Review: 30709 Ferrari 499P - Hypercar
Posted by CapnRex101,
30709 Ferrari 499P - Hypercar is the latest in the range of Speed Champions polybags, introduced in 2020. I have been impressed with the selection thus far, but this Le Mans hypercar is a particular standout among them!
The set is available with the purchase of selected Ferrari sets on LEGO.com, although only for the rest of today, so I thought it worth reviewing sooner rather than later.
Summary
30709 Ferrari 499P - Hypercar, 62 pieces.
Even at this tiny scale, the Ferrari 499P looks marvellous
- Extremely accurate proportions
- Plenty of subtle details included
- Beautiful livery
- Minor inaccuracies, but excusable ones
Reference
Source - wikipedia.com
The Completed Model
I think the wider proportions of modern Speed Champions sets have improved the entire range and particularly endurance cars, given their relatively flat shape. This model looks excellent for its modest size, taking advantage of the now-established five stud width to recreate the Ferrari 499P quite well.
There are some compromises, as the radiator is missing and the roof is only represented by a sticker, although I think they are excusable at this scale. 1x1 quarter domes work nicely for the windscreen and many accurate details are included, such as a black bodywork panel in front of the windscreen and cutouts flanking the bonnet, which reveal the tyres underneath.
Six stickers decorate the model, similar to other Speed Champions polybags. These designs differ from the original vehicle, moving some details to the top of the car when they should be found on the sides, but necessarily so. The only stickers I find strange are those adding yellow accents near the back. These resemble the 2025 livery, but the yellow 1x2 rounded plates on either side are closer to the hypercar's 2024 colours.
A black 1x4 curved slope forms the air intake behind the cockpit, while a 1x2 slope with cutout represents a fin behind that. Though the fin should be narrower, its shape looks splendid when viewed from the sides. Similarly, the rear wing is nicely constructed, albeit quite bulky. Even the Ferrari 499P's distinctive LED strip is included on the back, using a trans-red 4L bar.
Overall
30709 Ferrari 499P - Hypercar is my favourite Speed Champions polybag to date, overtaking 30434 Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro. The latter's building techniques are more complex and arguably cleverer, but the Ferrari simply looks better to me! I love its low profile and the colour scheme looks marvellous at this scale, despite the odd yellow stripes towards the rear.
Furthermore, I should mention the use of 1x4 wheel arches on each side. Unless I am missing something, these pieces have not appeared since 2017 and it is brilliant to see them again, as they are extremely useful for building cars at this scale.
This set is still available with certain Ferrari sets on LEGO.com, but only for a few more hours.
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29 comments on this article
Another nice little SC polybag. Not my favourite- that would be the Elva or the Valkyrie, but these annual cars continue to be an expected delight.
Is this a polybag of an unrevealed set? All of the speed champion polybags have been a smaller version of another set, but this one doesn't exist... yet.
I like the use of the sideways quarter-domes to represent the windshield. Maybe it's been done before, but this is the first time I've seen it.
This little set persuaded me to buy 77242 from lego.com (which I normally wouldn't do because of the pricing and shipping costs), but I quite like it. The only thing that bugged me a little bit is the sideways instability of the cockpit and the sticker that sits on top of it.
As for 77242: loads of stickers as to be expected, but really annoying ones that really downgraded the build experience. Didn't feel as bad with 77243 for some reason.
Thanks for the review!
+1 for seeing what the regular Speed Champion set would look like.
Is a hyper car better than a mega car?
I guess it’s better than a super car but not as good as an ultra car?
@MonsterFighter said:
"Is a hyper car better than a mega car?
I guess it’s better than a super car but not as good as an ultra car?"
It all depends on your hypercar hierarchy
Was worried I would have to go to the LEGO store and buy a Ferrari-branded set but then found them at local TRU :)
@Rare_White_Ape said:
" @MonsterFighter said:
"Is a hyper car better than a mega car?
I guess it’s better than a super car but not as good as an ultra car?"
It all depends on your hypercar hierarchy "
If we go to sound-related prefixes, hypersonic is faster than supersonic, and from radio frequencies, super high frequency is higher than ultra high frequency, so hypercar beats supercar beats ultracar.
Metric: microcar=> car => kilocar => megacar => gigacar. So "megacar" is part of a separate hierarchy altogether.
@Klontjes kruitvat has them on the shelves for 2,99;)
Every time I see this, I think of the Oscar Mayer Weinermobile.
https://www.oscarmayer.com/wienermobile/
I do hope this ends up becoming a full set, as I'm quite a big Ferrari fan.
@tne328 said:
" @Rare_White_Ape said:
" @MonsterFighter said:
"Is a hyper car better than a mega car?
I guess it’s better than a super car but not as good as an ultra car?"
It all depends on your hypercar hierarchy "
If we go to sound-related prefixes, hypersonic is faster than supersonic, and from radio frequencies, super high frequency is higher than ultra high frequency, so hypercar beats supercar beats ultracar.
Metric: microcar=> car => kilocar => megacar => gigacar. So "megacar" is part of a separate hierarchy altogether. "
Thank you. I think that is the definitive answer.
Pre-flattend by being stepped on car.
@watcher21 said:
" @Klontjes kruitvat has them on the shelves for 2,99;)
"
Hopefully they still have some Thursday....can't go any earlier and already sold out online....
Forgot all about them arches. Nice one.
@WizardOfOss said:
" @watcher21 said:
" @Klontjes kruitvat has them on the shelves for 2,99;)
"
Hopefully they still have some Thursday....can't go any earlier and already sold out online...."
Will depend of the store I think and maybe they get a refill later.
The one I visited had 8 poly's in total: 30690 30708 30709
This GWP was the reason for buying yesterday the Speed Champions Ferrari F1. I want to buy the complete series of 10, but I anticipated buying the Ferrari to obtaind this GWP.
As much as I'd like to have this one, I'll just have to hope I find it at Walmart. I already have 76934, and I'm not interested in any of the other sets that it's a GWP with.
@Rare_White_Ape said:
" @MonsterFighter said:
"Is a hyper car better than a mega car?
I guess it’s better than a super car but not as good as an ultra car?"
It all depends on your hypercar hierarchy "
Don't you mean hyperarchy?
Picked this up at Toys R Us after reading the review, happy to add it to the nice little collection of speed champion polybags. It doesn't quite win me over to the theme like 30434 Aston Martin did a few years ago, but it still looks pretty cool. The return of those funky wheel wells is good to see too.
Since I have yet to build the one I received with my order the other day, I think I'll leave off the stickers that add the yellow to the rear and call it the 2024 livery.
Wow, really close to the source material considering its scale!
@tne328 said:
" @Rare_White_Ape said:
" @MonsterFighter said:
"Is a hyper car better than a mega car?
I guess it’s better than a super car but not as good as an ultra car?"
It all depends on your hypercar hierarchy "
If we go to sound-related prefixes, hypersonic is faster than supersonic, and from radio frequencies, super high frequency is higher than ultra high frequency, so hypercar beats supercar beats ultracar.
Metric: microcar=> car => kilocar => megacar => gigacar. So "megacar" is part of a separate hierarchy altogether. "
I thought a hypercar was one that's over 200 ft (60.96 m) tall but less than 300 ft tall (at 300 it's now a gigacar instead).
what the shame it is a paperbag not polybag. Nicer packaging in polybag would suit it...
I was overjoyed to find out that the mudguard mould wasn't scrapped after all, since its last appearance back in '17. For a builder of Tiny Turbo cars such as myself, this presents a decent enough chance of getting recolours, hopefully now that they seem to have remembered it exists.
This arrived today and I've just built it - it's my favourite of the polybag cars - it just works! I also bought the SC Ferrari F1 car to get it, which hasn't arrived yet.
@Sepulchure said:
"I was overjoyed to find out that the mudguard mould wasn't scrapped after all, since its last appearance back in '17. For a builder of Tiny Turbo cars such as myself, this presents a decent enough chance of getting recolours, hopefully now that they seem to have remembered it exists."
The mold almost certainly *was* scrapped; they do that to molds that go five years without use. They keep the digital files, however, so that if they want to bring a part back, they can cut a new mold.
@FuddRuckus said:
"Every time I see this, I think of the Oscar Mayer Weinermobile.
https://www.oscarmayer.com/wienermobile/"
Or, the LEGO version... ;)
https://www.brucelowell.com/post/wienermobile/
@watcher21 said:
" @Klontjes kruitvat has them on the shelves for 2,99;)
"
I recently got a lot of different new polybags there for 2 euro a piece (buy 2, get one free).
It's a nice set for the price. As were Mario, Harry Potter and Spiderman.