Review: 42153 NASCAR Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Posted by Huw,
42153 NASCAR Next Gen Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 is the cheapest of the four Technic sets that have just been released and from a Technic fan's perspective it's possibly the least interesting one as well.
Read on to find out if it has any redeeming qualities.
Summary
42153 NASCAR Next Gen Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, 672 pieces.
£44.99 / $49.99 / €49.99 | 6.7p/7.4c/7.4c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
Sparkly and colourful but unless you need a NASCAR licenced car you'll be better off looking elsewhere in the Technic assortment
- Fits on 42098 Car Transporter
- Looks quite good with stickers applied
- Not suitable for those with pittakionophobia
- Unsightly transitions in bodywork
- Would look terrible without the stickers applied
- Fictional livery
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
Parts and stickers
This is a sticker-heavy set which relies upon them entirely for aesthetics. The stickers, however, are beautifully printed on a sparkly silver foil backing.
The rear wheel arches are printed which is both a blessing and a curse. It's a curse because you are forced to apply the stickers that match up with them otherwise the model will look a bit odd.
Construction
The 627 pieces are spread across four numbered bags, two of which contain parts for the chassis, which incorporates steering via a gear at the back, and a 'working' V8 engine, connected to the rear axle via a differential.
The completed model
It's about 27 cm long and 12 cm wide, or about 15 studs, which makes it the same scale as 42093 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 and the car on 42098 Car Transporter, so it fits onto the latter.
Unusually, it's blue on one side and red on the other, and the colour scheme is entirely dependent on the stickers to tie it together.
The transition between the wheel arches and the inset door panel is very unsightly. I can't think of any parts in the Technic palette that could be added to make it less so, but there needs to be some!
The back of the front one in particular looks terrible, with nothing underneath it, just ending in mid-air.
It's a fictional livery, complete with fictional sponsors, such as Mani Fold, Firm Gripp and EN Gyne.
The bonnet opens to reveal the V8 engine. The tan pins are supposed to go up and down as the cam shaft rotates, but they are a bit too light so some of them don't -- gravitational pull is not sufficient to overcome the friction.
White coloured LEGO parts are slightly yellow-y which isn't noticeable unless whiter stickers are applied to them!
I am happy to accept blue pins and red axles as part of the Technic aesthetic, but the use of a yellow connector piece under the steering gear at the back is bewildering given how much it sticks out like a sore thumb. The piece is readily available in black, after all.
It does not really introduce anything new: as you can see it's very similar to the car that comes with 42098 Car Transporter that was introduced four years ago, which also suffers from similar aesthetic deficiencies.
Verdict
This is branded as a vehicle that competes in NASCAR, so presumably fans will find something to like here, although given that it's a fictional livery perhaps not as many as had it been a based on a real team car.
Those that aren't fans of the American stock car racing series probably won't be drawn to it, though, particularly as it's so dependent on the stickers for its overall appearance.
However, it's a relatively quick and simple build, so it could be suitable for young Technic aficionados, if they like applying stickers, that is!
It's available now at LEGO.com, priced at $49.99, £44.99, €49.99.
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39 comments on this article
Snore.
Oh, looks it's a car that can only make left turns!
Admit it people who are fans, you only watch it for the crashes. (Reminds me of the famous "bread and circus" from Roman days) Who says chariot racing is dead?
Oh, and the Lego model has issues too: sure, it's a cool model, but why? Just because they could?
@Murdoch17 said:
"Oh, looks it's a car that can only make left turns!
Admit it people who are fans, you only watch it for the crashes. (Reminds me of the famous "bread and circus" from Roman days) Who says chariot racing is dead?
Oh, and the Lego model has issues too: sure, it's a cool model, but why? Just because they could?"
It’s Lego trying to jump on the 75th anniversary of NASCAR, hence the 75 on the side. The review by @huw , is spot on, those who follow NASCAR for sure will be getting this.
The color scheme though, I thought would match the 75th anniversary logo , which does have blue and red, but it actually starts with yellow. Also none of the text for the media or on the webpage reflect the reason behind 75. Maybe a short designer video will showcase it.
And sticker overload is to match a normal NASCAR, so many sponsors , everyone gets a decal.
Apparently it's the 75th anniversary of NASCAR this year. Maybe that's why it's 75 and generic.
@Murdoch17 said:
"Oh, looks it's a car that can only make left turns!
Admit it people who are fans, you only watch it for the crashes. (Reminds me of the famous "bread and circus" from Roman days) Who says chariot racing is dead?
Oh, and the Lego model has issues too: sure, it's a cool model, but why? Just because they could?"
You could just say you don't like NASCAR.
In case anyone else was wondering...
"Pittakionophobia – fear of stickers
Some people can’t stand when a sticker has half or fully peeled away and the reverse becomes dirty, others just can’t stand the stickiness. Pittakionophobia is an extremely rare phobia but one that can get in the way of everyday life. For example, think of all the price labels in some supermarkets or stores and address labels in the office. For those with children, stickers can be hard to avoid."
Source: https://www.airdri.com/blog/unusual-phobias-and-how-to-overcome-them/
@Murdoch17 said:
"Oh, looks it's a car that can only make left turns!
Admit it people who are fans, you only watch it for the crashes. (Reminds me of the famous "bread and circus" from Roman days) Who says chariot racing is dead?
Oh, and the Lego model has issues too: sure, it's a cool model, but why? Just because they could?"
It's always "nice" to see this tired joked trotted out every five minutes.
The NASCAR Cup Series races on multiple different types of ovals, as well as numerous road courses. They are adding street tracks this year as well. With that addition, they can likely take the claim from IndyCar of having the most diverse track schedule. A NASCAR Cup car will be entered in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2023. Later this month, multiple F1 and sportscar champions will join the NASCAR Cup grid at COTA to compete in a road course race that boasts one of the largest number of entries out of any major non-multi class racing series in the world.
@BooTheMightyHamster, I like to dig that word out every now and again :-)
Well I am a huge fan of it, maybe it's my bias as a NASCAR fan talking but I think an anniversary set like this is super fun. My first technic set over 100 pieces too, I'm just glad to have it :)
Oh! Also it's 672 pieces. Not 627
As for the set itself, I watch NASCAR but I don't think I'll be getting it unless it goes on a deep discount.
The shaping just doesn't look right to me. One particular area of concern for me is the splitter - it's not completely straight across as seen on this set. The vents on top of the hood use a sticker and are in the wrong place. Also, the entire nose of the car just looks wrong. It's too flat, and the little 'winglets' at the left and right front are way too pronounced.
The rear of the car isn't too bad, but the diffuser is way too pronounced.
The sides of it are pretty awful as mentioned with the terrible transition from wheel arches to door panels.
To me it's just not a good set of the subject material.
Dull, sticker crazy... pass
@Murdoch17 said:
"Oh, looks it's a car that can only make left turns!
Admit it people who are fans, you only watch it for the crashes. (Reminds me of the famous "bread and circus" from Roman days) Who says chariot racing is dead?
Oh, and the Lego model has issues too: sure, it's a cool model, but why? Just because they could?"
Why does any of this matter? And F1 cars crash after being touched by a leaf, and didn't they have a race in which only one pass was made? Sorry but I like to watch racing, not follow the leader.
Thanks @Huw for teaching me a new word: pittakionophobia. Great review also!
@SithLord196 said:
" @Murdoch17 said:
"Oh, looks it's a car that can only make left turns!
Admit it people who are fans, you only watch it for the crashes. (Reminds me of the famous "bread and circus" from Roman days) Who says chariot racing is dead?
Oh, and the Lego model has issues too: sure, it's a cool model, but why? Just because they could?"
You could just say you don't like NASCAR."
I had been to NASCAR races throughout my childhood in the early 2000's. I found the most exciting thing to do was get lunch. It was much too loud, too many crazies, and too much time watching things go in circles until I got dizzy. It also was an hour long drive to get to the track from my parents house, plus 30 minutes of walking to our seats and getting situated, and 2+ hours of watching things go in circles, then you spend another hour or so going home.. you couldn't pay me enough to do that!
Yes, I don't like automobile racing.
@Legolandcollector1978_1990 said:
" @Murdoch17 said:
"Oh, looks it's a car that can only make left turns!
Admit it people who are fans, you only watch it for the crashes. (Reminds me of the famous "bread and circus" from Roman days) Who says chariot racing is dead?
Oh, and the Lego model has issues too: sure, it's a cool model, but why? Just because they could?"
Why does any of this matter? And F1 cars crash after being touched by a leaf, and didn't they have a race in which only one pass was made? Sorry but I like to watch racing, not follow the leader."
No need to shame Formula 1 to defend NASCAR. All forms of auto racing can be exciting, fun, and awesome - NASCAR, IndyCar, Formula 1 and rally car all have their strengths and weaknesses.
The set looks OK to me, but I don't mind stickers. I'd like to see more licensed racecars in LEGO in general, though I prefer the SC and Creator Expert cars to the Technic builds.
This set is good for one other thing: It makes me appreciate how good my copy of 4993 is, with practically the same footprint but not a single sticker.
I hadn't realised that the 2 sides were different colours.
I'm don't mind the construction problems so much and I'm happy to leave off the stickers. I intend to add a pull-back motor to race against 42138 Ford Mustang. That one has been a hit with the kids, so having a race partner will be good.
One of the Technic cars of all time
I think this idea would’ve been better represented within the Speed Champions theme. A similar set like the 2000s Ferrari pit stops would have been perfect. Plus the reliance on stickers would’ve matched other Speed Champions models. For what it’s worth, I’m happy to see NASCAR representation. I remember when Mega Bloks partnered with NASCAR and made models of all the famous cars at the time! There’s definitely an audience for this, and if TLG is going to continue making boring cars with the same size/functions then they might as well diversify them like this.
@Jesse_S_T said:
"I think this idea would’ve been better represented within the Speed Champions theme. A similar set like the 2000s Ferrari pit stops would have been perfect. Plus the reliance on stickers would’ve matched other Speed Champions models. For what it’s worth, I’m happy to see NASCAR representation. I remember when Mega Bloks partnered with NASCAR and made models of all the famous cars at the time! There’s definitely an audience for this, and if TLG is going to continue making boring cars with the same size/functions then they might as well diversify them like this."
I very much hope that we get a Speed Champions stock car here shortly. We had one in six wide a few years back, but I missed that one. A NASCAR 75th Anniversary Cup Car in eight wide would be an instant buy from me.
Some designs are just near-perfect for the Technics line
This is not one of those designs. And, at that price, I'm willing to bet these sit until the holiday season.
I think it looks pretty cool. I originally didn't like the Porsche Formula E car set but once I built it I felt it looked fine.
I seriously never understood why anyone could like watching NASCAR racing since it seems so extremely boring watching cars just going round a simple oval for hundreds of laps. Total mystery to me.
Perhaps a fan could elaborate what makes it fascinating to the connoisseur.
If people like it for the crashes, why not simply watch a demolition derby?
As for this set, zero interest.
The amount of stickers, done-before build and barely-existing functions are one thing.
But 50 euro for this?
Not to mention that we've had so, so many cars in technic lately. Or at least it feels that way. Licenses like Nascar too. What does it even add here? What's different from a non-'Nascar' set? Even the sponsors are not actual brands, so why the tie-in? They probably sell the best but sets like these feel like the safest, least interesting thing you can do with the theme.
On a positive note, I like the holographic stickers. And it's nice that you can get a technic set on this price point at least.
Die hard motor sports nut (religiously followed F1, endurance racing, and nascar since ~2008) who lives in the USA here, and I have to admit I only bought this because it was the least annoying option to get to a GWP threshold, and it seemed like a fun thing to put in the background of work calls to start conversations. Not exactly something I will display in an easy-to-look-at-closely location :)
@AustinPowers said:
"I seriously never understood why anyone could like watching NASCAR racing since it seems so extremely boring watching cars just going round a simple oval for hundreds of laps. Total mystery to me. "
But Nürbugring is kind of the same too, right? My wife enjoyed the experience of being driven that fast on the track, but it’s still just fast cars on an oval.
I don't like Technic sets at all, but this one is so gross it makes me mad for those who do like Technic. Ugh.
@AustinPowers said:
"I seriously never understood why anyone could like watching NASCAR racing since it seems so extremely boring watching cars just going round a simple oval for hundreds of laps. Total mystery to me.
Perhaps a fan could elaborate what makes it fascinating to the connoisseur.
If people like it for the crashes, why not simply watch a demolition derby?
As for this set, zero interest. "
While track, cross country, and road runners are far from the stereotype of a NASCAR fan, the "crazies" as @Murdoch17 puts it, for those who race in other ways, there is a kind of vicarious thrill in seeing one racer challenge another, knowing the surge in effort that it takes, and the joy and relief of a successful pass and seeing your rival drift to the back. I wouldn't be surprised if motorcycle or bicycle racers understand this too.
It's probably a niche perspective, but there are going to be some people in the overlap between Nascar fans and racing athletes.
@ohrmazd said:
" @AustinPowers said:
"I seriously never understood why anyone could like watching NASCAR racing since it seems so extremely boring watching cars just going round a simple oval for hundreds of laps. Total mystery to me. "
But Nürbugring is kind of the same too, right? My wife enjoyed the experience of being driven that fast on the track, but it’s still just fast cars on an oval.
"
Ugh, sorry, misspelled that. Nürburgring.
@AustinPowers said:
"I seriously never understood why anyone could like watching NASCAR racing since it seems so extremely boring watching cars just going round a simple oval for hundreds of laps. Total mystery to me.
Perhaps a fan could elaborate what makes it fascinating to the connoisseur.
If people like it for the crashes, why not simply watch a demolition derby?
As for this set, zero interest. "
There are far fewer crashes in NASCAR Cup races than one would first expect. The big wrecks at super speedway ovals have colored that reputation a bit. Motor racing whether it is in NASCAR, Formula 1, IndyCar, etc., all have a bunch of factors involved that can make it interesting to the viewer. The extreme lengths teams go in their engineering to maximize performance, the chess style strategies played out at high speeds by both teams and drivers, a racer working lap after lap to set up the perfect overtake. The fine margins being dealt with are almost impossible to imagine.
When I was first introduced to racing when I was much younger, I didn't have anyone to really explain to me what was happening on track. All I saw was cars going fast. Later in life, a friend of mine encouraged me to get back into it and well... it took hold. If you are interested at all in exploring racing in more detail there are countless subreddits and forums that can really set you in the right direction.
@ohrmazd said:
" @AustinPowers said:
"I seriously never understood why anyone could like watching NASCAR racing since it seems so extremely boring watching cars just going round a simple oval for hundreds of laps. Total mystery to me. "
But Nürbugring is kind of the same too, right? My wife enjoyed the experience of being driven that fast on the track, but it’s still just fast cars on an oval."
I'm no racing fan any longer (used to watch some as a kid), but I know the layout of the Nürburgring and I've seen a couple of NASCAR races years ago.
Of course in the end you get to where you startet, but it's nothing like one of those NASCAR ovals where drivers just have to hold the steering wheel and keep the pedal to the metal.
At courses like the Nürburgring, or other Formula 1 or Touring Car etc. courses, the drivers have to go round tight corners (ever seen a course like Monte Carlo or similar inner city courses?), constantly accelerating, breaking, steering left and right, going round chicanes in between several other cars at very high speeds.
At NASCAR they just seem to accelerate until they reach top speed and then hold their steering wheel tight until the end. Well almost, since of course they have to make some pit stops in between, but even those appear less exciting than say in Formula 1, where the extremely tight spaces in the pit lane make for very thrilling maneuvers. In NASCAR speedways everything seems wide open and far less tight.
Yes, they are close to each other at high speeds, but since there's no chicanes, tight corners or anything that tests the driving skills of the pilots to the limit, I simply fail to see the attraction. Sorry to admit, but one gets the impression there's not really much skill involved at all. Simply stamina to endure the forces of pressing a pedal and holding a steering wheel tight for hundreds of laps.
Sure that might be oversimplified, but that's how it appears on the screen versus race series that actually involve precision driving skills.
And let's not even begin comparing it to Rallye driving series, which require an insane amount of driving skills and offer thrills far beyond any other type of car racing.
Oh no, the toy of a racing series where the cars are covered in stickers.......is covered in stickers!!!
I'm a HUGE Nascar and Lego fan and i was excited to learn there would finally be a Nascar set. Ive seen it in stores but I've been reluctant to buy it because it looks nothing like a real stock car. Very disappointing.
@AustinPowers said:
" @ohrmazd said:
" @AustinPowers said:
"I seriously never understood why anyone could like watching NASCAR racing since it seems so extremely boring watching cars just going round a simple oval for hundreds of laps. Total mystery to me. "
But Nürbugring is kind of the same too, right? My wife enjoyed the experience of being driven that fast on the track, but it’s still just fast cars on an oval."
I'm no racing fan any longer (used to watch some as a kid), but I know the layout of the Nürburgring and I've seen a couple of NASCAR races years ago.
Of course in the end you get to where you startet, but it's nothing like one of those NASCAR ovals where drivers just have to hold the steering wheel and keep the pedal to the metal.
At courses like the Nürburgring, or other Formula 1 or Touring Car etc. courses, the drivers have to go round tight corners (ever seen a course like Monte Carlo or similar inner city courses?), constantly accelerating, breaking, steering left and right, going round chicanes in between several other cars at very high speeds.
At NASCAR they just seem to accelerate until they reach top speed and then hold their steering wheel tight until the end. Well almost, since of course they have to make some pit stops in between, but even those appear less exciting than say in Formula 1, where the extremely tight spaces in the pit lane make for very thrilling maneuvers. In NASCAR speedways everything seems wide open and far less tight.
Yes, they are close to each other at high speeds, but since there's no chicanes, tight corners or anything that tests the driving skills of the pilots to the limit, I simply fail to see the attraction. Sorry to admit, but one gets the impression there's not really much skill involved at all. Simply stamina to endure the forces of pressing a pedal and holding a steering wheel tight for hundreds of laps.
Sure that might be oversimplified, but that's how it appears on the screen versus race series that actually involve precision driving skills.
And let's not even begin comparing it to Rallye driving series, which require an insane amount of driving skills and offer thrills far beyond any other type of car racing. "
What you seem to be describing are the super speedway ovals specifically. There are multiple different types of ovals that require differing skillsets.
Also, NASCAR races on ovals, road courses, and street tracks (starting this year). The schedule is much more varied than what you are mentioning here. Inferring that there is little skill involved in any top tier racing series indicates that you may not have dug into what it takes beyond the surface level stereotypes.
@LT587 said:
"Also, NASCAR races on ovals, road courses, and street tracks (starting this year). The schedule is much more varied than what you are mentioning here. Inferring that there is little skill involved in any top tier racing series indicates that you may not have dug into what it takes beyond the surface level stereotypes. "
Well, blame it on German TV sports channels, since they only ever showed the oval types of NASCAR racing when I was watching back in the day (must have been at least 25 years ago). And since it appeared so boring back then to me, why should I have researched it more at all?
After all, any other racing series I used to watch (like Formula 1, touring car, and rallye) had varied courses even back then - and earlier.
So perhaps either Nascar changed over the years, and I didn't notice, or it has been like you describe all along and the varied courses were simply never broadcast here.
@AustinPowers said:
" @LT587 said:
"Also, NASCAR races on ovals, road courses, and street tracks (starting this year). The schedule is much more varied than what you are mentioning here. Inferring that there is little skill involved in any top tier racing series indicates that you may not have dug into what it takes beyond the surface level stereotypes. "
Well, blame it on German TV sports channels, since they only ever showed the oval types of NASCAR racing when I was watching back in the day (must have been at least 25 years ago). And since it appeared so boring back then to me, why should I have researched it more at all?
After all, any other racing series I used to watch (like Formula 1, touring car, and rallye) had varied courses even back then - and earlier.
So perhaps either Nascar changed over the years, and I didn't notice, or it has been like you describe all along and the varied courses were simply never broadcast here."
That is quite possible! I know both IndyCar and NASCAR have struggled with their international broadcast deals over the years. The NASCAR schedule has been adjusted quite a bit over the last decade or so, so that may be it as well. On another note, I just got back from the Atlanta race, which races like a Superspeedway with a bit less grip than say Daytona or Talladega. It is almost shocking how much the broadcast misses compared to watching in person. There is so much more going on than you would initially expect. Many of the TV directors seem to focus on following the leaders, when often that is the least interesting thing happening on track.
@LT587 said:
"Many of the TV directors seem to focus on following the leaders, when often that is the least interesting thing happening on track."
That's exactly how it appeared back when I was watching. Most of the time you only saw the leading group going round in circles at full throttle. Not the most interesting thing to watch.
Formula 1 and all the other racing series I used to watch had far more varied broadcasts.
I could understand the price for the 42138 Ford Mustang with the 2 pull back motors, but this just seems expensive compared to the 900 piece Bugatti Bolide 42151 . Funny the black 12 gear is perfectly capable of turning the 24 gear on its own without the need for the thin cream gear. Maybe risk assessors worried little fingers could get caught and subsequent lawsuit, literal ouch!
It looks rather like this set has Ackermann-corrected steering - is that the case? If so that's certainly a mark in favour, as is of course the diff on the rear axle, although it still looks like fairly poor value compared to the Bolide. Aesthetically it's very meh, far too similar to the blue car that came with 42098, and as pointed out in the review, the prints mean you can't really leave the rest of the stickers off.
Replace a few of the stickers with black electrical tape and this would be a prefect replica of a wrecked car that the crew got back on the track right before NASCAR's repair timer expired!