Review: 42109 App-Controlled Top Gear Rally Car
Posted by FlagsNZ,
42109 App-Controlled Top Gear Rally Car is the latest app-controlled vehicle to be released by LEGO.
It comes with branding from the BBC Top Gear TV show and The Stig features on the box artwork and instructions.
Read on as I take the App-Controlled Top Gear Rally Car for a test drive.
Box
The front of the box shows the 42109 App-Controlled Top Gear Rally Car racing along a dirt road.
It has a graphic of the app controller on a smartphone.
The rear of the box shows The Stig standing in front of the Top Gear branded Rally Car.
A few images are showing the features of the car.
Instructions
The instructions come in one bound book of 119 pages.
Sticker Sheer
As expected, the 42109 App-Controlled Top Gear Rally Car has one large sticker sheet.
It is obvious the principal sponsor is the BBC Top Gear TV show along with The Stig.
Minor sponsors are:
- Mani Fold
- Axel Beam
- Indi Cator
- En Gyne
- Oil Expert
- Br eakz
- XR fuel
- Speed R
- Moto R
Many of these sponsors have been seen in other Technic sets and Racers.
Parts
42109 App-Controlled Top Gear Rally Car is made with 463 parts.
The parts come in four un-numbered bags with the Powered-Up Hub and motors protected in a box.
40 years of Technic differentials
2020 marks forty-years of having a differential gear available in the LEGO Technic system. The differential gear first appeared in 1980 with the release of 8860 Car-Chassis.
This differential also appeared in 8865 Test Car in 1988, but its principal weakness was that the thin 14-Tooth bevel gear was prone to cracking when under stress.
In 1994 8880 Super Car introduced a new, and more durable, differential design when three differentials were fitted in that car's 4WD drive train. 8448 Super Street Sensation used this same part in 1999.
The differential was further refined when 8297 Off-Roader was released in 2008. This part has appeared in 37 sets up until last year.
The differential released in 1994 has also appeared in 24 sets up until last year.
42109 App-Controlled Top Gear Rally Car introduces a revolutionary new differential design with two new parts: the 28-tooth Angled Gear and Differential Carrier.
The 12-tooth bevelled gear acts as the differential planetary gear.
This part has been used in all Technic differentials since 1995 replacing the thin 14-Tooth bevel gear found in the earlier 8860, 8865 and 8880 sets.
The differential carrier houses five 12-tooth planetary gears: three are slotted in the top.
One bevelled gear slides into a slot in the base of the carrier.
The fifth planetary gear sits in the top of the three straight gears before the red drive gear is clicked into place.
Once assembled, the differential unit will remain intact unless you deliberately disassemble it.
The Build
42109 App-Controlled Top Gear Rally Car was a relatively simple build. By step 40 the Powered Up Hub No 2 is connected to the Motor No 2 and Motor No 3.
I particularly like the wire clips that secure the power cables that have been introduced with the Powered Up system.
A view under the chassis shows that the differential is located off-centre.
There is easy access to the battery compartment. The Powered Up Hub uses six AA batteries.
The Stig
Throughout the instruction book are a few excerpts (in ten languages) that explain The Stig's character.
Page 29: The Stig does not talk, ever!
Page 43: The Stig never panics and would never run.
Page 69: The Stig only wears the colour white.
Page 85: The Stig is neither male or female. It is an it.
Page 96: The Stig only drives cars. It doesn't ride bikes.
Page 111: The Stig doesn't know how to use a phone.
Completed model
The finished 42109 App-Controlled Top Gear Rally Car has a red, white and earth blue colour scheme.
Black is used as well on the chassis.
The 42109 App-Controlled Top Gear Rally Car is quite a compact model.
There is a non-functioning engine under the bonnet complete with two exhaust manifolds and an air intake and filter.
Powered Up system
As the name implies, the 42109 App-Controlled Top Gear Rally Car needs a smartphone or tablet with the Technic Control app installed.
Once installed, the device will need to connect with the Powered Up Hub via Bluetooth.
Downloading the Technic Control app will take a few minutes, and there may be some firmware updates required on startup.
The app takes you through some training screens before letting you loose to operate the Top Gear Rally car.
There is a Power Lap page on the app where drivers are can record best lap times, just like the Power Lap seen on Top Gear.
Performance
I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it is to control. One thumb controls the steering while your other thumb either controls the throttle or gearbox, depending on whether you have selected manual or auto gearbox control (Note: This is a software option. The car does not have a gearbox).
There is an option to interactively control the car by twisting your device as if it were a steering wheel.
I noticed that the 42109 App-Controlled Top Gear Rally Car tends to steer to the right even when the steering wheel is centred. The pull to the right is even more pronounced when the car is driven faster.
I am sure this fault is due to the off-centred differential on the rear axle.
Overall opinion
Once applied, the stickers greatly enhance the look of the model. There is a metallic lightning-flash on each side of the body.
What becomes apparent as you look at the detailing is that the car has a stylized British Union Jack feel to its appearance which has been built on the red, white and earth blue parts colour scheme.
Verdict
I have formed mixed feelings about this set: on the one hand, it is easy to control and runs reasonably fast on the smooth wooden floor that was used to test the car; on the other hand, I was slightly disappointed with the tendency for the car to pull off to the right.
The car design itself is fair. There have been more attractive Technic rally cars built that retail for cheaper.
Price
When the price of 42109 App-Controlled Top Gear Rally Car is compared with comparable sets released in the last few years, it is evident that the Powered Up system adds a significant cost to the set.
42065 RC Tracked Racer (released 2018) and 42095 Remote-Controlled Stunt Racer (released 2019) used the former IR Power Functions and came self-contained with its own IR Remote Control.
42077 Rally Car has more than double the number of parts but is not an RC set. It is, however, 18-38% cheaper depending on the currency used to make the comparison.
42109 App-Controlled Top Gear Rally Car, and other recent Powered Up Technic sets, require the user to own already or have access to a smart device before the set can be operated.
- 42065 RC Tracked Racer - 370 parts - £74.99 / $99.99 / 79.99€
- 42077 Rally Car - 1005 parts - £89.99 / $109.99 / 99.99€
- 42095 Remote-Controlled Stunt Racer - 324 parts - £69.99 / $99.99 / 79.99€
- 42109 App-Controlled Top Gear Rally Car - 463 parts - £124.99 / $129.99 / 129.99€
This set was provided for review by The LEGO Group, but the review is an expression of my own opinions.
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36 comments on this article
They could of at least thrown in a Stig Minifig with it, to justify the Top Gear sponsorship...
This might be the first Technic set since 2012 that I don't buy. It's expensive, ugly, covered in Top Gear branding, which doesn't appeal, and from the sound of FlagsNZ's review, mechanically flawed.
The one thing I've always wondered with this set is how fast does it go? Was hoping that would be mentioned in a review...
Yes, but how much does it cost? That fact seems to have been missed.
I can see the price at the end of the article.
@Huw said:
"I can see the price at the end of the article."
My bad. Don’t think my phone had loaded fully before I wrote my first comment. Sorry!
Thanks for taking pictures without stickers and showing them. I think its obvious that stickers are adequate to soften the black - white contrast (similar to 42094 Loader).
I won't buy 42109 as I got 42099 to check out Control+ hard- & software.
i have the app-controlled batmobile and that has a definite pull, too
that "union jack feel" to this one, reaaaaally hard to see, though
Quite a disappointing set imo, could be better, especially regarding the price
If you want a mobile controlled toy car that looks realistic, has suspension and good price don't go to Lego for it.
I Said this before in another post. I think it would have more appeal if it was copy of a vehicle that was actually on the show. Any of the cars used in the time challenge or the competitions between the hosts would have been better. I would have even preferred the tortured Toyota truck to this rally car.
I used to be in a band with Axel Beam and Mani Fold.
Guns'n'Stone Roses we were called.
So it can't even drive in a straight line?
Yup, if it wasn't enough that the set is laughingly overpriced, doesn't come with a remote and above all hasn't got anything to do with Top Gear apart from the name, this is the icing on the cake.
Has it got any redeeming features?
Well, it is made from LEGO pieces, which tend to be of quite high quality, but that's about it.
Easiest pass in years.
And that is coming from someone who has loved Technic for decades as well as Top Gear - at least the proper one of old, hosted by the "holy trinity".
@ denn:
I was reminded of the British Airways livery as I applied the stickers with the red spoiler and flashes of red and blue on the body panels.
https://www.britishairways.com/100/story/heritage-liveries
The idea is good but the execution seems flawed. I buy too much LEGO anyway so I will skip this until TLG brings out a similar concept that lives up to its promise.
Still don't like Powered Up. Good review though!
@MaFt said:
"The one thing I've always wondered with this set is how fast does it go? Was hoping that would be mentioned in a review..."
check out review by Sariel. He does a bunch of tests on video.
Reading this review and thinking about some of the things that differentiate this set from a lot of what we've come to expect in LEGO Technic over the past decade or so, I'm starting to see sets like this and 42099-1 in a new way.
Of note, its primary intended play pattern is centered around remote-control driving, rather than employing manual steering and movement with and motorizing the more mundane mechanical functions like 42039-1 or 42077-1 did. While this is all unconventional for the Technic theme itself, it IS highly reminiscent of RC Technic cars from the Racers theme like 8366-1, 8475-1, and 8376-1.
And it's kind of shocking to realize that LEGO went nearly a decade with hardly ANY sets offering this sort of remote-controlled car play experience which resonates with so many kids and adult toy enthusiasts! The only other Technic cars like these that I am aware of since LEGO Racers ended but prior to the launch of the Powered Up system are 9398-1 and its limited, AFOL-inspired reskin 41999-1.
Perhaps thinking of these sets in that context — as a revival of a category LEGO has neglected for so long, rather than a departure from what LEGO Technic has traditionally been about — might make it easier for Technic fans to appreciate what they offer.
Mind you, none of this excuses the performance shortcomings FlagsNZ describes in his review, but it does illustrate why these sorts of play-oriented Technic RC sets are a worthwhile part of the LEGO portfolio, and one with considerable precedent.
@Aanchir: that's as may be, but consider that for less than half the price of this set, kids interested in the subject can get all kinds of great remote controlled vehicles.
Granted, not brick built, but from my experience, when it comes to RC vehicles, not being brick built is rather a help than a hindrance.
I’m probably not going to get this. If a Speed Champions set came out with a Stig minifigure or some of the hosts, I might be more interested. However, the only thing ‘Top Gear’ about this set are the stickers. What a waste, and wickedly expensive too.
The best part of this was learning about The Stig TBH. It sounds like an interesting... Stig, to see in action. :P
Best part of this set is the differential and its dedicated review, thank you!
@Aanchir said:
"And it's kind of shocking to realize that LEGO went nearly a decade with hardly ANY sets offering this sort of remote-controlled car play experience which resonates with so many kids and adult toy enthusiasts! The only other Technic cars like these that I am aware of since LEGO Racers ended but prior to the launch of the Powered Up system are 9398-1 and its limited, AFOL-inspired reskin 41999-1 ."
42095-1: Remote-Controlled Stunt Racer - 2019
76112-1: App-Controlled Batmobile - 2018
42065-1: RC Tracked Racer - 2017
42070-1: 6x6 All Terrain Tow Truck - 2017
42030-1: Volvo L350F Wheel Loader - 2014
Maybe not "cars" but those are all remote controlled.
Especially 42095 and 42065 are significantly cheaper then this, they use tracks instead of wheels tho.
Pass
if Lego are going to add trivia in the manual, they need to do a bit more research. The original Stig wore Black.
They should have done some different sponsors over different parts of the car - like Penistone Oil...
I agree with the comments that it should have been a vehicle from the show.
@Ridgeheart said:
"Speaking of things that are outdated and in dire need of a fresh mindset, I'm very happy that this set has little or nothing to do with Jeremy Clarkson and his ilk. I might pick this set up after all!"
Oh come on. I am German (one of JC's favorite "enemy countries"), yet even I like Clarkson's style of humor. ;-)
Though I do admit my favorite of the trio is James "Captain Slow" May, if not mainly for all his other endeavours, like his Toy Stories series for example. Remember the episode about LEGO?
@AustinPowers said:
" Though I do admit my favorite of the trio is James "Captain Slow" May, if not mainly for all his other endeavours, like his Toy Stories series for example. Remember the episode about LEGO? "
Agreed, he even still builds LEGO on Drivetribe videos.
About the car pulling always to right: I think I read this in another review as well.
Is anyone willing to build a mirror'd setup where the drive motor and differential is mounted in opposite direction?
If drive test then shows a pull to the left it could be regarded as proof.
Chefkaspa - I wonder if such a mirrored build would cause problems with the app, if it's difficult to make the motor go the other way. This is one of these basic things that has became needlessly complicated with newer electric systems - with 4.5/9V it was just a matter of turning the plug, with PF you need a dedicated switch, and with PU I suspect it's not possible at all.
BTW, just got the new catalog - the price here is 1579 NOK, that's nearly 160 euro or $185.
A few things put me off buying this set. Price, styling, branding and especially the inability to go in a straight line without constant correction. (Oh I almost forgot having to buy an expensive new phone). No thanks Lego.
Slap on some Top Gear stickers and call it a Top Gear set is the vibe I'm getting from this.
Having done a bit of remote controlled car stuff with work I suspect the pulling is due to the differential having a slight bias to one side. With the remote controlled car challenge at work all the lighter cars would lift their right front wheel when going up steep slopes due to the way the torque transfers through the diff.
In real cars... my old Vauxhall Vectra was terrible for it with one wheel spinning while trying to do a tight right turn out the end of my road, it never did it when turning left...
A bit of a wasted opportunity here, a proper top gear inspired technic set could’ve been awesome using a vehicle actually from the show which I don’t watch anymore since Clarkson, Hammond and May left.
I wish Lego would concentrate on producing proper technic sets we all know and love instead of all this smart phone app controlled stuff.
If you want a proper RC car that has proper speed, control and outdoor ability get a Tamiya kit which does it much better and cheaper.
@mrdoofa said:
"If you want a proper RC car that has proper speed, control and outdoor ability get a Tamiya kit which does it much better and cheaper."
My thoughts exactly. LEGO RC vehicles have never been as satisfying as "proper" RC vehicles like those from Tamiya, Carson, etc.