► Lego set number 10248 – Ferrari F40► 1158 pieces, circa 5 hours to build► Details include V8 engine, opening doors If you’re a petrolhead of a certain age then both Lego and the Ferrari F40 are going to have been a big part of your childhood. Speaking personally, I had the latter on the wall and the former all over the floor for a good portion of my formative years. Which probably explains rather a lot, come to think of it. Anyway, in some kind of genius move in the arena of unanticipated wish fulfilment Lego and Ferrari (it’s an officially licensed product) have got together and produced a scale model of the F40 built from the blessed bricks. It is, quite frankly, awesome. If it’s not already obvious, I should probably declare that I am a big Lego fan. Not to the point that I have a house full of the stuff, but I do have a few kits around the place – including a hot rod that I upgraded from the included V6 engine to a V8. I mention this as a means of pointing out that Lego doesn’t always get it right (a V6 hot rod?
But in the F40’s case, it really is hard to fault. Considering the thing is almost entirely constructed from regular Lego pieces, the detail is mega. There are Naca ducts, bucket seats, an opening front clamshell complete with representative fluid reservoir, and an opening rear clamshell that reveals a V8 engine which is properly modelled to look like the real one. Even the doors have inner skin details, the pop-up headlights pop up and there are brake discs behind those funky wheels. The wheel finishers are amongst the few bespoke pieces, the windscreen being a notable other. Favourite creative use of existing parts? The eight tiny Lego pistols that serve as the F40’s exhaust manifold. Err, probably not something a grown adult should be admitting, but it took approximately five hours straight in a single sitting (what else are Sundays for?). The set is aimed at ages 14+ (and I’m clinging on to that ‘+’ for ever more), and rated ‘Expert’ level – but even if you’re not familiar with Lego it shouldn’t be too difficult to get the hang of.
The company has mastered the art of pictorial instructions – seriously, they’re like works of art in their own right – and rather than one big bag of bits you get several smaller ones, divided into two sections for ease of dining table management. Be careful, because you’ll really be cursing if you get to the end and find there’s a piece missing. Not that this happened to be and I had to raid the box of spares on top of the bookshelf, no siree.Lego’s online shop lists it at £69.99, but if you think that sounds like a lot for a bunch of plastic take a look around the Lego site for some perspective. In the grand scheme of Lego this isn’t much at all, especially for such a satisfying end product. And it really is satisfying. The finished Lego F40 feels chunky and substantial, and not at all flimsy in the way you might expect. As you put it together you really come to appreciate the sophistication of the design process, as the individual elements lock together in unexpectedly intricate ways.
An icon made from an icon, and a sure-fire way to keep kids young and old quiet for the best part of a day.Dec 10th 2015 at 7:58PM The Ferrari F40 stands as an icon of its era and might be the greatest supercar of all time. The wedge-like shape and squared-off headlights scream high-performance of the late '80s, and the 2.9-liter twin-turbo V8 makes a magical sound behind the driver's ear. As much as we'd all love to park one in our garages, owning one of these Italian masterpieces is out of the budget for most of us because prices push $1 million or even more for an LM. Even if you can't afford the real thing, Hagerty presents a much less expensive option in a video that puts a version together using Lego pieces, one brick at a time.Starting from only two bricks, the Ferrari slowly comes together, and it's fascinating to watch the supercar take shape. First, the plastic version of the famous engine emerges, and then the red body gradually appears. The video lets you see hours of work at the kitchen table happen over just one minute.
According to Lego's website, its F40 kit sells for $99.99 and includes 1,158 pieces. The finished product doesn't make the real thing's bombastic sound but is at least a more affordable gift for the holidays. Ferrari InformationNew ModelsReviewsRecallsFor SaleValuesPhotosVideosCompany NewsMore InfoThe Lego set you've been waiting for since the Reagan administration is finally here; say hello to the Ferrari F40 rendered in very red plastic bricks, all 1,158 of them. So it'll be just a tiny bit less difficult to put this one together than the real thing, but the upside is that you won't have to do all those pricey services every few thousand miles.The real F40 is, of course, powered by a twin-turbocharged 2.9-liter V8 producing 478 hp, just like poster that's still in your room indicates. With the Lego version you can actually pop the engine cover and the front section and admire the small plastic V8 underneath.Attention to detail is key in this model -- it has to be given how much you'll pay for one -- so that means the car features pop-up headlights, opening doors, side mirrors, NACA ducts, exhaust tips, a mesh grille, a Ferrari badge and real rubber tires so that it doesn't bob around on your desk at work with that plasticky sound as your colleagues look on and wonder why you have it.
But once they see it they'll want one, too. 'Incredible Lego Technic' makes a great gift for young gearheads Just in time for the holidays, Pawel Kmiec’s new book “Incredible Lego Technic: Cars, Trucks, Robots & More!” will have you wondering where in the heck you stashed all those ... The engine compartment is ready for its scheduled belt service at an independent shop you don't really trust 100 percent. Despite the high number of pieces, the car itself is compact, almost corresponding 1/18 scale among diecast models. That means it's not just a shell sitting on tires, but features plenty of mechanical components that you'll have to assemble yourself. The box says 14-plus so that means you can't waste it as a present for kids -- this one's all for you.How much for this 1980s icon? That'll be $89.99 plus tax, which actually results in a price that's vaguely proportional to other Lego vehicles. If something like a police motorcycle costs $6.99, then this is pretty good bargain for a Ferrari.