While most of the 2017 LEGO Speed Champions cars were released at the beginning of the year (see: 2017 LEGO Speed Champions Reviews), there is one vehicle that was held back until June; the #75880 LEGO Speed Champions McLaren 720S. But good things come to those with patience, so let’s take a closer look at this orange wonder. 🙂
The #75880 LEGO Speed Champions McLaren 720S is the third LEGO Speed Champions set featuring the brand. The #75909 LEGO Speed Champions McLaren P1, and the #75911 LEGO Speed Champions McLaren Mercedes Pit Stop were both released in 2015. The LEGO version of the McLaren P1 was a particularly nice vehicle with beautiful curves, a bold bright-light-orange and black color-scheme, and a few well-placed stickers (see second picture below).
Because the LEGO Speed Champions vehicles are minifigure scale, they are not the most accurate as far as actual car models. This is understandable, as LEGO designers are limited with what pieces they can work with in such a small scale. However, due to the introduction of new curved pieces, wedge elements, windshields, mudguards, and wheel covers, they are accurate enough to be instantly recognizable.
And, since LEGO added even more new pieces to their inventory, this means that the LEGO Speed Champions cars can continue to advance as well. For example, while the McLaren P1 uses stickers for its headlights, thanks to some new small pieces, the McLaren 720S has a completely brick-built front section. On this scale, that’s a big achievement, and a testament to LEGO’s commitment to providing a great building experience.
All the small LEGO Speed Champions come with a bit of extra, and I think the little design studio included with the McLaren 720S is one of the best. It’s small and simple, but that McLaren design sketch really makes it. And with the addition of the red coffee mug, it is even artistic.
Here is the official description of the set: Become a supercar designer and racing driver with the LEGO Speed Champions version of the McLaren 720S plus design studio. This buildable car features loads of authentic details and comes with a design desk and play-starting elements, including an original design sketch and printed 3D miniature version of the McLaren 720S. Also includes one designer/racing driver minifigure. McLaren 720S measures over 1” (4cm) high, 5” (14cm) long and 1” (5cm) wide. Design desk measures over 1” (5cm) high, 2” (6cm) wide and 1” (4cm) deep. 161 pieces. Price: $14.99 – BUY HERE
In summary, the LEGO Speed Champions McLaren 720S is a worthy addition to the LEGO Speed Champions line, and I would say it’s probably one of the best vehicles in the series. While the shaping is not completely accurate, due to the limitations of the LEGO building system in such a small scale, it is still a very impressive model. Collectors of the LEGO Speed Champions sets should be very happy with this mighty little wonder. Also, because the vehicle is minifig-scale, has a standard 6-wide frame, and it comes with few stickers, it can be used in LEGO City dioramas as a standard car for the rich and famous. You can find it at the LEGO Speed Champions section of the Online LEGO Shop.
What do you think? How do you like the LEGO Speed Champions collection? And what do you think of the McLaren 720S? Which one is your favorite vehicle so far? Feel free to share your thoughts and own review in the comment section below! 😉
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Beautiful car! Really, one of the best! Of course, there is always room for improvement, but this at this scale this is great.
I wish the tile with the concept car was printed, but other than that great set!
Yeah, a printed concept car would have been amazing! 😀
I really like the orange color scheme, and the new orange parts for it. But while recognizable, the LEGO set doesn’t match the real car in two major places: the front and above the rear wheels. The headlight cavities are too large and awkwardly shaped. I know everyone likes the brick-built headlights, but maybe this set could have used a sticker, even just an orange one on a clear piece, to define the shape better. The bumps over the rear wheels are too large as well, and I think the slope pieces could be replaced with smaller ones. The curve may be less defined, but I think the overall profile would be improved. That’s just my opinion, though, the rest of the set is excellent and I will be getting it. 🙂
Also: https://brickset.com/article/28609/ninjago-microsite-updated-to-reflect-movie I still don’t like the Ninja’s new design much, but I suppose it’s good that they’re so different from the show, so no one can confuse the two looks. About the microsite, since the Skybound season has ended, LEGO looped back to Episode 1, so unfortunately we won’t see the Hands of Time episodes. We may have to wait 64 weeks to get there again…. 😕
It’s hard to make accurate representations of actual cars in Lego, and they lack the slick swooshability of the Star Wars vehicles.
I think a more fantasy approach to racing would have worked better, but it seems I am in the minority.
For the Ninjago movie, I do at least like the new hairpieces. I’ll see if I could pick up some of them later through Pick-a-Brick or Bricklink…
I think LEGO is going for recognizable, not entirely accurate models, since they are using a 6-stud-wide scale to fit with other themes like City. So the Speed Champions sets are usually somewhat inaccurate. But I feel the McLaren 720S could have been improved as a set, though only in the places I mentioned.
The Ninjago hairpieces won’t be on P-a-B, but you may be able to get them from Bricks&Pieces; Bricklink will have them as well.
Fantasy racecars???!!! I’m in! 😀
Yeah, I was just writing about the new Ninjago site as well! (Will post it sometime later this week.) I’m surprised they didn’t make a separate site for The Ninjago Movie, as it suppose to be substantially different than the TV show. But the more I see/hear about it, the more it looks and feels pretty much the same as the show. I agree that the characters don’t look as cute, or something. I think their faces are too small…
The Ninjago Movie seems to follow the old Lego Movie approach of having accurate proportions to actual minifigs. Were the heads enlarged for the TV-series, or what?
What I meant is that the printing on the faces is cuter for the TV show characters compared to the ones for the movie. One way to achieve cuteness for toys, dolls, animated characters, etc. is to space the eyes, eyebrows, mouth further apart, and to exaggerate their size. When either or both the spacing and size are contracted, the faces don’t look as cute to the human eye. Hope that makes sense. 🙂
Aahh, the faces, and facial features, rather than the heads…
Yeah! 😀
They should have made a separate microsite, but I’m almost glad they didn’t, as the old Ninjago homepage always crashed my browser, and the new one doesn’t.
The movie is completely different to the show. Yes, the main characters are the same, but the conflict is different. Garmadon may be still trying to take over Ninjago, but the story unfolds differently, with shark minions and such. I think the language and setting of the movie are different as well: the movie utilizes more modern humor that is familiar to a wider audience today, and Ninjago City is modernized as well – but not futuristically like in the show.
What irks me about the movie characters most are the intentionally ridiculous hairstyles. Wu and Garmadon I am fine with. But perhaps my whole problem with the movie is everything is more realistic, and that destroys the mythical-type setting of the original Ninjago. I also like snakes more than sharks and jellyfish. 😉
Pssst! The sharks and jellyfish can hear you! Don’t go to the beach! 😈
On a more serious note, I think they made the changes to appeal to a wider audience. The Ninjago TV show was clearly for kids. For a big screen movie to succeed they are going to have to appeal to more than just ten-year-olds. I agree about the hairpieces, but they may look better in the sets. At least I hope…
Oh… I might be going to the beach this weekend, if it’s not cold or raining…. I guess I’ll avoid the water. 😉
I agree with you: the movie has to appeal to a wider audience, which would be why the story is completely different, since few people will be acquainted with the TV show. If the previous LEGO Movies are anything to judge by, though, the minifigs will be almost exactly like their movie versions. 😕
I have been going to the beach every weekend for a month now, and it has been awesome! No sharks and jellies, and the water is warm! 😀
Although the hairpieces look rather manga, being outrageous as a stylistic choice. Lego attempted something similar in Exo-Force.
(I’d like more outrageous hairpieces myself, both for hairdos and for all colors of the rainbow.)
That’s true. I love the Exo Force hairpieces! 😀