Now this is what I'm talking about.

For years Lego has tried to make a good looking Ferrari mid-sized model car and failed. The Enzo, the 2 Spiders - they just didn't get it right much to the disappointment of Ferrari fans.

Today, we are not so unlucky. The Ferrari FXX boasts a very dedicated effort by Lego to replicate its real-life counterpart. It is stunning, a great build and set in a moderately affordable price range. This is the real deal!

Down to the specifics. It took me a bit over 2 hours to build and I must admit that this was surprisingly satisfying. I expected the usual symmetrical 'mundanity' endemic to cars, but this was not so. As I built it I got a sense of the size of the thing and was brimming with excitement during the first steps, when I realised that it was actually quite big.

A real plus of this set, and what distinguishes it from its predecessors, is the minimised reliance on stickers to add features to it. Unlike the horrific Spider which thrived on stickers far too much and the Enzo which just didn't look good, the FXX has a lot of stickers only in the interior, for the steering wheel, seat-belts etc. The outer stickers are just logos and do not mar the total magnificence of the thing.

Scissor doors, engine, frontal boot - nothing remarkable, but that's just how the FXX is - I repeat: This is the real deal!

The rims are the great thing. I know Lego initially shipped out the pure black rims and that this was significantly detrimental to the set. Now you get the red outline on them so the wheels look so much more appealing.

Playability-wise this scores 1/10. It's not for tiny tots to whoosh around - it's a down to earth Ferrari model with great features you can admire to death and stare at mouth-wateringly until you die of salt deficiency. The inbuilt stand allows this - you can display the car without having the tires touch a surface and so get dirty.

This set is so amazingly cool you can store a side of meat in it for a month - it's so hip it would have had difficulty seeing over its pelvis if it ever had one ;)

If you're a Ferrari purist, enthusiast, fan or just someone who likes modular cars or building - get this. And if you missed out on the first three mid-sized Ferrari's and want a nice collection, don't fret - as far as I know, this is the first and only one worth getting so far. We can only hope that the upcoming Gallardo follows this positive trend.

I got this set for my birthday - and boy, was i amazed! At the start i thought it was just another version of the Enzo but then I realised it was actually a totally new car. The detail on the engine is amazing and the lift up doors is a good idea. The wheels on this car really make this car look like a real Ferrari - unlike the previous Enzo.

Pros:

Engine detail
Doors
Wheels
Fire Extinguisher!
Stickers
Body detail

Cons:

Boot lid - its pretty fimsy
No where to keep the bonnet prop

I really like this new FXX. I`d recommend to anyone thinking of getting it.

Fantastic update on the Enzo, this FXX has opening scissor doors, that reveal a more detailed interior, FULLY opening hood and of course the standard opening engine cover with beautiful engine detail. Nice addition are the more true-to-the-original wheels (previously available for modification of your old Enzo from the F430 sets) and the red/white paint scheme. Great set.

Lego went back to their thing and built a Ferrari model. This is the FXX which sort of replaced the Enzo Ferrari. Lego put alot of work into it and you will notice when you will get this set. A set to watch for in 2008!

If you read my reviews, you will know I like my Ferraris. Having myself realised a year or so ago that the FXX is basically a “Super Enzo” I scouted around for a remaining 8652 Enzo and set about turning it into an FXX – the results can be seen on Brickshelf. I am now pleased to see Lego too realised this was a good thing to do and issued a new FXX set – and after a wait of a few weeks I have finally managed to get one.

I always felt the back of MOC FXX was good and the front not so good – couldn’t do the lights very well so made stickers! Now Lego have now provided the 1 x 4 sloping bricks I needed, a much better front can be produced.

I have to say as a “tweaker” I am very impressed with the detail and level of accuracy - Lego designers have tried to put into this car, but that is not to say I was entirely convinced it could not be bettered. I have a 1/18-scale diecast FXX to compare with the Lego one.

There are 2 instruction books, no numbered bags, so spill the whole lot out and away you go. There are some stickers, but refreshingly not used to make shapes – which surprisingly rely on good old-fashioned bricks!

You begin with the rear end and engine compartment and work forwards and upwards. The set has the built in jacks from 8143 F430 Challenge, but from looking at photos and comparing to my diecast, I am not convinced these are authentic for the FXX. I missed out the mechanism, adding an additional matching passenger seat from spares. The prototypes have a decidedly nose down attitude due to the thicker tyres on the rear axle. In customising my Enzo and both FXX’s I have lowered the rear axle by one plate height to reproduce this look. Therefore the jacks would not have worked on the rear axle anyway. This also means lowering the rear wheel arch bricks etc, but if you ever look at the rear end of a real Ferrari – I guarantee you will think it is low and wide.

Remember the controversy over set 8652 Ferrari Enzo - you either loved it or hated it – the one review I particularly remember was headed “Lego is lost”. The truth was the only new custom brick was the wheel arch, which has since appeared in many sets – so the car’s appearance has, with time I suspect, lost the ability to shock. There are however new custom bricks in this set too – notably a 2 x 4 curved sloping brick – 2 of these in black are used to make up the inlet manifold cover on top of the engine – a sticker is placed on these to give the prominent company branding. I have already mentioned the 1 x 4 sloping bricks that I have never seen before.

My main criticism of the set is the rear end. They have used bricks that slope inwards and downwards at the sides whereas the real profile is straighter. Also for the rear mesh I prefer to use see thru 1 x 4 black fence bricks, which look better. The engine itself is authentically different and much better and more detailed than that in the Enzo and looks nice with the custom bricks. Air intake boxes and other features are included in the authentic colours too. Exhausts are also modelled. However, the rear spoiler is only a 1 x 8 tile whereas it should be 2 x 1 x 8s side by side to match prototype consequently I have to make my own “FXX” sticker for the spoiler as on the MOC.

The front of the model is really good – now we have the 1 x 4 sloping bricks available a very good rendition can be made allowing the recesses for the minimalist “pigs eye” lights. The front compartment cover contains the opening for the air intake and opens too, to reveal an authentic interior helped by stickers. Again the interior colour is correct but, the blue sloping brick under the cover which represents the water tank looks better in the lighter powder blue variety to represent the blue liquid seen through the opaque white plastic tank - luckily I had one in my spares! The other thing I did not like at the front was the fans – this was the only thing that was done better on the Enzo where they provided printed bricks for these. A bit of re-building enabled a spare pair from one of my Enzos, that was built as the alternative F333SP, to be incorporated - and it looks so much better. There are still some odd colours to build up the front, but these do not show through in the finished product. That said the front grille is still quite difficult to create as the subtle curves are not easy in bricks, but it is hard to see if I could do better – I might have another go.

Compared to the Enzo set the height of the cabin and rear engine cover has also been raised by one plate – interestingly, I had already done this on my models as it looks better, but I suspect it was done here to accommodate the opening door mechanisms. This works very well and the details can be slightly improved, but after 2 years picking up the previous models across the doors – this is just not possible any more as they will move up and you will drop it! A nice touch is the side air intake is now created with bricks rather than a sticker as on the Enzo. Interestingly the side of the FXX by the door to side air intake is now one stud shorter than the Enzo – and I think looks better for it. There is a large fire extinguisher inside the passenger side, which seems to be made from an odd choice of bricks and oversize to me – compared to the one in the F 430 Challenge, which I liked better.

The main red white colour is made up of bricks and plates, which means it is nice not to have to use stickers except for the odd detail. These are kept to a minimum for badges and logos, but some are used for under front compartment details and interiors such as seatbelts, centre console and steering wheel (stuck on round 2x 2 tile) – which is much better than the Enzo’s “wheel disc”.

The engine cover has been re worked to be much better – it contains all the air vents present on the prototype and it nearly all lifts and allows for a larger more authentic engine bay. There is an aerial which is used as a stay to hold it up, but you need to look at the box to see how it goes as the instructions do not mention it – apart from in the parts inventory.

Despite what the box art would have you believe, the red line on the edge of the black rims is not reproduced! – This is bad misrepresentation and something I shall have to add, as it does look good. I should have also thought a set of silver alternatives could have been produced as they run with either – luckily I have a set of spares from the F430 Challenge.

Overall I conclude this is a great set and a very serious attempt has been made to improve on the Enzo (for the same price of 30 GBP) with more authentic details and working features – they could have just done it a bit differently at the rear end, but the day I have nothing to do to improve a set from the box will be a sad one for me. So I cannot really mark it down too much for that. I enjoyed the build and its overall accuracy and lack of stickers! I am now contemplating buying another set and retro building it into a better Enzo! No doubt they will both appear on Brickshelf at some future date.

I reckon it is worth a 4.5 as it is not as wholly accurate as it could be and I can’t forgive the poor fans and most of all lack of red rims that should have been there according to the box art - I was really looking forward to that final finishing touch! Price is about right.

Now for 8157 the big non Technic F1 racer due in the summer - prelim photo looks pretty good!