Review: 77264 Jaguar F-TYPE Project 7 & Land Rover Defender Classic
Posted by CapnRex101,
There have been various Speed Champions twin packs to contain a modern sports car and an off-roader, of which 77264 Jaguar F-TYPE Project 7 & Land Rover Defender Classic is the latest. I think such unusual pairings tend to work, however, so hopefully that continues here.
I have certainly been looking forward to the F-TYPE Project 7, which I think is a beautiful car and looks incredibly sleek in LEGO form. The chunky Land Rover Defender looks impressive as well, although I must admit, I tend to picture the Defender with its bed enclosed.
Summary
77264 Jaguar F-TYPE Project 7 & Land Rover Defender Classic, 740 pieces.
£44.99 / $59.99 / €54.99 | 6.1p, 8.1c, 7.4c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
Both models are realistic and well designed, but the F-TYPE is the clear standout for me
- Accurate proportions
- F-TYPE Project 7 is beautifully sleek
- Neat building techniques, especially on the Project 7
- Relatively few stickers
- Oversized side skirts on the F-TYPE
- Defender's configuration and colours are quite unusual
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
Minifigures
Speed Champions minifigures often wear branded clothes, although they are generally subtler than the F-TYPE driver's jumper! While the car design looks nice, I think it could be even more appealing if this image actually featured the LEGO version. Nonetheless, I am glad to see such a unique torso and the hair element is a great choice too, having only appeared twice before.
The second figure is arguably a little more stylish, wearing a sand green Land Rover Defender jacket with a dark tan scarf and cap. This combination works well and the torso is very detailed on the front and back. I like the sunglasses as well, especially with their reflective metallic silver highlights.
The female driver includes a double-sided head and a helmet, decorated to match the blue and white livery of her car. Additionally, a wrench is supplied for removing wheel inserts, as usual for Speed Champions sets.
Reference
Source - autoexpress.co.uk
Source - LEGO instruction booklet
The Completed Model
I think the Jaguar F-TYPE is a beautiful car and this LEGO model captures its shape extremely well. A great selection of curved slopes are available to designers nowadays and they are used to superb effect here, leaving very few sharp edges to interrupt the sleek bodywork. Indeed, the car is almost devoid of exposed studs, with two under the door mirrors the lone exception.
Furthermore, the car's proportions look authentic from either side and this model is quite small, relative to many other Speed Champions sets, measuring barely 15cm in length. However, the side view reveals the greatly exaggerated side skirts. These black panels look reasonable from certain angles, but their proportions when viewed side-on are totally wrong.
The radiator grille is an important feature of the Jaguar F-TYPE and a highly specialised piece would be necessary to recreate it exactly. With that in mind, while the shape is not perfect, this mudguard piece with a printed trim and a decorated 1x3 tile inside is an excellent solution. The headlights are printed too, while the white stripe between them comprises three of the thirteen total stickers on this car.
The gaps between these stickers are unfortunate and could probably have been avoided with printing, which can continue to the edge of each part, but I still think this stripe looks nice. The bodywork around the radiator looks fantastic as well, including blue meat cleavers and using a clever combination of elements to attach the 1x2 angled tiles on the sides.
The bonnet vents are much too deep, but I think that can be excused at this scale because the alternative would be printed vents. The vents placed behind the wheels are printed though and look superb. However, as mentioned earlier, the black panels on each side should be narrower. Maybe the black 1x4 panels could have been moved lower and the blue pieces above adjusted to overlap with those panels by half a stud.
I am pleased with the shape of the windscreen and its decorated edge though, plus the interior. This is particularly important for an open-top car and despite lacking the vibrant upholstery you sometimes find in similar sets, there are plenty of details to appreciate. The asymmetrical bulge behind the driver is accurate and I love the headrest, using a 1x1 curved slope only introduced this year.
You can put minifigures in both seats, but the passenger side is actually designed with a trans-clear stand to stow the helmet. This is a nice touch, but easy to remove if you wish. In addition, the stickered console looks good and I like the red highlight on the steering wheel, even though the steering wheel on the real car is entirely black, based on images I have seen.
Nonetheless, I like the consistency between the steering wheel and the Jaguar branding on the wheels, which are decorated to mirror the real vehicle. Also, areas of blue bodywork are printed on the rear lights in an effect to capture their shape as closely as possible. This seems relatively successful from the back, but I am less convinced by their appearance at the sides.
A new spoiler bracket piece has been developed for the summer Speed Champions range and its availability here in blue could be of interest to Classic Space fans, as a smaller equivalent to the part featured on sets like 497 Galaxy Explorer. The bodywork underneath is smooth until we reach the diffuser assembly, with accurate quad exhausts and axeheads completing the trim.
Speed Champions has attempted a couple of off-road trucks since the scale changed in 2020 and I think those models are fantastic when displayed alone, but they look absurdly oversized relative to minifigures. The same arguably applies to all eight-wide Speed Champions vehicles, although it is particularly apparent with bigger subjects.
I think the scale is normally worthwhile though, given the detail and realism of modern Speed Champions cars. This is no exception because the Defender's proportions look brilliant, other than the structure on the underside, which should be much slimmer and leave greater ground clearance.
I am not entirely convinced by the front of the vehicle either, which includes another mudguard element as part of the radiator housing. The result is far too pronounced, comparing the model to its reference shot in the instruction manual, shown above. However, the brick-built headlights are cleverly designed and I like the printed 'Defender' branding above the radiator.
Similarly, the shape of the bonnet is appealing, with printed chequer plate patterns flanking the wedge plates. The lights above the windscreen and attached to the radiator are printed as well, so there are only eleven stickers provided with the Land Rover, which is pretty reasonable for a Speed Champions model.
A few are used on the doors and the steps on either side. The reddish orange accents are very effective and presumably inspired by a single vehicle, as the only reference image I have found is from the instruction manual. Maybe a more neutral Defender would offer broader appeal, nice though these colours look.
While focused on the doors, I will take this opportunity to show the relative size of a minifigure, which is quite funny considering the height of the step! 40650 Land Rover Classic Defender is much better in this regard, though I cannot really fault this model for its size because it is fairly consistent with the wider Speed Champions range.
One advantage of this scale is the spacious interior, with ample room for the dark orange front seats and some basic controls. There is still not enough space for proper back seats, however, so you cannot place figures there. I am pleased the seats are included though, similar to 76911 007 Aston Martin DB5.
I love the angled windows and those on the back of the cab, making perfect use of trans-clear 1x2 panels. In addition, the struts around the flatbed and the roof rack seem relatively realistic, actually resembling metal. The stickered 4x4 tile inside the bed looks great too, featuring some simulated texture and the Land Rover logo.
There are a few stickers on the back, although the lights are once again brick-built, using neck brackets over trans-red, trans-orange and trans-clear studs. A grey snowboard works nicely as the rear step and the metallic silver exhaust is a welcome addition, particularly because it really stands out in this colour.
Overall
As is often the case for Speed Champions two packs, both models are appealing, but I have a strong favourite between them. The designer has recreated the sleek bodywork of the F-TYPE Project 7 incredibly well, particularly at the front and rear. The oversized side skirts are irritating, though I appreciate the attempt to build them, rather than relying on stickers.
I am fairly happy with the Land Rover Defender too, but as I mentioned at the beginning, this is just not how I picture the Defender, so I struggle to connect with the model, personally. Even so, 77264 Jaguar F-TYPE Project 7 & Land Rover Defender Classic warrants consideration and the UK price of £44.99 feels very fair. €54.99 in Europe is not too bad either, although $59.99 in the US is maybe a little too expensive.
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27 comments on this article
At first glance not a set I was interested in, but on closer look, I quite like these! Both very recognizable, and not too reliant on stickers. And compared to another recent Jaguar set, the grill on this one is a lot better!
No way I'm gonna pay €55 for it though, but with a good discount I might just get tempted....
The Defender appears to be, for whatever reason, pretty heavily based on the one from "Spectre", but with the livery from the one shown in the instructions.
@actioncharles said:
"The Defender appears to be, for whatever reason, pretty heavily based on the one from "Spectre", but with the livery from the one shown in the instructions."
Good point and that explains the housing around the radiator too. I am not sure why they included an image of a slightly different Defender in the instructions, in that case.
Here is the Land Rover Defender from Spectre for anybody curious, as I was: https://www.topgear.com/car-news/bond-cars/bond-special-topgearcom-drives-007-spectre-defender
Minifigures look like kids next to the land rover
Milocubed, that is with all Speed Champ sets of 8 wide.
The USD price is actually the best of the 3, followed by £.
Nice cars, both of them.
Calling the car that can flatten the other car beneath its wheels a 'defender' is... interesting I guess. I guess the blue car attacked first due to its speed.
Pssst. That's a snowboard on the back there... nice review!
Nice to see Dr Crusher branching out beyond medicine and tap dancing.
Weirdly, the Landrover looks quite small when compared to the Jaguar.
It's still stupidly oversized, but then, that's not just a Speed Champions-issue - that's more of a user-issue.
@DylanMoran said:
"How small does your [manhood] need to be for you to walk into a showroom and say 'Listen, I need something the size of a school, so people know I'm around'?"
I vote we go the other route: the bigger and tougher you are, the less horsepower you really need. REAL MANLY MEN'S MANLY MEN should just stick to rollerskates or pogo-sticks, their beards and chest-hair proudly flapping in the breeze.
Whole front stripe should’ve been printed at that price. Similar set 76924 was $45 two years ago. Are single Speed Champions cars going to be $30 soon?
Oh maaaaaan I'm jealous of your stickers for the F-Type! Their backing is like 1/2 shade lighter than the plastic. Mine are about 3 shades darker ??
Thank you for another great review. I am looking forward to adding these to my collection.
@CapnRex101 said:
" @actioncharles said:
"The Defender appears to be, for whatever reason, pretty heavily based on the one from "Spectre", but with the livery from the one shown in the instructions."
Good point and that explains the housing around the radiator too. I am not sure why they included an image of a slightly different Defender in the instructions, in that case.
Here is the Land Rover Defender from Spectre for anybody curious, as I was: https://www.topgear.com/car-news/bond-cars/bond-special-topgearcom-drives-007-spectre-defender "
This explains a lot, but I still don't understand the two round lights in the radiator.
@Milocubed said:
"Minifigures look like kids next to the land rover"
Now I'm curious to see how Jack Stone scales with the rover.
@brickwich said:
" @CapnRex101 said:
" @actioncharles said:
"The Defender appears to be, for whatever reason, pretty heavily based on the one from "Spectre", but with the livery from the one shown in the instructions."
Good point and that explains the housing around the radiator too. I am not sure why they included an image of a slightly different Defender in the instructions, in that case.
Here is the Land Rover Defender from Spectre for anybody curious, as I was: https://www.topgear.com/car-news/bond-cars/bond-special-topgearcom-drives-007-spectre-defender "
This explains a lot, but I still don't understand the two round lights in the radiator."
I guess they just went for the A-frame bar look, which often has two additional lights inside the frame.
This set is similar to 76924, but better. The G-wagen was a very frustrating build, but the Defender looks more straightforward and with better ground clearance.
@Roloff said:
" Pssst. That's a snowboard on the back there... nice review!"
Thank you, that has now been corrected.
@theJANG said:
"Oh maaaaaan I'm jealous of your stickers for the F-Type! Their backing is like 1/2 shade lighter than the plastic. Mine are about 3 shades darker ??"
The stickers in your review are really terrible. I also have this problem regularly and will now complain about it every time to customer support. Maybe something will change at some point. I've had the idea that the sticker color intentionally differs from the color of the bricks to provide easier positioning. But problems in production seem more obvious, so there would probably not be such strong regional differences.
@CC said:
"Whole front stripe should’ve been printed at that price. Similar set 76924 was $45 two years ago. Are single Speed Champions cars going to be $30 soon?"
If looking at the £ to USD, then the USD should be over $61 USD.
Straight currency conversion.
@theJANG said:
"Oh maaaaaan I'm jealous of your stickers for the F-Type! Their backing is like 1/2 shade lighter than the plastic. Mine are about 3 shades darker ??"
Haven't heard from your channel in a while, I think YT stopped showing your videos on my feed... quite a while ago, come to think of it. To my chagrin, I should add.
I blame the internet. The internet was a mistake.
Both look excellent individually, though a bit of an odd pairing next to each other! Have loved the '26 Speed Champs. Hope '27 is as good!
The main thing that is bad are colors! We have same blue on spyder car before, Elva, and same black on ORV before, G - wagen (and 76291). Why not some other colors?!
Other thing are tires on Defender, it would look better with 30.4 x 14. And that back sets, one plate wider space, minifigs could sit in
I bought this on release for the Defender but ended up loving the F-Type. I hadn’t even noticed the side skirts issue on the Jaguar and it’s been on my shelf for 3 weeks; to me the change of colour works as a trompe l’oeil to look like the lower part of the sides is concave.
The Defender I quite like but the rear bed overhang should be a stud longer - or perhaps the rear wheel should be a stud further forward - so the proportions from the side aren’t quite right.
One of the best Speed Champions sets to me overall though.
The sticker colour matching on my 77260 Supra was perfect- maybe I was just lucky.
I'm tempted to get this set as the F-type is one of my favourite cars, but the price of 1.1k in South African money is a bit hard to stomach.
For the back red lights of the Defender there are 1x1 trans red plates in the set with one side painted black. Those black sides should look upward. If you put them correctly the back looks better than on your photos...
Nice review anyway. :)
The scale is laughable for sure. I agree, looks great without minifigures mucking it up.
I haven't seen Spectre yet, although I did just buy it on Blu-ray recently to add to the collection. I'll have to check it out sometime. And I still haven't seen No Time to Die yet either...(I have no time for LEGO let alone watching stuff)
@Crux said:
"Weirdly, the Landrover looks quite small when compared to the Jaguar.
It's still stupidly oversized, but then, that's not just a Speed Champions-issue - that's more of a user-issue.
@DylanMoran said:
"How small does your [manhood] need to be for you to walk into a showroom and say 'Listen, I need something the size of a school, so people know I'm around'?"
I vote we go the other route: the bigger and tougher you are, the less horsepower you really need. REAL MANLY MEN'S MANLY MEN should just stick to rollerskates or pogo-sticks, their beards and chest-hair proudly flapping in the breeze."
I still remember the time a Mini convention was staying at the hotel I worked at. One of them had a shirt that said, "It takes a big man to drive a small car. I told him, "As the owner of a Metro, I love your shirt." Of all the cars I've owned, that Metro was easily my favorite, followed by the Plymouth Horizon that was my first car.