Interview with Chris Stamp, Speed Champions Design Manager - Part 2
Posted by CapnRex101,
The second section of our exclusive interview with Chris Stamp covers quality issues, production limitations and minifigures in Speed Champions sets.
Brickset: The new sets have received a fantastic response overall, but criticism has been levelled against the printing in certain sets, such as the Lamborghini Countach.
Chris: These are things that we are challenging internally. People have also commented on the 1x2 tiles on the headlights of the Ferrari and we acknowledge that red is not a perfect match. That is not something the designers are happy with, but was the best we could do at the moment.
Did you consider using a standard 1x2 tile instead, without printing?
We tried that, but the headlights looked too narrow with red tiles and we always prioritise attention to detail. Also, when we are developing the elements, we do not always know the quality of the final print, so there is sometimes a disconnect between how we intend the product to be and the production capability.
Actually, there was a slight change to the cockpit printing between 2020 and 2021, where small gaps appeared along the creases of the elements. Production introduced those gaps because of the need to guarantee a certain level of quality. I have not spotted any discussion about that online, but it is something we are examining internally.
I had not noticed that, but I do now that you mention it!
Exactly. There are plenty of topics that people notice online that we are already considering, as well as things which fans do not necessarily notice, but we do! We are definitely aware of the decoration issue though and are very consciously trying to improve that.
That also reminds me of another complaint which I have seen online, regarding the yellow stripe on the Lotus Evija’s windscreen. When designing the cars, we add any graphics by hand with a pen and that yellow line did not end up where we initially planned. However, that is literally as low as we can print on the windscreen element and we have actually never decorated the piece that low before. Alternatives were discussed, such as decorating the top of the windscreen and applying a sticker around the bottom edge, but we are reducing the number of stickers, so this was a compromise.
When considering compromises, we always think about whether die-hard car fans will accept any minor inaccuracies. Also, we are not scared to fail, a little bit, which is why we are always so keen to gather feedback and hear how the theme could improve. If the positioning of the printed line on the Evija is considered too low and not an acceptable compromise, from the fans’ perspective, then that is something we need to focus on for next time. I want the Speed Champions project to be a proper conversation between the designers and the consumers because you are the target audience. We cannot necessarily do everything that fans ask for, but we absolutely try our best.
Excellent. The wet weather tyres on the new Mercedes-AMG Formula 1 car attracted a degree of criticism too.
Yes. That was actually Pirelli’s recommendation because of the tyre texture and we agreed with them that it is authentic. On the other hand, I do think the white may have looked better because there are white details elsewhere on the model, whereas the blue printing on the wheel caps is the only instance of that blue shade. We are seeking realism though, as much as we can.
Reading the feedback and speculation online is interesting because fans sometimes imagine that manufacturers have asked us to produce certain cars. Taking the Dodge dragster as an example, I have seen people assuming that idea originated from Dodge, but it was completely my decision and we approached them about it. There is a long history of LEGO dragsters, but we have never really targeted accuracy on those models.
Past LEGO dragsters have usually been caricatures, which may also be partially responsible for the mixed reception to the Speed Champions dragster. We have seen many LEGO dragsters before, so encountering something more realistic perhaps took some getting used to.
Absolutely. I think the dragster was also important because it shows the breadth of possible Speed Champions subjects. Any fast vehicle is eligible for the range, no matter its nature. In fact, I would say that the theme could include any eight-wide IP vehicle, so minifigure-scale cars of any sort can find a home in Speed Champions.
Speed Champions is, of course, a licensed theme and includes certain minifigures inspired by real people. Have you considered using a flesh skin tone for those minifigures?
Minifigures in Speed Champions are interesting because we consider them to be an accessory to the cars, rather than a major part of the set. They certainly receive the graphical attention they deserve, with unique branding and some collectability, but I would not consider them as important to Speed Champions as they are in various other themes.
With regard to minifigures portraying specific people, we have never actually developed a minifigure to portray a real person in Speed Champions. However, we have sometimes recreated features of notable drivers as a kind of easter egg. Dodge, for instance, has a driver called Leah Pruett, so we included minifigures with blonde hair in our two Dodge products, similar to Leah’s blonde hair. The minifigure is a reference to a real person, but not really a proper depiction.
The comments we have seen around the minifigure ‘inspired by’ Lewis Hamilton were a surprise to us, not least because we have created his cars twice before in 2015 and 2017, without any response from fans. I think the yellow skin tone suits Speed Champions, but the torsos never include yellow printing around the neck or printed hips, so they can be adapted for any ethnicity or gender.
I have noticed that every minifigure also includes a modern racing helmet, even in cases where the car is older. Do you think more era-appropriate helmets could appear?
That was discussed with the Mini Cooper S Rally a few years ago and I cannot honestly remember why it was not possible at the time. I think the suitable part might have been locked to Collectable Minifigures. I did not consider that for the Ferrari 512 M though and perhaps I should have done! It would be a good idea.
Thank you for speaking with us.
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26 comments on this article
Good on Lego for discovering this theme and market. It’s clear Castle, Pirate and Space are no match for the likes of sport stadiums, Harry Potter crests and race car fanatics. They’re making big bucks right now from these seemingly niche items by targeting fanatics and it’s paying off.
Next we’ll get a real life replica of a licensed soccer ball and basketball made of Lego costing $500 and it will sell like hotcakes. I predicted it here first, folks.
It's great that they acknowledge where they can do better and they're right, sometimes they can only do the best they can. If it doesn't land they have to do something different, but if fans are okay with it then it is fine.
That's been a really good 2-part interview. I like the constant feedback-improvement loop they're working on, can only mean the sets get better with time.
Interesting to read about all the small things that they consider and the compromises inherent in the product.
I love the Speed Champion series. I'm not a "car guy" at all, I just love the attention to detail and the fact I could never own these cars in real life, so this is a cheap alternative!
Especially since they went 8 studs wide. Massive improvement.
This was a very enjoyable read! It's quite refreshing to see designers admit their constraints and mistakes. I especially love how much he cares about getting a quality product to consumers! I already am interested in buying a few of the new sets, but this interview makes me want to support the theme even more! On a side note, I'm glad he doesn't seem to be planning to swap to flesh tones.
I would love to see more of these interviews as they have been some of the best reading on Brickset! I would especially be intrigued to see an interview of some of the Star Wars designers. I am very curious to see how they approach new sets.
Another interesting interview. I like how the criticisms and feedback were addressed. A good reminder for all of us that just because a certain design looks better doesn't necessarily mean it is better.
These interviews have been excellent--thanks! I hadn't realized I might be interested in this theme, but went out this morning and bought a copy of 76900 Koenigsegg Jesko as a result of reading them.
Another non-car guy here that has bought nearly every set from the last few years. My youngest son can’t build them yet with me, but he gets to zoom them around. Great insights in this interview. I was just explaining the buried Swedish flag and the use of nexo knight blades to my wife and there was almost an interest, hah. Thanks for this feature.
Great interview, and I really appreciate how open Chris was.
Thanks, CapnRex101!
@PhantomBricks said:
"This was a very enjoyable read! It's quite refreshing to see designers admit their constraints and mistakes. I especially love how much he cares about getting a quality product to consumers! I already am interested in buying a few of the new sets, but this interview makes me want to support the theme even more! On a side note, I'm glad he doesn't seem to be planning to swap to flesh tones.
I would love to see more of these interviews as they have been some of the best reading on Brickset! I would especially be intrigued to see an interview of some of the Star Wars designers. I am very curious to see how they approach new sets."
With Star Wars (at least the 'new' stuff) there are two main problems: (1) Lego tends to focus on vehicles and only 20-30 years later do they begin to tackle sceneries. (2) they have to work with limited information - vague sketches and drawings - little knowing of the importance of such drawings, etc. To do well, they would probably need the whole script of the movie to understand what's important and why - I doubt that'll ever happen with most upcoming movies.
As for the older stuff, I suppose they have a 'formula' that tells them when to make another X-wing, Millennium Falcon, AT-AT or speeder. The rest probably taken out of a hat in a draw!?
A suggestion: look at the whole universe of Star Wars and every year pick one item that has never been done (preferably including one minifig that has never been done). Leave the rest of your line-up as you wish. That way, the new consumers can get the generic stuff and the hard core fans can get the more 'obscure/niche' stuff: Win-win-win.
Him and his team have been doing a stellar job with these sets lately, huh? The level of quality and detail on the last few waves of speed champions sets have been truly insane
"In fact, I would say that the theme could include any eight-wide IP vehicle, so minifigure-scale cars of any sort can find a home in Speed Champions."
Then there is hope (!) for a sub-theme of classic 4WD vehicles (as I wished for in a previous thread), such as the first generation Ford Bronco, a Land Rover 110 and a Toyota Land Cruiser. I'm crossing my fingers.
I love cars and racing, so Speed Champions is a perfect fit for me. They've improved so much with the change to 8 wide, the amount of details and improved accuracy is impressive. I also really appreciate the variety of makes and models they do. It's not just the big names like Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Porsche, but they've started branching out to brands like Koenigsegg. Cars from different eras is important to the variety too and they've nailed that as well.
TLDR: Speed Champions are awesome, keep up the good work
It's a great theme and I wonder if in time it might be developed to reference iconic "auto movies" like Cannonball Run. Or maybe Used Cars which was terrible but still a favourite of mine.
Excellent work. Congratulations on a continuously improving theme. Marvelous interview. Get the printing sorted out and i'll go and find a bucket full of more acolades :o)
The Lewis Hamilton controversy looks a little different with this new revelation. And if the helmet they’re referring to is the S4 hockey player, that was 2011, and it repeated in 2012 with the S8 football player. It skipped the next three years, and in 2016 was appearing in regular Ninjago sets. It appears to have been freed for use outside of CMF three years before the Mini Cooper set launched, and it appeared as recently as last year (so the mold wasn’t retired in 2019). I’m wondering if it just hadn’t been considered/remembered, or if they didn’t want to waste a slot on recoloring it.
@ForestMenOfEndor:
Fingers crossed for an 8-wide Yugo, with period-accurate gaps between components…
Wonderful interview, both parts being informative and honest! Thank you, Brickset and Mr. Stamp!
Thanks for the interview CapnRex and Chris!!! Makes me want to buy more Speed Champions. I loved the 6-wide, but only got into them as that line was ending. Still embracing the 8-wide... The level of detail combined with the unique building experience make SC a winner. And as a man in my late 30s... applying lots of stickers makes me feel more like an adult before I go zoom around with the cars lol
Excellent interview and an excellent theme.
I think including modern crash helmets in older car sets is absolutely fine since most still take part in classic car races (e.g. Mini 7 / Mini Miglia) where a period appropriate helmet wouldn't be permitted anyway.
Most of the answers seem believable up until the point the colour inconsistency of the prints is explained. To me it's a really bad excuse for a designer to say that "we do not always know the quality of the final print". Really?! It's not like it's the first time they print on transparent black canopy pieces in white, red, etc. I have never seen a proper white print on such a piece, it's always light grey. The only way they can solve that is to print at least 2-3 layers on top of each other and for red to look proper, it would need to have the first layer in white and 1-2 layers of red on top. But this costs more, so why bother, right? You'd expect a flat tile to be a no-brainer. Remember that heartwarming story of the wooden duck, that didn't have enough coatings of lacquer that little Godfred had to recall and repaint by hand?
Seriously, if TLG cannot print better, at least they shouldn't mislead the customers with the perfect renderings on the boxes. They should be honest and show what level of quality is to be expected, meaning stickers and prints that don't match in colour, visible sprue marks on the edges, flow lines, etc.
Guess the new company motto should be changed to "we are not scared to fail, a little...but we absolutely try our best".
"In fact, I would say that the theme could include any eight-wide IP vehicle, so minifigure-scale cars of any sort can find a home in Speed Champions." Although you probably wouldn't want to do a car that was known for being slow, considering the theme's name.
@cm5878: They did reference Bullitt with 75884, so there's hope! (Speaking of which, I want an eight-wide Mustang.)
I dig this guy. He sounds like a few product guys I’ve known in my career. He’s passionate about the stuff he’s working on, and he’s very aware of every single aspect of the product’s shortcomings. But it is product, has to deliver on time and on budget and within parameters, and that’s just that. You get things as close as you can. Closer still if you REALLY love what you do. He clearly does.
Great interview.
@PurpleDave said:
" @ForestMenOfEndor:
Fingers crossed for an 8-wide Yugo, with period-accurate gaps between components…"
Yugo will be a total win with the accurate gaps!
But there are also Zastava, Škoda and Trabant.
I really love what the Speed Champions Team is doing.
Seeing Chris's passion to the theme is so nice.
I always liked the Speed Champions Theme but with the 8-wide Cars I got really into it.
It's probably the best choice they made and it makes to car so much better!
Before that I the Cars didn't feel that unique and the building techniques where sometimes limited. Now there are some many amazing techniques and some you only notice when you build them. Cars that are partially build in different widths or completely, looking at you Bronco R
or techniques where the Hight of a Hinge Brick makes all the difference.
I just love the attention to detail there.
Since the Speed Champions Team might read this:
Can the Team release some behind the Scenes?
I would love to see something little things like the Aston Martin Side Exhaust prototypes
or some other things that might be cool!
Also are there any plans to revisit Cars made in the 6-wide era?
Something like the Porsche 911, Ferrari F40 or Ford Mustang (GT)
I would love to see the Supercars (from Technic) as 8-wide Speed Champions
Something like the Lamborghini Aventador with it's interesting front "lip" would be cool too
or even something totally different like the square Hummer SUV(Humvee) or a DMC DeLorean.
I too was skeptical about narrower headlight lenses as was suggested in the original Brickset review to swap out the edge tiles. But alas, once I dug into my Ferrari reference books including the actual 1970 512M No.4 driven by Jacky Ickx and Ignazio Giunti to championship you can see that narrower lenses is actually more accurate. On my Insta page I showed a side-by-side with some reference photos. I now think it was the right suggestion to make the mod.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Caxyk_avBuP/
Why not introducing wedge tiles? They will be useful on these models... yes, other plastic are making them yet :(