controllability and performance.
This summer's release, 42176 Porsche GT4 e-Performance Race Car, introduces a new hub to the system and LEGO claims in the product description on its website that it's the "fastest car in the LEGO Technic CONTROL+ range", so let's take it for a spin to see if it's any better than what's gone before.
Summary
42176 Porsche GT4 e-Performance Race Car, 834 pieces.
£149.99 / $169.99 / €169.99 | 18.0p / 20.4c / 20.4c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
A great looking car but it suffers from a poor control interface
- Lights
- Interesting new hub
- Best looking Control+ r/c car to date
- Light leakage
- Desperately needs a physical controller to be able to drive it effectively
- Despite claims, not the fastest Control+ car
- Expensive
- Parts easily damaged when driving into things
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
The hub
Other Control+ models use a hub with 4 ports into which motors are connected. This new one has no ports but houses three motors internally.
It does, however, have six LED outputs -- two on each side at the front and two at the back -- into which the flexible transparent hoses last used in Exo-Force sets can be plugged into to direct the light elsewhere in the model.
Two of the motors, those for driving the wheels, have rotational outputs on the sides and the back.
It also has a removable rechargeable battery which is charged via a USB-C connector on the side.
Unusually, the on/off button and status light are on the bottom, which makes sense given it's designed to be built into the chassis of a car, so they'll be easily accessible from underneath it.
New parts
These new panels have cropped up in a few summer sets:
So has this interesting-looking panel, which FlagsNZ also found in the racing yacht.
The headlight piece first appeared in 42154 2022 Ford GT. Here they are printed with Porsche's distinctive four light array pattern.
The sticker sheet is relatively modest compared to many of those in licenced car sets.
Construction
The hub is an integral part of the chassis, which is stiff and sturdy. The rear wheels are connected directly to the two motor outputs at the back of the hub, and the steering mechanism to the one at the front.
Transparent cables inserted into the holes in front of the LEDs in the hub transmit the light to the headlights and rear lights. The former are partially covered with flex hose to prevent light leakage where they pass through the cabin, but not under the bonnet.
The prototype
The Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 e-Performance, to give it its full name, is an electric car designed for racing. Its motors develop over 1000bhp and accelerate it from 0-100km/h in about 2.5 seconds.
Source: Motortrend
The completed model
Models of cars that are not all one colour are always better than monochrome ones and that is certainly the case here. The black and blue colour scheme with splashes of red really pops.
The model is not over-reliant on stickers for aesthetics, so, other than those on the roof that continue the 3-wide blue line from front to back, you could leave the rest off, and it would still look good.
The doors can be opened, but other than that there is no functionality beyond that offered via remote control to drive and steer it.
Here's why the hub on/off button is on the bottom, so it's easily accessible from underneath the car.
Lights
Before taking it for a spin and looking more closely at the app, it's worth examining the lights and how they've been implemented.
As I stated earlier, the hub has 6 light outputs into which transparent 'visual light links' are plugged. These first appeared in Exo-Force sets in the early 2000s in various lengths and were last seen in 2010.
Here four of them are used to channel light to the headlights and the rear lights. The system works well, and they are fairly bright, more so than 88005 Headlight Set, I believe.
Unfortunately, the effect is somewhat marred by leakage from the light links being visible through gaps in the bodywork, both at the front and the back. This problem was addressed within the car's cab by threading them through flex hoses, but for some reason that technique was not employed everywhere, perhaps there is not enough clearance for them to be shrouded with hoses for their entire length.
There is also some leakage around the edges of the headlight element, which is also unsightly but perhaps more excusable.
The lights come on when you first power up the hub and can be controlled using a button in the app. The rear ones also act as brake lights, getting brighter when the brake pedal in the app is pressed, as you'd expect.
Operation
It's controlled using the free Control+ app available for Android and iOS devices and if you've used it before with other models, you'll know what to expect: it's soulless, difficult to use accurately, and it lacks tactility.
The control screen is mostly self-explanatory: the sliders operate steering and acceleration and can be switched over to suit left-handed people.
The button surrounded in blue puts it into 'qualifying mode' in which it accelerates more rapidly, the purple button starts a stopwatch, and the other button turns the lights on and off. Finally, the button that looks like a brake pedal does what you'd expect it to!
I don't have a long enough uncarpeted surface to be able to test it properly to see how fast it goes and whether it beats other Control+ cars, so I'm indebted to RacingBrick for doing so thoroughly in his video:
It's bizarre that LEGO has made such a bold claim about the model being the fastest when, as you can see in the video, that is not actually the case. 42124 Off-Road Buggy is marginally quicker.
Verdict
It's a great-looking car, the hub is interesting and the lights cool. Unfortunately, the Achillies' Heel of the Control+ system, the phone app, saps the fun out of operating it, as it does with all previous cars. It may be technologically interesting and appealing to youngsters, but it's no match for a physical controller.
The need to faff about connecting it to your phone via Bluetooth before you can drive it dampens your enthusiasm to do so and the novelty of racing it about the room wears off fairly quickly anyway.
More fun could be had outside, but it's not designed for that because it easily gets damaged. I've even managed to scratch the wheel arches on this one while driving it around the furniture in my LEGO room.
We can but hope that the Pybricks team is able to port its firmware onto the hub, which will then open up possibilities like using an X-Box controller or even 88010 Remote Control to drive it.
At $169.99, £149.99, €169.99, it's expensive, no doubt about it, but that's actually less than last year's pretty awful 42160 Audi RS Q e-tron, so in that context it's priced reasonably.
However, I can't really recommend buying it until there's a decent discount and Pybricks can be run on the hub, which will both make it possible to drive it with a physical controller and use the hub for your own creations more easily.
So, great to look at, not so much to operate, and sadly no better in that regard or performance-wise than previous Control+ cars.
76 likes
50 comments on this article
Thanks for the review. Is it possible to post a picture with the lights on in the dark?
@ricecake said:
"Thanks for the review. Is it possible to post a picture with the lights on in the dark?"
I'll try when it's dark later :-)
Thanks for the review, Huw. Much appreciated. I have been looking forward to purchasing this set since I really enjoy all buildable RC sets. However, my experience with the control app has not been so good. There is something nice about tactile physical controllers.
I first noticed this with my 42030 Volvo L350F Wheel Loader set - it was a joy to operate.
However, I spent much less time playing with the matching set - 42114 6x6 Volvo Articulated Hauler since the app control was not my cup of tea. Yes, it had more gimmicks but the fundamentals - tactile levers - were missing.
I hope TLG wakes up and comes back to using physical remote controllers.
Man it is a mystery to me, why everything has to be app controlled. Are they that desperate to mine the personal data of the children's phones (or their parent's phones)? I mean at that price, there certainly should not be a need for data mining, but I can't find a better explanation for app control.
So the only way to control the car is via an app on a tablet/phone? What happens in 5-10 years when this app is no longer supported by newer tablets/phones/IOS? Do you lose the ability to control the car? I have 8183 and 15 years later it still works no technology outdated issues.
Visual Light Links and a control system that needs a mobile phone.
Lego, coming with answers to questions that nobody asked.
I used to spend thousands on Lego each year. The Ukulele is the only set I've bought in ages. Not sure if I'm getting fed up with it or they're just not making things I want any more. There are only three sets on my want list and they're all prohibitively expensive. Still - I've got plenty of old sets to build...
TLG needs to put a stop to this CON+TROLL app crap and bring back Power Functions.
I'm struggling to understand what "soulless" means in the context of a phone app for controlling a toy car.
Between this and the Robot World park, Exo-Force revival when?
Just kidding, I know they have their Ninjago money printer for that, as much as the design language of the ninja mechs doesn't hit the same...
I prefer the old power functions with separate motors and gears. Yes, I know that electric cars don’t have gears. But just putting a big hub in a model and control it via an app is not my cup of tea.
@Andrusi said:
"I'm struggling to understand what "soulless" means in the context of a phone app for controlling a toy car."
"tedious and uninspiring"
My main gripe with this is the fact that the hub has everything built into it. The motors, the lights, the controller. If any one of these components breaks this thing is ready for the trash. Even if all the other components in it were still functional. What a waste. I prefer seperate components for motors, lights, controller and battery box tbh.
Plus I bet it's this component that is responsible for the very high price.
One of the most disappointing Technic releases ever. With that price and the new hub's original claim for speed, I thought this would be the gap between Control+ and BuWizz, but apparently it's just an overcomplicated hub that doesn't really need to exist.
Honestly I have no idea why AFOLs would buy this set.
Fair review of a somewhat weird and rather underwhelming set. I don't really have an issue with the all-in-one concept, but it would make more sense in a simpler, much cheaper set. I mean, just a few days ago we had this System RC set with basically a RTR chassis with studs on top. I can see a market for that. But as it is, it is expensive yet very much limiting (or at best complicating) what you can do with it.
I was not a fan of the Audi RS Q, but considering the same price but much bigger size I'd pick that over this Porsche any day of the week, Too bad about the lights, as much as I like that feature (I really do!) it just isn't enough.
And obviously this car has the same issue as (almost) all Lego RC cars: It can do only one thing and is pretty poor (very slow) at that. Even just a cheap RC car for a quarter of the price runs circles around this (and will include a physical controller!). And you'll still have enough money left for two, with some discounts maybe even three of the small Technic supercars. Or the Ford GT. Why pick this Porsche over all that?
Dare I say Lego RC vehicles work best when they either are more complex with additional features to somewhat warrant the high price, or more simple and fun to drive, like the tracked racers they made. I mean, I still love the 42095, which (with proper batteries) is pretty manic to control. It's not actually that fast, but it's a blast to drive around. And it had a physical controller, and I got it for just €60...
But back to the Porsche, I also think this is kinda a missed opportunity. It seems this is about the same size as Senna, the Bolide, the Jesko and all of the other ones they did? How cool would it have been if they created a system that lets you easily convert those into an RC car, by buying a not outlandishly priced RC set.
No need for conspiracy theories about data mining and devices not being supported in years to come.
Touch screens are just crap for controlling 'fast' moving objects. End of!
Technic here, but with a CAR again! But now with headlights and a motor! Woooow
Okay, in all seriousness, that brick gave me flashbacks to some sets that were released in the Racers subtheme ca 2002-2003. Everything is already created for you, nothing needs to be built but the exterior. Whilst that was excusable in Racers as it wasn't really Technic, this is TECHNIC.
Oh, and let's not forget the prohibitive cost and general lack of foresight for a brick like this. Now they either make a whole line of this kind of car to offset the cost, or they will have created that specialized piece for just this set. Idk, I thought lego learned from their near-bankrupcy. I guess they know what they're doing now...?
@PjtorXmos said:
"Man it is a mystery to me, why everything has to be app controlled. Are they that desperate to mine the personal data of the children's phones (or their parent's phones)? I mean at that price, there certainly should not be a need for data mining, but I can't find a better explanation for app control."
It's for the same reason that you now have a tablet in your car to control the radio, ventilation, and other things. It's cheaper than producing physical buttons and switches.
And just like it sucks in a car to have to look at a screen to turn up the volume instead of reaching for a know you know is there, it sucks to have to look at your phone to see the sliders instead of looking at the car you're controlling.
@Duq said:
" @PjtorXmos said:
"Man it is a mystery to me, why everything has to be app controlled. Are they that desperate to mine the personal data of the children's phones (or their parent's phones)? I mean at that price, there certainly should not be a need for data mining, but I can't find a better explanation for app control."
It's for the same reason that you now have a tablet in your car to control the radio, ventilation, and other things. It's cheaper than producing physical buttons and switches.
And just like it sucks in a car to have to look at a screen to turn up the volume instead of reaching for a know you know is there, it sucks to have to look at your phone to see the sliders instead of looking at the car you're controlling."
Oh absolutely! It's just, with such an enormous price, they could've easily went for a separate remote control unit.
Removable rechargable battery! Yay! I do wonder, if, like Xbox controllers, LEGO could do a 'pick your power solution. Also, we need a Control+ hardware controller...Also, touchscreens aren't easy for disabled people, always.
It's amazing how Lego keeps charging 180 euros for these tiny, fragile, app operated RC cars with a straight face. But I guess people keep buying them so all the power to Lego that keeps churning out crap set after crap set.
@johnnytifosi said:
"It's amazing how Lego keeps charging 180 euros for these tiny, fragile, app operated RC cars with a straight face. But I guess people keep buying them so all the power to Lego that keeps churning out crap set after crap set."
Actually, these aren't exactly flying of shelves either, dealers are notoriously stuck with them
"charged via a USB-C connector on the side."
Holy crap! Does that make it the first remote controllable that doesn't take a ton of batteries?
@Tuzi said:
"Holy crap! Does that make it the first remote controllable that doesn't take a ton of batteries?"
....and the first one to be unusable once the battery dies and replacements are no longer available. The one huge downside of proprietary batteries. But then again, the whole thing becomes obsolete the moment the app is no longer supported.
@sjr60 said:
"
No need for conspiracy theories about data mining and devices not being supported in years to come.
Touch screens are just crap for controlling 'fast' moving objects. End of!"
While I agree that that the claims of a Lego app partaking in datamining are pretty far fetched, Lego has a notoriously awful track record when it comes to long-term support of their digital products.
There's ALREADY Lego sets out there, and entire themes, that have lost major functionality because the accompanying app was discontinued and can no longer be downloaded. Life of George and Hidden Side are some examples just off the top of my head.
It's an incredibly valid and reasonable concern to have, because it's literally already happened.
Though I do also agree that touchscreens stink as remote controls. Tactile feel all the way!
@MrBob said:
"There's ALREADY Lego sets out there, and entire themes, that have lost major functionality because the accompanying app was discontinued and can no longer be downloaded. Life of George and Hidden Side are some examples just off the top of my head."
Only an issue for sets that need constant online interaction to function.
Not an issue for a set that only requires an app to be downloaded once, then requires no further online access. (Apps should, of course, be backed up, the same as photos!!)
If a new phone can't run an old app then obviously the older phone needs to be kept, or obtained (it's not as if out of date phones are hard to find, or expensive, with the frequency they get replaced)
I suspect that it's much more common for a set to become unusable when a discontinued motor dies than when an app becomes unsupported.
I still think a touch screen is crap for cars though!
(Just about ok for trains, cranes and pianos!)
@Mica86 said:
"Is technic."
Correct, it is.
@sjr60 said:
"Only an issue for sets that need constant online interaction to function.
Not an issue for a set that only requires an app to be downloaded once, then requires no further online access. (Apps should, of course, be backed up, the same as photos!!)"
Online access isn't the only issue, app updates are also needed to keep things functional.
@sjr60 said:
"If a new phone can't run an old app then obviously the older phone needs to be kept, or obtained (it's not as if out of date phones are hard to find, or expensive, with the frequency they get replaced)"
You're forgetting that the phone OS itself gets updated, and new phone OSes sometimes remove compatibility with older software. If the app isn't updated, you can lose access to it on your old phone.
You're also assuming phone batteries either last forever or are easily replaceable. They don't last forever, and many phones have an arduous battery replacement method that requires special tools these days.
@WizardOfOss said:
" @Tuzi said:
"Holy crap! Does that make it the first remote controllable that doesn't take a ton of batteries?"
....and the first one to be unusable once the battery dies and replacements are no longer available. The one huge downside of proprietary batteries. But then again, the whole thing becomes obsolete the moment the app is no longer supported."
There's probably a very generic cell inside there, shouldn't be too hard to replace. I get your point though, the average person isn't going to bother with that.
Huw blew up the photo of the battery for me on Discord and it looks like it's a 3.6 2100mAh li-ion battery. Probably a standard 18650 cell, which should make replacements a breeze!
@Tuzi said:
"There's probably a very generic cell inside there, shouldn't be too hard to replace. I get your point though, the average person isn't going to bother with that."
Probably true. Though question is if you can open up the thing without utterly destroying it....
@gearwheel said:
" @sjr60 said:
"Only an issue for sets that need constant online interaction to function.
Not an issue for a set that only requires an app to be downloaded once, then requires no further online access. (Apps should, of course, be backed up, the same as photos!!)"
Online access isn't the only issue, app updates are also needed to keep things functional.
@sjr60 said:
"If a new phone can't run an old app then obviously the older phone needs to be kept, or obtained (it's not as if out of date phones are hard to find, or expensive, with the frequency they get replaced)"
You're forgetting that the phone OS itself gets updated, and new phone OSes sometimes remove compatibility with older software. If the app isn't updated, you can lose access to it on your old phone.
You're also assuming phone batteries either last forever or are easily replaceable. They don't last forever, and many phones have an arduous battery replacement method that requires special tools these days."
Nope, not forgetting or assuming anything. Your points are easy to overcome or just wrong!
a) OS updates are optional.
b) App updates only needed for new functions.
c) Alternate external power banks are available.
@sjr60
Eventually, the only way to keep one of these sets running in, say, a decade or so is to keep an old, non updated smartphone in your drawer, because either the app or even the OS itself will be abandoned. I bet not a lot of people do it, so all these C+ sets will end up as waste.
@MrBob said:
"There's ALREADY Lego sets out there, and entire themes, that have lost major functionality because the accompanying app was discontinued and can no longer be downloaded. Life of George and Hidden Side are some examples just off the top of my head."
I just checked, and the hidden side app is easily available to download through LEGO website for Android devices. There are also a dozen or more mirrors to download the app, easily findable through Google.
@johnnytifosi said:
" @sjr60
Eventually, the only way to keep one of these sets running in, say, a decade or so is to keep an old, non updated smartphone in your drawer, because either the app or even the OS itself will be abandoned. I bet not a lot of people do it, so all these C+ sets will end up as waste. "
Yep, just the same as your TV will end up as waste if you don't keep the remote control that works it!
Anyway, the fact is that the apps are a horrible way of controlling a device. Scaremongering about sets suddenly becoming unusable bricks just weakens the case... there are far more valid reasons to dislike the control method!
@srj60
Um what? AFAIK There is still no TV shipping without a hardware remote, so I am not sure I understand your comment.
@MrBob said:
" @sjr60 said:
"
No need for conspiracy theories about data mining and devices not being supported in years to come.
Touch screens are just crap for controlling 'fast' moving objects. End of!"
While I agree that that the claims of a Lego app partaking in datamining are pretty far fetched, Lego has a notoriously awful track record when it comes to long-term support of their digital products.
There's ALREADY Lego sets out there, and entire themes, that have lost major functionality because the accompanying app was discontinued and can no longer be downloaded. Life of George and Hidden Side are some examples just off the top of my head.
It's an incredibly valid and reasonable concern to have, because it's literally already happened.
Though I do also agree that touchscreens stink as remote controls. Tactile feel all the way!"
Agreed. See, for me, my particular disabilities make it far better to push/pull a stick, and poke a physical button than try to tap what ends up being a tiny button, due to screen size. Huw mentioned that the body panels are fragile, I'd have this destroyed in minutes without even trying, with a touchscreen... For my Powered Up trains, I tried the app once, and now use the remote. I guess sounds are cool, but I'd rather see a remotely triggered sound brick in the next train...
@johnnytifosi said:
"Um what? AFAIK There is still no TV shipping without a hardware remote, so I am not sure I understand your comment. "
And my 20 year old (HD Ready!) TV and its remote is still working perfectly fine! How many smartphones have survived 20 years?
@johnnytifosi said:
" @srj60
Um what? AFAIK There is still no TV shipping without a hardware remote, so I am not sure I understand your comment. "
Absolutely nothing to do with what something ships with. Everything to do with hanging on to the hardware/software combination or hardware/firmware combination that a device needs to work.
And no, an old non-updated smartphone won't be in someone's draw. It will have been redeployed as a Lego remote control (except by 'woe is me' defeatists of course).
@WizardOfOss said:
" @johnnytifosi said:
"Um what? AFAIK There is still no TV shipping without a hardware remote, so I am not sure I understand your comment. "
And my 20 year old (HD Ready!) TV and its remote is still working perfectly fine! How many smartphones have survived 20 years?"
No point... Control+ didn't run on the IBM Simon!
@sjr60 said:
" @johnnytifosi said:
" @srj60
Um what? AFAIK There is still no TV shipping without a hardware remote, so I am not sure I understand your comment. "
Absolutely nothing to do with what something ships with. Everything to do with hanging on to the hardware/software combination or hardware/firmware combination that a device needs to work.
And no, an old non-updated smartphone won't be in someone's draw. It will have been redeployed as a Lego remote control (except by 'woe is me' defeatists of course). "
Guess I must be one of those 'woe is me' defeatists then, Rich! There's little chance that I'll be keeping an obsolete smartphone with a failing battery operational purely as a LEGO remote. A few hobbyists will do as you suggest, but the vast majority won't be in a position to do so - their old phones will have died, or will have been traded in for a discount on a new one, thus removing functionality from some hugely expensive Technic sets within just a few years. Compare and contrast with my old 9V train stuff which is still running flawlessly, multiple decades after LEGO replaced the system with PF or whatever it was....
Nice review.
I guess 42124 is a buggy, not a car. So this new set is the fastest "car", rather than the fastest vehicle?
@omnium said:
"Nice review.
I guess 42124 is a buggy, not a car. So this new set is the fastest "car", rather than the fastest vehicle?"
I think you are nit-picking there :)
@DrDaveWatford said:
" @sjr60 said:
" @johnnytifosi said:
" @srj60
Um what? AFAIK There is still no TV shipping without a hardware remote, so I am not sure I understand your comment. "
Absolutely nothing to do with what something ships with. Everything to do with hanging on to the hardware/software combination or hardware/firmware combination that a device needs to work.
And no, an old non-updated smartphone won't be in someone's draw. It will have been redeployed as a Lego remote control (except by 'woe is me' defeatists of course). "
Guess I must be one of those 'woe is me' defeatists then, Rich!"
Certainly seems to be that way.... but who's Rich!?
@sjr60 said:
" @DrDaveWatford said:
" @sjr60 said:
" @johnnytifosi said:
" @srj60
Um what? AFAIK There is still no TV shipping without a hardware remote, so I am not sure I understand your comment. "
Absolutely nothing to do with what something ships with. Everything to do with hanging on to the hardware/software combination or hardware/firmware combination that a device needs to work.
And no, an old non-updated smartphone won't be in someone's draw. It will have been redeployed as a Lego remote control (except by 'woe is me' defeatists of course). "
Guess I must be one of those 'woe is me' defeatists then, Rich!"
Certainly seems to be that way.... but who's Rich!?
"
Apologies - confused you with someone else.
@DrDaveWatford said:
" @sjr60 said:
" @DrDaveWatford said:
" @sjr60 said:
" @johnnytifosi said:
" @srj60
Um what? AFAIK There is still no TV shipping without a hardware remote, so I am not sure I understand your comment. "
Absolutely nothing to do with what something ships with. Everything to do with hanging on to the hardware/software combination or hardware/firmware combination that a device needs to work.
And no, an old non-updated smartphone won't be in someone's draw. It will have been redeployed as a Lego remote control (except by 'woe is me' defeatists of course). "
Guess I must be one of those 'woe is me' defeatists then, Rich!"
Certainly seems to be that way.... but who's Rich!?
"
Apologies - confused you with someone else."
No problem... must be like trading in a phone that a Lego set works with, then getting confused that the Lego set doesn't work any more :-)
@gearwheel said:
" @sjr60 said:
"Only an issue for sets that need constant online interaction to function.
Not an issue for a set that only requires an app to be downloaded once, then requires no further online access. (Apps should, of course, be backed up, the same as photos!!)"
Online access isn't the only issue, app updates are also needed to keep things functional.
@sjr60 said:
"If a new phone can't run an old app then obviously the older phone needs to be kept, or obtained (it's not as if out of date phones are hard to find, or expensive, with the frequency they get replaced)"
You're forgetting that the phone OS itself gets updated, and new phone OSes sometimes remove compatibility with older software. If the app isn't updated, you can lose access to it on your old phone.
You're also assuming phone batteries either last forever or are easily replaceable. They don't last forever, and many phones have an arduous battery replacement method that requires special tools these days."
And there's the issue of compatibility in the first place, I got a new (Android) phone earlier this year, a Motorola, and when transferring my apps and data over, I found the Disney+ app wouldn't install because it wasn't compatible! An updated version that did work was released about a month later, but I'd hate to buy an expensive set like this only to find that my chosen device isn't going to work.
@Huw said:
" @omnium said:
"Nice review.
I guess 42124 is a buggy, not a car. So this new set is the fastest "car", rather than the fastest vehicle?"
I think you are nit-picking there :)"
No, they're technically correct. The best kind of correct!
The intention was probably the fastest brick base motor ever, as the fastest Lego "car" is probably still the Racer theme like 8675 but like most RC cars there isn't a lot of bricks going on here. A fairer comparison would be using this new motor in the 42124 chassis, and seeing how it performs outdoors.
Seems an upgrade to the Move hub, with a rechargeable battery and triple motors, and unexpected bonus lights. Although the cost is initially high, having all the components separate would be more expensive and take up more space requiring a larger model increasing the price. But the downside is this is not as flexible with alternative models limited to lots of different car shells on the same chassis until someone creative utilizes in similar ways to the Boost models.
@AustinPowers said:
"My main gripe with this is the fact that the hub has everything built into it. The motors, the lights, the controller. If any one of these components breaks this thing is ready for the trash. Even if all the other components in it were still functional. What a waste. I prefer seperate components for motors, lights, controller and battery box tbh.
Plus I bet it's this component that is responsible for the very high price.
"
Not only from a durability point, but even more from a usability point: Try to build your own models around this giant chunk of tech. Also bad is another weird battery module. I recently got charging flash lights at the Action, 3,59€, perfectly milled out of anodized aluminium, with USB-C charging and best of all: a replacable 18650 Li Ion cell! So an USB-C charger with 2 cells, like in the mindstorms hub, would roughly cost double. No..... LEGO wants to use their own weird cells, with probably insane replacement price, somewhere north of 150€.
@tomthepirate said:
"Thanks for the review, Huw. Much appreciated. I have been looking forward to purchasing this set since I really enjoy all buildable RC sets. However, my experience with the control app has not been so good. There is something nice about tactile physical controllers.
I first noticed this with my 42030 Volvo L350F Wheel Loader set - it was a joy to operate.
However, I spent much less time playing with the matching set - 42114 6x6 Volvo Articulated Hauler since the app control was not my cup of tea. Yes, it had more gimmicks but the fundamentals - tactile levers - were missing.
I hope TLG wakes up and comes back to using physical remote controllers.
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Is there any way to retrofit these new app controlled sets to the good old remote controlled sets?