Bit Znap like around the cab

I like all the Technic wreckers that have been done over the years (have relatives in the towing and recovery industry, and the owner of the business, my grandfather's nephew, has been wanting me to work for him; doing the rigging to roll wrecked cars back over on their wheels and drag them back onto the road), but this one is just too over-stylized

You know, I don't think we've ever had a Technic rotator wrecker, in which the boom swivels 360'

Looks a bit like a space tow truck (cab shape, box art)

Certainly a bit futuristic, but since it was the year 1998, it was a time where LEGO was trying out many different styles.

This was one of the last large set mostly using studded technic bricks, including the crane.

Another example would be https://brickset.com/sets/8446-1/Crane-Truck from 1999 , also looks quite futuristic.

(2002/2003 had a re-release of an old 1995 set so I won't count that)

Of course many sets still use studded technic bricks even in 2020 , but not as the majority of the build.

$122 for 774 pieces.

May not seem like it now, but I have a feeling that is overpriced back in the 90s

^Today, it would be $194, or similar in cost to that dreaded 60271 from earlier this week.

The balloon wheel for the hog steering feels so good.

@Isabella_and_Lego_Liker said:
"^Today, it would be $194, or similar in cost to that dreaded 60271 from earlier this week."

Ouch!

I really really wanted to have one as a kid. There is something about late 90s early 2000 futurism, that I enjoy very much. I would really like to know how that style is called (if it has a name)

Very playable, not at least in combination with https://brickset.com/sets/8432-1/Concept-Car
Pneumatics with a tank, I love that combination and those wheels look great, either the one or the other side in-/outwards.
Seats are suitable for technic "minifigs", which should be reintroduced.

I used to have 8285 and 8846, and although these are not bad sets, 8462 is my favourite out of the Technic tow trucks. First I didn't like the futuristic look, wheels and turquoise colour with blue. Then I began admiring the full pneumatic towing functions with 2 (!) air tanks, the interesting extension mechanism of the metal hook, the solid chassis and other manual functions. The look grew on me as well and there was one test I remember: I could tow the 8868 with it, so this set climbed on the top of the list. I would add fake engine and rear pneumatic stabilizers to make this set perfect.

In my opinion this is the best wrecker from the technic line based on lift capability. The chassis frame is very stable.
At that time the style was very futuristic:
- cabin shape
- colour choice of its interior
- silver wheel
It always reminds me of a truck designed by Colani (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Colani-LKW.jpg/220px-Colani-LKW.jpg)

I think the two airtanks are a bit too much but who wants to complain about an extra one respectively extended play fun?

I love these late 90s Technic models.

I got this one for my birthday back in 1998. Amazing set, love the pneumatics.

to me, this starts to show where Lego was going the following years: strange looks, expensive parts in plenty ...

I got this 2nd hand only a few years ago for little money, so I have no emotional bond towards it (1998 was already dark for me) ... the build process and the functions are good but complex and prone to clogg up due to that. the parts are very very special ... so many bricks, 6 of those silver wheels, two(!!) air tanks, these frames in the back, teal cockpit interior, tubes ... I totally understand why tlg was not making profit with such sets, and they steered down the hole the coming years even more. well and the looks ... it appears some people really like it, but to me personally it feels like an attempt by tlg to create own design instead of imitating reality (yes I know there were some strange futurism things present back then, but they didn't really made an impact either).

They should rename this set to be “Space tow truck.“

My first big Lego set after the dark ages! What's not to like about it? The wheels seemed a big strange for a truck, but they were cool on their own.

Seeing this as the random set is like a breath of fresh air. It's a pretty NORMAL random set. Fairly forgettable. ...unlike Scala or Belville sets that have popped up lately and cannot be unseen.