Holiday gift guide: Speed Champions
Posted by Huw,
We've had a terrific response to our request for holiday gift guide suggestions so far, so to kick things off in the under $25 category, two Speed Champions cars receive recommendations:
76895 Ferrari F8 Tributo, by Skyehigh013
The Speed Champions line kicked off this year with a major change, increasing the width of the cars from 6 studs to 8. 76895 Ferrari F8 Tributo is one of the best sets from this year's Speed Champions line up. The red colour scheme is striking and the curves of the bodywork make it stand out from many of LEGO's previous vehicles.
The set relies on few stickers and even includes multiple printed pieces to add detail (a great step in the right direction for this line). New pieces for 2020 are including making the set interesting to AFOLs while still being a simple, yet enjoyable, build for those newer to Lego.
Whether you are sceptical about the change in size or new to the Speed Champions line, the Ferrari F8 Tributo is a great small set to pick up. Plus, it's maybe just the right set to get a friend or family member hooked back into Lego without having to shell out a lot, particularly one that would love to own a real Ferrari!
76897 1985 Audi Sport Quattro S1 by Paul Roberts
For me this set was a must-have, as it is in my opinion the greatest car of all time, an evolution of the first 4-wheel drive car in rallying. Unfortunately, it was only raced for short time because, due to very tragic circumstances, it was banned less than a year after its first appearance in the sport.
The real car was amazing, very futuristic in 1985/6 and it made an awesome noise. Also of note was it was also driven by one of the very few, if not only female driver and co-driver combination in the top level of World Rallying.
Like many, I have enjoyed Speed champions from the start and have almost all of the “6 wide” sets. I was disappointed when they announced that the latest sets would be 8-wide. However, it certainly allows more detail, so I think it was a good idea. The model is very accurate representation of the car and has the original paint scheme.
The build is enjoyable. I would recommend this to any AFOL rally fan, and younger builders may also enjoy it, not knowing what it is/was. And of course being LEGO, you can modify it. I have managed to make the previous generation car which was a short wheelbase version, the final version, the Pikes Peak special, and thanks to someone on the Internet even a 6-wide version.
So don’t buy me one as I have 4 already!
I forgot to mention in the previous article: please include your Brickset username in your submissions so I can properly attribute them.
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24 comments on this article
Strange 8 wide has not being done before, with all the previous Ferrari's either being 6 wide (not very convincing) or 14 wide (fairly large and expensive), whereas 8 wide seems to be more suitable for achieving a realistic sports car where you also want a wide body relative to a low height. It's a Ferrari, so what's not to like, with all the Ferrari logo's, clever use of pentagon tiles for the front bumper, the new larger wheel arches and the windscreen is unique to this set.
Have both of these :)
I prefer the Audi, it has more details, imo, the shape has been better recreated than the Ferrari and I also like this yellow and white color scheme. Looks fresh albeit old school.
But those damn stickers....
You can't really go wrong with either of these, it's just a matter of preference. Looking forward to see what's coming next year
Great work by Paul Roberts to highlight what further can be built from the Audi set. So many reviews seem to focus only on the single design of the set, and not on the potential for further building.
As for the two of these, I prefer the Ferrari. Absolutely love the parts selection included, and the potential to build so much more than the intended model. Some great models here, for example:
https://rebrickable.com/sets/76895-1/ferrari-f8-tributo/?inventory=1 alt_builds
(mine's the Generic Soulless Sports Car).
The move to 8-wide makes sense for the wide, low supercars, as they looked a little ridiculous in 6-wide. But then to do a car like the Audi that doesn't need the extra width, it just makes the line look all out of proportion again.
I actually used the holiday gift guide from a couple years ago to make a purchase...
I mean, the set was for myself, but still...
I'm happy with the shift from 6 to 8 wide, but its execution has not been the best so far.
For one, the steering wheel is always offset half a stud from the driver. And for the current lineup, the improvements are mostly in the proportions, not so much in the details. I think there is room for improvement left for 2021.
That said, the Quattro is still my favorite Speed Champions set so far. Nice gift suggestions!
I liked the 6 wide better, but that's because they fit better with the minifigures, even if they fit only 1.
Those make better display models.
This 8-wide Ferrari is my first Speed Champions set. I just got it delivered yesterday and will likely build it tonight.
Waiting for every set in Speed Champs to be recommended as we move up in price range
The Ferrari was a must buy for me. One of the best minifig scale cars of all time in my opinion.
The other Speed Champions car I liked was the Lamborghini Huracan but I wouldn't recommend that set as a gift because it's so expensive. The builds are good though.
Personally, I'm not a fan of the 8-wide Speed Champions; I like the way the smaller cars are a similar size to City vehicles, and it's a good challenge to build convincing models at the smaller size.
However, I bought both of these sets for very different reasons.
The Ferrari doesn't convince, for me, as a stand-alone model. Decent build but I really don't like stickers for headlights. But it is a great parts set - lots of useful stuff in red which has gone into several MoCs.
The Audi is a whole other matter. As a LEGO fan of a certain age, this is a great model of my boyhood dream car. It's a very convincing model, with good detail & colour. It's the first set I've ever bought exclusively as a display piece, and the first I've used a full set of stickers on.
Even the 6-stud-wide Speed Champion cars are too wide for my taste. I love the 5-wide Mini Cooper!
I'll continue to collect the super wide ones I like, but I'll keep them sealed. They're WAY too big to go in a LEGO town.
Supposedly there's going to be a Mclaren next year. I really hope that they're re-releasing the old 6-wide cars in 8-wide!
Have considered the Audi a few times but haven't picked it up yet... maybe next time!
Great idea for a gift with the instant recognition, the cost is affordable. It’s quick entry for even a casual fan, even someone getting re-introduced to LEGO perhaps. This is an exceptional gift for the holidays.
@DoonsterBuildsLego said:
"Personally, I'm not a fan of the 8-wide Speed Champions; I like the way the smaller cars are a similar size to City vehicles, and it's a good challenge to build convincing models at the smaller size.
However, I bought both of these sets for very different reasons.
The Ferrari doesn't convince, for me, as a stand-alone model. Decent build but I really don't like stickers for headlights. But it is a great parts set - lots of useful stuff in red which has gone into several MoCs.
The Audi is a whole other matter. As a LEGO fan of a certain age, this is a great model of my boyhood dream car. It's a very convincing model, with good detail & colour. It's the first set I've ever bought exclusively as a display piece, and the first I've used a full set of stickers on. "
I fully agree about the headlight stickers. If only they looked less jerky it'd be a home-run in my opinion. Great for parts too, as you said
@Huw: could you fix typo on link? Buy now at Leco.com
Definitely agree the Speed Champions line makes for a great gift at this price. I think anyone into cars would love these whether into LEGO or not as they aren't overly difficult or time consuming to build.
Personally the Ferrari is my favourite of this first wave.
As a collector of a couple of 6-wide SC, I'm not yet convinced to make the switch to 8-wide. I honestly adore the building techniques used on the 6-wide and while they most certainly are not meant to be perfect representations of the real life vehicles, they still look marvelous and have very interesting use of pieces. The look like Lego versions of the real life cars and I liked that. Wheel size (and the part itself) was perfect for those and I honestly had no problem with them seating only one minifig. As a toy, they were perfect.
My favorite Lego series! But WHEN will we see any information about 2021 sets? Will there even be any? Or are we only going to have unrealistic, expensive Technics sets . See my Speed Champions, and other videos on "Lego Tonyb" youtube,
The whole SC lineup this year was strong in my opinion. The 76896 GT-R is my favourite in the entire theme, but as standalone sets, you can't go wrong with any of the 2020 cars.
I am a very experienced AFOL. I just put this set (Ferrari F8) together last night. It is not a simple build like previous cars, mainly because there is a lot of detail in the build. I would recommend it to anyone. Some beginners might have trouble with it. Plus, any Lego set under $ 25.00 is a refreshing item. I always purchase these automobiles because of the price. This one looks great, especially if one takes care placing the decals.
@jackflash49 said:
"I am a very experienced AFOL. I just put this set (Ferrari F8) together last night. It is not a simple build like previous cars, mainly because there is a lot of detail in the build. I would recommend it to anyone. Some beginners might have trouble with it. Plus, any Lego set under $ 25.00 is a refreshing item. I always purchase these automobiles because of the price. This one looks great, especially if one takes care placing the decals."
I agree, this model was a welcome challenge. Most sets I can put together with about 25% effort. The different building techniques were a great surprise!
I'm a little disappointed the F40 wasn't released in 8-wide. It's doubtful they'll do another version in the near future.
I did get the Ferrari as a gift. Good pick!