LEGO Technic Porsche 911 GT3 RS review

The #42056 LEGO Technic Porsche 911 GT3 RS was released at the beginning of the month, and this is definitely a LEGO set to talk about. It is a premium LEGO product the company is obviously proud of, as you can tell from the unusually long and detailed press-release and designer-video (see here). From the development of the initial concept to the final approval of the model LEGO designers worked almost two years on the project. Yet, the set does come with some issues that is delaying availability. So let’s take a closer look at this orange beauty. 🙂

➡ LEGO TECHNIC PORSCHE 911 GT3 RS – DESCRIPTION: We will start off with the official description of the set, as it gives you a good idea about what you get. Experience the iconic Porsche 911 GT3 RS with this authentic LEGO Technic replica. Inside the box you’ll discover a special collector’s book chronicling the history of LEGO Technic and Porsche GT cars, together with 4 original-design rims bearing the RS emblem. The sets of elements are boxed, and the building sequence gives an insight into the real-life vehicle’s assembly process. The model features detailed, orange bodywork, red suspension springs, detailed headlights, taillights, brake calipers and rims with low-profile tires. The accessible cockpit features a detailed dashboard, working gearbox, steering wheel with gearshift paddles, racing seats and a glove compartment containing a unique serial number. Functions include opening doors and hood with storage compartment and suitcase, and an opening rear lid that houses a detailed flat 6 engine with moving pistons. This 1:8 scale model has been designed to provide an immersive and rewarding building experience. 2704 pieces. Price: $299.99 – BUY HERE

➡ LEGO TECHNIC PORSCHE 911 GT3 RS – PACKAGING: There is no doubt that the packaging of this set is gorgeous. Instead of the regular open-at-the-ends or the flip-up lid type of box, here the whole top lid is lifted off. The box is made of very sturdy high-quality cardboard with beautiful images all around. Once you take off the top, you will find more luxury; nicely arranged inner boxes, and a book that looks like a hefty vehicle shop-manual. The specially designed wheels get their own holder inside the box – which is very stylish, and also make the wheels look like the studs on a black 1×4 brick. I should note here that this set was hand-packed at the LEGO Factory in Kladno, Czech Republic. LEGO released a sneak-peek video of packaging the set, which I have included in the video-player below.

➡ LEGO TECHNIC PORSCHE 911 GT3 RS – BUILDING: Once you are done carefully opening and marveling the packaging, you will probably spend quite a bit of time looking through the special full-color collector’s book, which includes the history of LEGO Technic and Porsche GT cars, plus the building instructions. Then you can begin building! Keep in mind that this is not just a huge set with 2704 pieces, but it is also LEGO Technic. If you ever built any LEGO Technic sets, you know that the Technic building system is not nearly as forgiving as working with regular LEGO elements. Once you connect the parts (usually with pins and axles) to build a particular section, it is almost impossible to go back to that section if you made a mistake. You will most likely have to take apart the entire model – and taking apart Technic sets is tedious to say the least. So if you plan to build this set (or any other large Technic model), take your time. As you build, keep checking the different functions to make sure they work smoothly. There is some leeway in how tightly parts are connected, so especially with working gears, everything has to alight just right.

Having said that, LEGO Technic models are the most satisfyingly complex sets with realistic action. This is why LEGO Technic set usually look like vehicle skeletons, exposing the working mechanism inside. Building LEGO Technic models is a lesson in engineering and comes closest to working on real vehicles in a LEGO model. So if you know what to expect, and plan accordingly, you can have a great learning and building experience with LEGO Technic sets.

➡ LEGO TECHNIC PORSCHE 911 GT3 RS – REVIEWS: Personally I have only built small to medium-size LEGO Technic models, plus I’m not a Porsche type person (I like more rugged vehicles), so I don’t really feel qualified to review the LEGO Technic Porsche. Thus I’m going to include a couple of excellent reviews (as well as a few extras) from those who are much more knowledgeable about the subject. In the video-player below, there are five videos. You can watch them in sequence, or use the drop-down list in the upper left corner of the player to choose the one you would like to watch. First is the designer-video, which we have seen before in the press-release, but I thought to add it here for the sake of completeness. The second is the factory packaging footage I mentioned in the third paragraph above.

Next is a really good overall review by JANGBRiCKS that is just over seven minutes long and includes all the key points about the set. If you are casually interested in the LEGO Technic Porsche model, this is the review I suggest to watch. The fourth video is by Sariel, who is one of the most respected and experienced members of the LEGO Technic fan community. He goes into every detail about the set; un-boxing, new pieces, pieces in new colors, parts-list, speed build, functions, impressions, pros and cons, and final notes. The video is over half an hour long, but if you really want to know everything about this set, it is worth to watch. The last video is by promobrick, showing you exactly how to add power functions and remote-control to the LEGO Technic Porsche.

➡ LEGO TECHNIC PORSCHE 911 GT3 RS – ISSUES: There is apparently a mix-up in the instruction manual which makes the gears of the LEGO Technic Porsche shift out of sequence. Most people assembling the set will likely not even notice this, but if you want to fix it, watch the steps in either of the review-videos. They are very simple. Make sure you do this before fully assembling the model, because you would have to take apart a lot to change it later. You may have also noticed that the set is being shipped with a delay. At the Online LEGO Shop you will see the following message: “We have experienced delays in shipping the Porsche and are working tirelessly to correct the issue. As always, our design team has focused on designing a premium product and we want to ensure that it arrives at your doorstep in premium condition.” You can still buy the set, but it may take a bit for it to arrive.

Both issues were discussed at the LEGO Ambassador Forum. As far as the gears, this is the official response from LEGO: “Thank you to all our dedicated fans for the comments regarding the GT3 RS by LEGO Technic. It is correct that the gears in this model are not sequential as in the real Porsche PDK. This is however a deliberate decision taken to ensure that we make the best possible LEGO version of this amazing car that both meets our design requirements and gives everyone a great building and product experience. It was a considered decision taken during development that the gears running in the correct order meant that it did not result in a great experience when driving the car. Too many gears are engaged at the same time and smooth running with all those tolerances is just not possible. If you switch the build in steps 267 and 269 the gears will run sequentially, and everyone who feels that this is the better solution should feel encouraged to do so. LEGO Technic really is the ultimate open source design product and now that it is finally available, we look forward to seeing all the ‘improved’ models our fans create. After all, that is what LEGO building is all about. We hope everyone will have a great building experience and feel a strong sense of pride from creating both our version and their very own LEGO Technic representation of a Porsche GT3 RS. We are very fortunate to have such skilled and dedicated fans that can spot this small deviation from reality and would like to thank everyone for sharing their ideas and expert knowledge.” And as far as the delayed shipping, it apparently has to do with the weight of the manual causing the inside boxes to get a bit crushed during shipping, so LEGO is redesigning the internal packaging.

Overall, the LEGO Technic Porsche 911 GT3 RS is a gorgeous and very complex model. There are so many thoughtful details to make it a long and satisfying building experience. I wish the outer frame could be removed easier to see all the internal workings, because that’s really the heart and soul of this car. It would also be nice to have power-functions included right out of the box, but it seems that adding it later is not too difficult. This is obviously a niche set for a niche audience with a taste for luxury . I have already seen people who own the real Porsche display it proudly next to the original one. The set does have a few issues, but they can either be easily fixed or could be just ignored. If you are interested, you can find it under the LEGO Technic section of the Online LEGO Shop.

So what do you think? How do you like the LEGO Technic Porsche? Are you happy with the model, or would you have liked it to be different? Are you planning to get one, or do you already have it? Feel free to share your thoughts and own review in the comment section below! 😉

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

• LEGO Technic Porsche 911 GT3 RS Details (press-release)
• LEGO Technic Pull-Back Racers for 2016
• LEGO Technic Crawler Crane Review
• LEGO Technic 24 Hours Race Car Review
• Designing a LEGO Technic Volvo Model