Mercedes-Benz and Lego Celebrate Unimog’s ... Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross Revealed With New Turbo ... Report: Mercedes-Benz X-Class Pickup May Come to ... Mercedes-AMG Preps Three Special Editions for ... Lexus and Porsche Top 2017 J.D. Power Vehicle ... Ford Mustang GT Rips Through Paris in Tribute to ... Mercedes-AMG, Cigarette Racing Celebrate 10-Year ... Mercedes’ AMG Brand Celebrates 50th ... Pagani Huayra Roadster Arrives With 754 HP 2017 Mercedes-Maybach G650 Landaulet Officially ... No Obligation, Fast & Simple Free New Car Quote More than a month Receive your free dealer pricing information by completing your contact information! We learned early last month that Mercedes-Benz had big plans to celebrate Unimog’s 60th anniversary because sixty years ago Friday, the first Universal-Motor-Geräts rolled off of its Gaggenau assembly line and into the hearts and minds of soldiers, farmers and enthusiasts, alike. As part of its Diamond Jubilee celebrations of its legendary do-anything, go-anywhere four-wheel drive Unimog, Mercedes together with Lego has announced today the creation of the largest Lego Technic model ever, the Lego Technic Unimog U400.
While Unimogs have been rolling through the Earth’s forests, deserts and everything in between long enough for over 380,000 to be manufactured; enthusiasts have never before had the chance to build their very own. With Lego’s new 2,048 piece Technic Unimog U400, Unimog lovers throughout Europe will now be able to build their very own.The 15.2 inch-long (1:12.5) scale Lego Unimog is highly realistic. According to Mercedes and Lego, even the engine is “accurate in every detail, right down to the pistons.” Just like a real Unimog, the Lego version features a combo of electric and pneumatic power which allows the model’s crane (capable of rotating almost 360 degrees,) and winch to be operated as if this tiny titan were the real thing. For “winter use,” the Lego’s crane and winch can also be converted into a snowplow—something that real Unimogs are put to work for every winter.So far, Mercedes-Benz and Lego have yet to announce whether the Lego Technic Unimog U400 will be available in North America.
While Mercedes briefly sold Unimog’s in the United States from 2002 through 2007, due to stiff competition (and non-compliance with EPA regulations after 2007,) Mercedes pulled Unimog’s out of the market with only 184 sold. European buyers will be more lucky. The Lego Technic Unimog U400 will go on sale across the pond in August for a tidy 190 Euros (or roughly $275, at today’s exchange rates). While pricey, it’s not inconceivable for Unimog lovers across the rest of the world to be able to import their very own Lego Technic Unimog once it goes on sale. While the Unimog has been in production for sixty-years now, there‘s no sign of letting up. After all, there are still plenty of fields to be plowed, roads to be built and battles to fight.Weather you’re an AFOL, a teen, FLL Coach, or the parents of a LEGO Fan, you know when buying LEGO it gets expensive fast. This guide is meant to help you get the Most LEGO for your money. The most common purchase point for LEGO is in the store isles.
We’ve all been there walking the store with our kids (or ourselves) and spied that neatly decorated and styled box of LEGO. You want it, you must have it. But hold on that may not be the best way to get your LEGO fix. Physical store retailers may or may not have the best prices, and some of them (Toy’s R Us) are know to charge prices above the MSRP. But sometimes it might be. it all depends, Do you have to have it now? Is it on sale? Is there a limed edition promotion? If so, go ahead buy that LEGO set. While were at this point, we should talk about value. Most, AFOL’s measure the relative value of a LEGO set by it’s piece count. that is the number of elements in the set. clearly posted on the front of the package. a good rule of thumb is the set should cost about .10 cents per piece. Liscenced Themes like Star Wars and Toy Story will command a premium price presumably to help pay the licencing fees. So you can expect to pay more for those sets. But even that does not cover the whole story.
LEGO which sells the sets does not value them based on pieces, but rather by the amount of plastic used. which is most easily determined by weight. AFOL’s on the other hand are more interested in pieces, because well larger pieces(SPUDS) are not as useful, and so a focus on piece count serves them well, but for your little youngster, this is not the best measure. With that out of the way, let’s move on. website, or Amazon you just have to wait for them to be shipped and arrive, As an added bonus, most online only retailers such as Amazon, do not charge sales tax unless they have a physical presance in your state, and usually have free shipping. Many of the rarer and uncommon sets are offered only through the Lego SHOP, so if your looking for the exclusives check them first, and be wary of Ebay. It’s a great store to buy bulk used Lego, but most of the sets sold online through Ebay are current sets being sold at sometimes crazy markups. That is not a rip on Ebay itself, but rather some of it’s individual sellers, so be careful.
So far, we have talked about standard online and brick and mortar stores there is however 1 more: Bricklink is an online website that hosts many stores form the LEGO community each of them run by their individual store owners. BrickLink is shinning if you are looking for specific LEGO elements, or out of production sets or Mini Figs. There are no fees to sign up with Bricklink, only when you buy, and those fees are determined by the store you buy form. Many of ULUG members maintain an online pressence here, and you can help suport us, and fill your lego needs by purchasing from one of their stores:Lego CEO Jorgen Vig Knudstorp has told CNBC that China offers "a unique opportunity for growth," claiming that his firm is well-positioned to become the country's number one toy brand. His comments come as the Danish toymaker prepares to step up its operations in China. Lego will open its largest retail store in the world near Shanghai later this year and is due to complete work on its first Chinese factory in 2017.
The toymaker faces a myriad of challenges as it tries to grow sales in the world's second-largest economy. Lego sparked controversy back in 2015 when it refused to sell in bulk to dissident Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, with critics accusing the company of not wanting to wrong-foot the Chinese government. Rebuffing those claims, the Lego CEO gave his explanation for why Ai Weiwei's original sales request was denied, saying: "We've seen people building concentration camps out of Lego and pictures of the Prophet Muhammad." "We noticed a huge sensitivity to so-called 'political topics' and in this case one of our staff members in Australia found the purpose suggested by Ai Weiwei was too sensitive and so the order was refused," he added. Lego has since changed its policy and no longer requires customers buying in bulk to specify how they're going to use their bricks. Political sensitivities aside, Lego is aware it needs to bridge cultural divides to gain market share in China.
A key part of Lego's appeal for western parents is its educational value. However, the concept of "learning through play" isn't so well-established in China. In a bid to change attitudes, the Lego Foundation is pouring millions of Danish krone into research focusing on the cognitive benefits of play. The foundation funds "Lego professors" and is partnering with a leading Chinese university "to support creativity and play in Chinese schools," according to a press release in January. As part of Lego's plans to grow sales in China and Japan, it's also updated its play kits to include more Asian characters and settings. Its revamped it "Ninjago" range - featuring dragons, ninjas and a tea-drinking sage. Lego is aware, however, that small-scale product updates won't be enough to assure its success in China, one of the world's most advanced markets for online gaming. When asked if Lego would consider launching a virtual reality product, the company's CEO replied "absolutely".