LEGO normally releases a new wave of LEGO Speed Champions sets at the beginning of the year, but this year they were delayed until the beginning of June. However, the wait was worth it! As you may recall, LEGO redesigned the LEGO Speed champions theme with wider and more detailed vehicles.

To recap, in 2020, we got five sets with the wider designs. The #76895 LEGO Speed Champions Ferrari F8 Tributo, the #76896 LEGO Speed Champions Nissan GT-R NISMO, and the #76897 LEGO Speed Champions 1985 Audi Sport Quattro S1 come with a single vehicle and driver for $19.99. And the #76898 LEGO Speed Champions Formula E Panasonic Jaguar Racing GEN2 Car & Jaguar I-PACE eTROPHY, and the #76899 LEGO Speed Champions Lamborghini Urus ST-X & Huracan Supar Trofeo EVO come with two vehicles, two minifigs, and some add-ons. They are all still available at the LEGO Speed Champions section of the Online LEGO Shop.

The wider vehicles got both negative and positive feedback. Most fans are happy with the more realistic and more detailed vehicles, and the fact that wider vehicles rely less on stickers to add finer details. On the other hand, while the earlier vehicles fit well into LEGO City layouts, the newer vehicles are too wide and feel out of place in a LEGO City diorama. In addition, those who have been collecting the LEGO Speed Champions sets from the beginning feel that their collection has been disrupted by the new design. Some fans get around this by displaying the earlier and later LEGO Speed Champions sets separately, and referring to them as Generation 1 and Generation 2.

I feel that this is the best way to approach the LEGO Speed Champions collection. There has been a mostly positive evolution in the design, but this doesn’t mean that the earlier vehicles are less valuable, or that those who have been collecting the earlier vehicles should stop getting the new sets because they are different.

It seems like the wider vehicles are doing well enough for LEGO to continue with the new design. In fact, this year we got even more sets than last year; three single-vehicle sets, and three sets with two vehicles. So, let’s take a closer look at the 2021 collection.

The single vehicle sets include the #76900 LEGO Speed Champions Koenigsegg Jesko (first vehicle above and below), the #76901 LEGO Speed Champions Toyota GR Supra (second vehicle above and below), and the #76902 LEGO Speed Champions McLaren Elva (third vehicle above and below). Notice the intricate shaping of all three vehicles with small pieces like tiny angled and curved slopes and other small elements. Also, the building techniques are very interesting, building in every direction to achieve the most authentic look. Each of the single vehicle sets are $19.99, and are available at the LEGO Speed Champions section of the Online LEGO Shop.

The sets do come with a few stickers, but generally less than in the Generation 1 LEGO Speed Champions sets. Because of the larger size, many of the finer details and color stripes are achieved by standard LEGO pieces. There are also a few printed elements, like the windshield pieces, and of course, all the minifigs have unique printing.

It’s also worth noting that the #76902 LEGO Speed Champions McLaren Elva has a mini version, the #30343 LEGO Speed Champions McLaren Elva, which is currently available as a freebie at official LEGO stores and the Online LEGO Shop.

The three double packs for this year are the #76903 LEGO Speed Champions Chevrolet Corvette C8.R Race Car & 1968 Chevrolet Corvette for $29.99 (first picture above and below), the #76904 LEGO Speed Champions Mopar Dodge/SRT Top Fuel Dragster & 1970 Dodge Challenger T/A for $49.99 (second picture above and below), and the #76905 LEGO Speed Champions Ford GT Heritage Edition & Bronco R also for $49.99 (third picture above and below).

In the player below, I have included video-reviews of all of six of the new sets by JANGBRiCKS, so you can check them out in more detail.

I love classic vehicles, so I’m particularly fond of the 1958 Corvette and the 1970 Dodge Challenger from the 2021 collection. I also like the Chevrolet Corvette racecar with its impressive shaping and nice decorations. Note that each set comes with interchangeable wheel covers, and the minifigs have an option to wear a helmet or hairpiece. Speaking of minifigs, they do look a little small compared to the larger vehicles and what we are used to in LEGO City, but you can place two minifigs side-by-side, which is far more realistic than most LEGO vehicles.

I do believe that these wider LEGO Speed Champions sets will please collectors. Previously, we only got realistic LEGO vehicles in large LEGO Technic and LEGO Creator sets. To get recognizable vehicles in minifig scale is quite remarkable. And I really like that LEGO is trying to keep a good variety of car brands and different shapes. The sets are excellent for learning to build LEGO vehicles. If you want to check them out, they are available at the LEGO Speed Champions section of the Online LEGO Shop.

What do you think? How do you like the new LEGO Speed Champions sets? Do you prefer the older, narrower vehicles, or the new wider ones? Do you have any of the sets already? Feel free to share your thoughts and own reviews in the comment section below!

And you might also like to check out the following related posts:

• June 2021 – New LEGO Sets & Promotions
• 2020 LEGO Speed Champions Sets Review