Premium product beats expectations
I viewed these models several times on the website but was reluctant to purchase as the product images were computer generated rather than actual photographs.
I eventually pulled the trigger on MP4/4 after LEGO's official set proved to be something of a disappointment, and although it arrived slightly later than expected, I'm very glad I did. The packaging has a premium feel to it, significantly better than official LEGO sets, with a sturdy, bespoke designed, re-sealable box (actually much better than the ones pictured on the website) and a protective wallet for the stickers.
Most importantly, the stickers are very high quality, possibly even better than LEGO's own. Perfectly printed on high quality material and attractively presented. One minor complaint - there are two stickers in this set that are impossible to apply - the Goodyear logo for the front wing endplates (which the instructions advise to apply across studs) and the lower blue band on Senna's crash helmet (its just not physically possible to apply it in it's proper position without major distortion). I should also mention that the tyre stickers have a looser bond than I would ideally like, perhaps a separate sticker sheet with different glue is required for rubber parts?
The instructions are virtually identical to those seen in official LEGO sets, although I do think it would be reasonable to include a paper copy given the price.
There were absolutely no issues at all with the build - as expected, there are a couple of fragile connections (front and rear spoilers in this case), but this is the price of such accurate representation of the real car.
The completed model is as good of a representation of the real car as I could imagine in this scale (closer to true minifigure scale than Speed Champions sets), very cleverly designed with remarkable efficiency of parts use. I can confidently say that the end result looks as good as the CG images on the website.
In conclusion, if you are happy to pay the high price, you should not be disappointed with these kits which have clearly been designed and produced with a great deal of care and attention to detail.
16 April 2024
Unprompted review