The Grand Prix has come to town (Melbourne this week) and to celebrate I’m taking quick look at the LEGO Technic 42165 Mercedes-AMG F1 W14 E Performance Pull-Back. If I was better organised, I’d present the 42171 Icons version – designed for an adult audience. I’ll look at that in weeks to come. In the meantime, what better thing to distract the kids while you are building a larger scale vehicle than a small scale version of the same car, in a more playable format.

Elements

This is essentially a model toy car: there are a good mix of beams and connectors, as well as a number of small panels in black, 4 wheels and a few flex tubes. A major element if the pull back motor itself. A little larger than 5x5x3, there is space for a single axle. There are no gear elements, and no specific mechanisms to construct.

Being a model of a formula 1 car, there are plenty of stickers to ensure that all of the team’s sponsors are appropriately recognised:

The Construction

We start off building the central core of the vehicle: the pull back motor dominates the rear of the model, while beams extend to the front.

The second bag sees us work on the front wings. The stickers get a little awkward – especially if you wish to get them nicely lined up.

The third bag sees us form the rear cowling, and curves in the body, as well as the cockpit are enhanced by the use of flex elements, in black and teal.

The final back sees us add the rear spoiler as well as the wheels: getting the stickers over the hubcaps felt unneccesarily challenging, if I was to ensure they were centrally applied.

The finished toy

The final model is a round 24 cm (9″) long, and is a small sleek version of the real thing. The scale limits the quality of the curves able to be represented, compared to both the larger model and the real thing.

While the vehicle doesn’t have the steering or visible engine of a full sized technic model, it does let you play , and quite robustly! The pull back motor was able to propel the car across the back verandah and through the house – around 8 m without too much difficulty. However, the tires do pick up grit and other surface bound mess quite rapidly, necessitating a good wash after shooting the video below, before taking the photos of the completed car.

In Conclusion

With 240 pieces, this 7+ set is primarily a toy with a single function: the pull-back motor. No steering. No moving engine. Just pull back and go. It’s a good introduction to Technic construction techniques, but if you are looking for a toy to teach you about mechanisms, you will be disappointed. I appreciate how flex elements are used to enhance the curves of the sides and cockpit. There are lots of stickers to put in place that enhance the look, but some are a bit fiddly.

This is just the thing for the kids to build while watching the big race or while someone else in the house is building the adult-focused 42171 Mercedes-AMG F1. It does just what it says on the box, at a price that might be a little more than you’d like – but not too much more.

What do you think of this set? One for the kids? Or for you? Who are you supporting in the big race? leave your comments below!

The LEGO Technic 42156 Mercedes-AMG F1 W14 E Performance Pull-Back has 240 pieces and is priced at $aud39.95/ $usd26.99/ £20.99/€26.99. Consider using our affiliate links: the blog might receive a small commission to cover running costs, and it costs you nothing.

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Until Next Time,

Play Well!

This set was #gifted by the LEGO Group. All opinions are my own.