Review: 42156 Peugeot 9X8 Hypercar
Posted by Huw,
42156 Peugeot 9X8 24H Le Mans Hybrid Hypercar is the second endurance car LEGO has produced, the first being the unlicensed 42039 24 Hours Race Car which was released eight years ago.
It's a 1:10 scale model that sits somewhere in the middle of the Technic assortment price-wise, so won't be as feature-packed as larger and more expensive cars. Nevertheless, I'm hopeful that it has some interesting features and offers a rewarding building experience.
Summary
42156 PEUGEOT 9X8 24H Le Mans Hybrid Hypercar, 1,775 pieces.
£169.99 / $199.99 / €199.99 | 9.6p/11.3c/11.3c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
A competent rendition of a distinctive hypercar
- Unusual dark grey livery
- Reasonably accurate
- Dull livery
- Front of cockpit could be better
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
Stickers and parts
Licenced Technic cars are frequently plagued by extensive sticker sheets and this one is no exception.
The range of 'flip-flop' beams -- those with alternating perpendicular holes -- that debuted in 2021 has been further extended by the introduction of a 5x3 'L' beam in this set. There are now 15, 11, 7-long versions as well as with this one, and I don't suppose it'll be long before we see 5, 9 and 13 length ones introduced as well.
Many of the panels in the set have been cast in dark grey for the first time, and they will become fully evident once the inventory has been published next week.
The prototype
The Peugeot 9X8 is the French's manufacturer's car built for the FIA World Endurance Championship, a series of 7 races including the longest and most famous of them all, the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
At the time of writing, two races have been run so far this year, and the highest placing achieved by the Peugeot TotalEnergies team's two cars is 5th and 7th, in the 6 Hours of Portimao that took place a couple of weeks ago.
Source: Bristol Street
The completed model
The model is 50 x 22 cm in size which equates to a scale length of 1:10 and width of 1:9.4, so it's slightly wider than it should be.
The dark grey and black livery is accurate to the source, and it makes a welcome change from the usual colours used for Technic cars.
The vehicle has very distinctive rear lights, consisting of three protruding translucent red panels on each side. They are not see-through on the model but look very cool nevertheless.
It's a single seat car, so the cabin is narrow compared to its overall width. The front of it is probably the weakest part of the model, with the bulbous curve of the windscreen merely suggested by the surrounding pieces.
The bodywork above the wheels looks incomplete, but the real vehicle does actually have gaps in these areas.
The lightsabre blades at the front which represent the LED strips on the real car, are the glow-in-the-dark variety.
Functions
The 9X8 is a hybrid car, with a 6-litre V6 combustion engine (ICE) and an electric motor as well. In the model the ICE is connected via a differential to the rear axle, and what I presume is supposed to be the electric motor (two grey weapon barrels near the diff.) to the front axle. The stickered panel in the middle of the chassis represents the battery.
Both axles have suspension implemented using a single shock absorber, the new one introduced last year for 42130 BMW M 1000 RR, between the wheels. It's positioned above the axle at the front and below it at the rear. They provide a negligible amount of travel, just 4 or 5 mm on each wheel, but I guess that's appropriate for this type of car.
The bodywork at the back can be removed entirely to reveal the engine and differential.
The doors swing open to provide access to the cockpit in which there's a lime green driver's seat.
The steering wheel is connected to the steering, which is always welcome but not entirely practical, so you can also perform 'hand of God' steering using the gear wheel on top of engine vent.
Finally, in terms of functionality, the bonnet opens to expose the mechanisms underneath.
Verdict
The 9X8 is an odd-looking car by conventional standards, so the model looks equally peculiar. It may not therefore be to everyone's taste. It is, however, a fairly faithful reproduction of the real thing within the constraints of the Technic panel system.
Functionality-wise, it has everything you could reasonably expect in a model of this type and size. There's no gearbox, but that's no great loss since all they usually do is add unnecessary complexity.
I'm split between considering the dark grey livery as a positive or a negative. It certainly makes a change from the reds, yellows and blues of most Technic cars, but it does look a bit muted and dull. It's a shame the real car does not have more splashes of lime green on it to brighten it up a bit.
It certainly looks better from some angles than others and I don't think the picture on the box, which is roughly that below, does the model any favours at all.
Due to its unusual characteristics and dull livery this is not one of my favourite Technic cars -- that accolade goes to another one released this year, the compact but perfectly formed 42154 2022 Ford GT -- but it is a fairly decent model nevertheless.
As is always the case for Technic sets it's somewhat overpriced, at £169.99 / $199.99 / €199.99, but in Europe at least we should expect that to drop in time to something more palatable.
86 likes
30 comments on this article
Didnt the initial press release say it had a transmission, or did I read that wrong.
Great review, but as you say, it's over priced, so I'll wait for a discount sometime in the future
Thats an easy pass for me but I look forward to buying some of those glow-in-the-dark 1x4 bars for my MOCs.
@kingalbino said:
"Thats an easy pass for me but I look forward to buying some of those glow-in-the-dark 1x4 bars for my MOCs."
Real, working lightsabers. Need to grab those!
I like the real race car, and I find it does look very good in Lego. Having seen the Lego Ford GT in real, I think I still prefer the Peugeot, the Ford having a strange shape in my opinion (the Lego one, the real Ford GT is my favorite car ever). I will definitely seriously consider buying this one.
Yeah, I see how the cockpit could be better. The Lego one is more of a rounded, jutting rectangle, whereas the real life counterpart is shorter and more bulbous. Really needed a dedicated windscreen.
Looks like an entirely different grey from the product pictures, as if they used some metallic variant and swapped it with just normal grey in the final product.
No gearbox, no buy. I was hoping Lego would someday release a sports car with dual clutch. Instead it seems they're abandoning the gearbox altogether.
Actually, I like this car. Maybe not the real one, but somehow the Technic rendition. It's really refreshing to see more dark bluish gray as the main exterior colour with some other colour accents, though I would introduce LBG, too. Also, maybe it's just me, but the rear left fender seems to sit a bit higher than the rear right one.
Technic Today:
1,775 pieces, 4 features: Opening doors, steering, simple suspension and working engine.
Technic in 90's:
1,346 pieces, 7 features including, 4 double wheel suspension, amazingly working gear shifter, realistic open/close lights function, 4 wheels steering...
And you people say new Technic is good...
There's only so many technic functions you can place in a technic car, no matter how big it is. A shame the lineup is so focussed on those the last few years. Stuff like helicopters or construction equipment lends itself better to technic.
@Huw, your conclusion mirrors my initial thoughts when I saw this: nice to have a new colour, pity it's actually a bit drab. I'm truly ambivalent towards this.
The design of the lights is interesting: a new Peugeot passed me this afternoon and have the same "design language" in the lights as this one - seems to be a new brand look.
As for functions: modern Technic is as much about structural engineering as mechanical functions, and I see the great work that goes into the frames & bodywork a reflection of that. I'll get really excited when Technic starts encompassing chemical engineering.
@lordofdragonss said:
"Technic Today:
1,775 pieces, 4 features: Opening doors, steering, simple suspension and working engine.
Technic in 90's:
1,346 pieces, 7 features including, 4 double wheel suspension, amazingly working gear shifter, realistic open/close lights function, 4 wheels steering...
And you people say new Technic is good..."
Not to mention that today's "Technic" is almost twice as expensive.
I actually think the last picture shows it off quite nicely against the white background. I would agree that on the box, against the black background, it doesn't look as good.
I really like the lack of a rear wing on this car, making it different than the other prototype race cars.
Also, they got the shape of the front splitter correct on this one, unlike on 42153.
Pro: Unusual dark grey livery
Con: Dull livery
eh?
Pedantry alert: this isn't the second endurance car produced by Lego in Technic form, but the second Le Mans prototype-style endurance car. Both 42096 (Porsche 911 RSR) and 42125 (Ferrari 488 GTE) are endurance race cars, representing vehicles and liveries that raced at Le Mans too. There's also plenty of Speed Champions versions, not least this year's 76916 (Porsche 963).../end of pedantry alert.
As a race fan, to me these are the most exciting generation of Le Mans prototypes since the Group C days of the late 80s / early 90s. The cars look spectacular, and there's lots of them. The Peugeot's 'no-wing' concept is fascinating and I think the Technic version does it real justice. My favourite of the new pack is the stunning BMW M Hybrid V8 - there's a distant possibility of seeing it in the brick given the existing arrangement with BMW, but the existence of this Peugeot makes that unlikely!
I think it looks great, and as a WEC/Le Mans fan will be getting this ASAP. Hoping argos will stock it and not just at Lego store or online.
Although I will hold off building it until the 2nd weekend in June.
I like this set more more than I probably should. After all, it is quite a bit overpriced, relies heavily on stickers, and well, it's another car. And when it was revealed I had my reservations too. I mean, the box doesn't show a single function, so just like with the laughable McLaren those seemed an afterthought.
But after reading this review and also having seen the video from Sariel, I feel much more positive about it. For starters, I think it looks pretty darn good despite those few flaws mentioned. Okay, considering the price they should have included some sort of windscreen, like they did with the equally expensive BMW. And while the drivetrain is a bit of a gimmick, what more could they have done? But it's the unique suspension setup that does it for me. It looks cool, apparently it works well, and above all, it's different! Which makes it feel like the designer put in some effort instead of designing the shape and copy/pasting existing functions into it.
That all said, I still feel this will be a though sell when the equally great (despite also a few flaws) Ford GT is standing next to it on the shelf with a much friendlier price tag.
@lordofdragonss said:
"Technic Today:
1,775 pieces, 4 features: Opening doors, steering, simple suspension and working engine.
Technic in 90's:
1,346 pieces, 7 features including, 4 double wheel suspension, amazingly working gear shifter, realistic open/close lights function, 4 wheels steering...
And you people say new Technic is good..."
It is good. The market wants more real-world vehicles and accuracy, and they've delivered. There are still sets with more functions, mostly construction vehicles; but with cars, a bare frame that vaguely resembles a car doesn't have the same appeal it had 30 years ago, no matter how many mechanical details it has inside.
@Padraig said:
"Pro: Unusual dark grey livery
Con: Dull livery
eh?"
Read the verdict.
I do like this a lot, but with a lengthy wishlist, including 42154 and 42125 it will depend largely on its shelf life whether I get it or not.
Good to see it contains ICE. Can't beat a good 8 Track Cartridge Player.....
@xprojected said:
" @lordofdragonss said:
"Technic Today:
1,775 pieces, 4 features: Opening doors, steering, simple suspension and working engine.
Technic in 90's:
1,346 pieces, 7 features including, 4 double wheel suspension, amazingly working gear shifter, realistic open/close lights function, 4 wheels steering...
And you people say new Technic is good..."
It is good. The market wants more real-world vehicles and accuracy, and they've delivered. There are still sets with more functions, mostly construction vehicles; but with cars, a bare frame that vaguely resembles a car doesn't have the same appeal it had 30 years ago, no matter how many mechanical details it has inside."
As much as I hate this, I have to agree with @xprojected. I definitely prefer the vintage technic cars that focused on function over form, but consumer tastes shifted in the early 2000s once Lego started acquiring licensing from brands such as Ferrari and Lamborghini. Now the only appeal Technic has is to provide vaguely realistic models of licensed cars and mold a new variation of a technic connector or lift arm to satisfy whatever over complicated function they’ve developed, despite they’re already existing a simpler version of it that is over 20 years old. At least they still help inspire people to build their own models and many fans are still happy with the recent portfolios, which is always good.
I have plenty of grey Technic already and for the larger size and price with the additional 300 odd pieces compared to the 42154 I was hoping for something additional like a working 3 speed gear box, but with fixed doors and no spoiler rather than scissor doors and a movable spoiler it has less working features (as in real life).
@Huw Thank you for the review. Just to be precise: the real Peugeot 9X8 has a 2.6 litre V6, not a 6 litre.
@Huw said:
" The range of 'flip-flop' beams -- those with alternating perpendicular holes -- that debuted in 2021..."
That range actually debuted in 2009 with the 5x7 frame (64179).
Like a few others I'm on the fence with this one. Slightly better than I thought at the initial release, but lacking 'wow'. Same size and price as the Porsche RSR but more pieces. Still, €200....
@Duq said:
" @Huw said:
" The range of 'flip-flop' beams -- those with alternating perpendicular holes -- that debuted in 2021..."
That range actually debuted in 2009 with the 5x7 frame (64179)."
That's a frame, not a beam :-)
I wish more Lego cars had GitD headlights. I loved the Tiny Turbos with that feature. Also, how many models have had a functional steering wheel and Hand of God steering?
@lordofdragonss: Even if you count both towing winches as one function (since they're mounted right next to and built the same way as each other), 42128 has eleven functions, of which four are pneumatic. I'm leaving out the opening doors and hood.
@IgelCampus said:
" @lordofdragonss said:
"Technic Today:
1,775 pieces, 4 features: Opening doors, steering, simple suspension and working engine.
Technic in 90's:
1,346 pieces, 7 features including, 4 double wheel suspension, amazingly working gear shifter, realistic open/close lights function, 4 wheels steering...
And you people say new Technic is good..."
Not to mention that today's "Technic" is almost twice as expensive."
And several times dumbed down instructions.
@IgelCampus said:
" @lordofdragonss said:
"Technic Today:
1,775 pieces, 4 features: Opening doors, steering, simple suspension and working engine.
Technic in 90's:
1,346 pieces, 7 features including, 4 double wheel suspension, amazingly working gear shifter, realistic open/close lights function, 4 wheels steering...
And you people say new Technic is good..."
Not to mention that today's "Technic" is almost twice as expensive."
Assuming it's 8880 that's being talked about.
That set had a RRP of $130 in '94, which is $264.77 in 2023 money.
8868 Air Tech Claw Rig was $139.00 in '92, which is $299.04 in 2023. Has similar functions as the Arocz from 2015, which would cost $292.89 today but has triple the amount of pieces. (for some reason it was a decent chunk more in dollars than in euros.)
The '79 Galaxy Explorer is $133.04 in 2023 money, $33 more than 2022's Explorer, with 1/4th the amount of pieces, and 2/3rds the size.
Some examples, but it holds true for many beloved sets and themes from the past.
People should really take off their rose-tinted glasses, and realize that Lego today is relatively less expensive than it was 20, 30, 40 years ago. Looking at the RRP from decades ago, and not adjusting for inflation, makes for a false comparison.
One can argue about the lack of functions in some of Tecnic's flagships sets today, but there's still sets like 42114, 42128, 42145 and more every year. Not to mention the mid-range sets that still surprise with their density of functions. The $250+ supercars aren't the only Technic sets on the shelves :)
@yui said:
" The $250+ supercars aren't the only Technic sets on the shelves :)"
Even if just speaking of 2022-2023 introduced sets with Cars (not including cranes/tractors/bikes), there's a wide range.
$10 42147
$20 42149 42150 42134 42135
$50 42151 42153 42138 42137
$100 42127
$120 42154
$200 42156 42141
$450 42143
And that doesn't include the 2020-2021 products that are either still in production , or can still be found in shops.
I am tempted by this set, but honestly the fact that the only large scale technic car being the Ford GT just doesnt ppeal to me a ton, to get two sets in a relatively short span with wildly different scales. Hoping 1/12 is adopted more across the Technic line
As Technic cars of its size go, I like it. The colour is more useful to me than the dark blue of the Ford GT. Rebuilders have to consider that as the panels take up a significant proportion of the cost of sets these days.
I like the "weapon barrel" representation of the real car's electric system, except for the battery sticker! The lack of corners on the screen struggles to represent the shape, even though the real one is a wrapped screen.
I'm sure those who like military modelling will lap this up; maximum re-use of parts for them. Until now TLG were reticent about releasing too many parts in dark grey, perhaps wishing to discourage us from rebuilding 42066 in a real colour scheme! I'll gloss over the 42113 Osprey debacle, which was a case of "too much dark grey to get away with it".
I like the new angle beams too; new parts with useful functions are always welcome.
So I might get a couple of these on discount.