I built 8880 last year and meant to leave a review, but somehow never got down to it. FlagsNZ's excellent review of the model reminded me that I have it on my to do list.

Let me start by joining the choir and say that I am very impressed by 8880. While I have never really been a sworn fan of Technic supercars, I can't help but marvel at the engineering qualities of the black supercar from 1994. The suspension and transmission are a case study of what can me achieved with Technic. The bodywork is beautiful, for a studded beam design this is. Even though it looks like a mashup of beams coming at all sorts of angles, make no mistake - this is solid and perfectly sturdy. The hatch opening and pop-up lights are nice functions.

One thing I also like about this model is that the suspension springs can easily attached and detached from the top. This is important if you put the model in storage as detaching the spring helps relieve the tension on the suspension elements.

I can't decide if I like 8880 or 8070 better. 8880 has this wonderful 90's design and cool studded look. Its skeletal body frame exposes a lot of mechanics of the model for studying. On the other hand, 8070 has slicker more modern look with all the panels at work. It rolls smoother than 8880 due to its simpler drive and steering.

At the end of the day, Technic supercars have always been first and foremost display models with somewhat limited playability. Their complexity focuses on the steering and drive where they shine. The tradeoff is that all these gears, linkages, and super-sized tires are stiff to steer. This is perhaps the Lego equivalent of large vehicle with no power steering. In 8880 this problem is particularly evident with the hard to reach hand-of-god control struggling against the resistance of the 4-wheel steering.

While I am not sure that 8880 is the best Technic model of all times, it certainly holds its place in my top 10 list. When it comes to pinnacle sets from the 90s there are a couple sets that fare quite well against 8880 and may be even better than it (8868, 8480, 8479, etc) in terms of playability, complexity, and looks. Yet, this is one of the best supercars that was ever designed and deserves to be studied upclose. Go get it if you have the chance.

For many Technic AFOL enthusiasts, 8880 Super Car marks the pinnacle of what can be achieved with completely brick-built Technic engineering. This set is the flagship Technic set for 1994 and has gone into Technic lore of what can be achieved with good engineering using the original brick-built techniques.

Box/Instructions

As with all significant Technic sets, 8880 Super Car comes in a large box. The front of the box has a great image of the car superimposed over a 1:1 scale profile.

As you can see, my box has seen better days.

The rear of the box shows the B model which is a Formula 1 Car, which could be a stand-alone set by itself.

LEGO used to include a plastic sorting tray with these big boxes. Today, sets come in numbered bags instead. I'm not sure which format I prefer: the numbered bags segregates parts during the build experience when new but having a sorting tray is a convenient way of making future builds easier to manage.

The instructions are bound in one book. The B model instructions start at the rear cover and work back toward the middle of the book. This set was produced in an age before B model instructions could be downloaded from the Internet.

My instructions have pages 16/17 as a corrected insert. Build step 18 has been corrected by replacing a ball with cross axle with a ball with friction snap as the steering knuckles.

As both my 8880 Super Car sets have been bought second hand, I do not know whether this is an actual design error or simply incorrect graphics in the instructions; I suspect that it is just the artwork that is at fault as the steering arm receives the friction snap pin.

There is a mixture of printed parts and stickers. The sticker sheet has an alternative dashboard and Octan sponsorship for the B model - Formula 1 race car.

Parts

There are 1343 parts divided into 36 building steps. This means that there are several steps that have more than 30 parts allocated to them; a far cry from today's style of having only a few pieces per building step.

As an example, here is build step 29 which includes 42 pieces.

This set occurred at the watershed from fully brick-built to the more modern studless building techniques. There are several parts unique to this set as well as a few parts that continue to be found in sets over 20 years later.

The build

As stated above, the build is divided into 36 steps. By step 20 the sub-chassis is complete along with the gearbox and steering system.

As this model is four-wheel drive, there are three differentials.

The set uses Technic balls as CV joints in the steering wheel hubs. This is a close up photo of the front steering and suspension assembly. As 5M axles did not appear until 1998, this set has joined a 3M and 2M axle on each of the four drive shafts.

This set uses a chain drive to connect the V8 engine onto the drive train. The steering pinion axle is threaded through the chain. The front steering turns twice as far as the rear by using a 16 tooth pinion at the front and an eight tooth pinion at the rear.

By step 29 the V8 engine is assembled and attached, the steering wheel and Hand of God steering is connected, and the dash board is built complete with dipping head lights.

The standout feature of this set which has not been matched on any other Technic set is the ease in which the gears can be changed. This is achieved by the use of a stick shift plate and Technic stick shift. These two parts have only been seen in this set.

The driving ring or synchroniser and axle connector first appeared in 1993, in set 8824 Hovercraft; however, this is the first Technic set to use these parts in a functioning gear box.

Here is a close up photo of the V8 engine, rear suspension and Hand of God steering wheel

A close up photo of the front suspension. This set uses toothed half bushes throughout.

There are a few occasions where the build requires a small amount of force to flex and connect components. Today this would likely be called illegal.

The completed model

The model is finished off with black Technic beams with a sandwich of black and yellow plates that makes the trim. The shape is achieved by the generous use black hinge plates. The entire shaped body is made using these studded brick pieces.

The rear hatch lifts up to reveal the engine. There is Technic livery with 4x4x4; four wheels with four wheel drive and four wheel steering.

There were several cars in the 1990s that had this configuration; Toyota Celica and Subaru Alcyone are two examples.

Overall opinion

The LEGO Technic designers included a whole lot of engineering into this set and, as such, the set holds a position of awe amongst Technic AFOL enthusiasts.

The instructions do not include any indication for adding a motor although there is plenty of room to add a modern Power Functions M Motor next to the central differential. There is quite a lot of torque between the V8 engine and the wheels so maybe this is why motorisation was not considered.

The suspension is rather stiff but this is handled well by the extremely rigid brick-built chassis.

I like the fact that the Hand of God steering also operates the principle steering wheel.

Shifting gears is so smooth that it is a shame that LEGO have not used the unique shifter parts in any other set.

The speedo for the A model indicates a speed of 147 km/h (91 mph) which is performance you would expect from a sleek sports car.

This set does reach the upper limit of design possibilities using the traditional brick-built techniques. I can see why Technic evolved within the next few years to include lift arms, panels and flexible hoses.

This set is still available at quite reasonable prices and should be included in any serious Technic enthusiast's collection.

I've been working my way through all the supercars,

Built 853, 8860, 8865, 8880 and 8448. I enjoy building the supercars to see the evolution of lego technic overtime.

(8865 is my favourite for sentimental reasons)

8880 is the ultimate in studded technic technology :)

And the first supercar without a brickbuilt engine.

8448 is in many ways a step back for technic engineering, but a step forward in styling...

Loved 8880, the build was a challenge, and you really realise why lego had to move to studless building and the newer stylistic elements in order to progress.

Strongly recommended for any fan of technic

I got this set for Christmas some years ago and I have built it into both models so I thought I would review it.

Pros

• It looks amazing
• Good functions
• Gear system is nice
• Good parts

Cons

• Wheels are bigger than the seats
• Not many other models to that scale

Overall I think this is the best technic model ever. Maybe even the best lego model ever.

I got this set second hand, complete in good condition and for a very nice price.
I wanted this set for a long time, because I'm a Technic fan and the 8880 is like the holy grail from the Technic sets.

Box/Instructions

Sadly, I don't have the box, but what I can see from the pictures is that it's a very nice box. Not like boxes today that are just a bit of cardboard. The boxes back then were like a showcase.

There is 1 big instructions book in the set for both the A and the B model (a F1 car). They're very clear, but a challenge to build with (you'll read later on why).

Parts

The parts in this set are great. You get these nice wheels, 8 suspension, some other parts that only came in this set (like the white steering arms and the gearbox piece).

Furthermore you get a lot of gears, beams (the old studded type) and many black hinge pieces.

The build

The build is amazing (if you like a challenge). It's not like today with a few parts per step, this is older: you have to place like 30 parts per step (maybe even more). That's really nice, it really gives the feeling you've accomplished something when you're done.

Furthermore the build goes very smoothly. No problems in the instructions.

The completed model

The model is very strong. Because it's made with the studded technic bricks, the chassis is stronger than you'll ever get with new beams. Such a strong chassis is needed though, because the model is very heavy. The model has the following functions:

• Front and rear steering
• Front, middle and rear differntial
• A fake V8 engine (with moving pistons)
• Independent suspension on all wheels
• 4 speed gearbox
  
• HOG (hand of god) steering and steering using the steering wheel
• The trunk can be opened to view the engine
• You can open and close the headlights

That's a nice list, isn't it? And the best part is: everything works very nice!

The only complaint I have about the functions is something about the suspension: it has a cracking noise (not the suspension parts itself, but just the whole construction). Nothing to be worried about, it's just a bit annoying.

The working steering wheel is a nice touch too. You won't see that in new Technic sets anymore (sadly).

The looks of the car are nice. Some people think it's ugly, some people think it's beatiful. I'm in between: from some angles it looks nice, from some angles it looks less. But we have to keep in mind: this set is from 1994. All in all it has a nice aggresive look, a bit like an older lamborghini.

Summary

All in all, this is a great set and now I understand why this is a holy grail for many Technic collectors. Many functions, good looks, nice parts. Does it have a real downside? The only thing I can think of is the price: the price nowadays is very high. If you can wait a little longer (like me), just wait till you find the bargain of the year :)

Thanks for reading