LEGO 42098 Car Transporter - Technic

My son tells me it's the eighth biggest Technic set. The car looks awesome with its working pistons and a great at the rear of the car to steer with. The truck has moving pistons just like the car which are connected to the first rear axle. For a 12yr old it's not an extremely difficult build but is time consuming. The rack and pinion that raises and lowers the rear deck is a great play feature as does the lever to tilt the cab which also lifts the top deck so you can access the engine just like a real truck. We loved the front ramp which allows vehicles to drive into the front trailer section. Fully built is bigger than I expected at 85cm long and 25cm high with car on top. It looks very realistic and with all the ramps and decks that move to allow up to 5 cars!! ... MoreMy son tells me it's the eighth biggest Technic set. The car looks awesome with its working pistons and a great at the rear of the car to steer with. The truck has moving pistons just like the car which are connected to the first rear axle. For a 12yr old it's not an extremely difficult build but is time consuming. The rack and pinion that raises and lowers the rear deck is a great play feature as does the lever to tilt the cab which also lifts the top deck so you can access the engine just like a real truck. We loved the front ramp which allows vehicles to drive into the front trailer section. Fully built is bigger than I expected at 85cm long and 25cm high with car on top. It looks very realistic and with all the ramps and decks that move to allow up to 5 cars!! The speed Champions sets are just the right size. It is a great set to play with and much more fun and interesting than I would have thought.

I was on the fence about this build and then I checked the vehicle dimensions of the blue car that comes with the set and it matched the Corvette ZR1 (42093). So, I decided I was going to purchase this kit to use as a display option as well as being a model in its own right.First thing first this thing is HUGE when built. The size of the included car should have been a clue I know but the finished size meant I had to find a new location for it as no way would it fit in the space I had earmarked for it. How big is it you ask. Well on the bottom deck I have the blue car and the ZR1 and on the top deck it houses the London Bus (10258) and the VW Camper Van (10220). Yes it easily takes the weight of these larger builds and they do fit properly although they do not ... MoreI was on the fence about this build and then I checked the vehicle dimensions of the blue car that comes with the set and it matched the Corvette ZR1 (42093). So, I decided I was going to purchase this kit to use as a display option as well as being a model in its own right.First thing first this thing is HUGE when built. The size of the included car should have been a clue I know but the finished size meant I had to find a new location for it as no way would it fit in the space I had earmarked for it. How big is it you ask. Well on the bottom deck I have the blue car and the ZR1 and on the top deck it houses the London Bus (10258) and the VW Camper Van (10220). Yes it easily takes the weight of these larger builds and they do fit properly although they do not lock in place.Everything on this unit works and you can line the ramps up to get vehicles on and off both the trailer and the main truck. From what little I know of Car Transporters (which you could write on the back of a postage stamp and have room left over) the functionality seems to be accurate. Some new techniques were used in this build and made it hold my interest despite the huge amount of pieces you are dealing with. Although the kit comes with numbered bags it is just portioned up in to 3 sections - the car, the main truck and then the trailer. So expect lots of sorting before you can start.Even worse there are a LOT of stickers in this kit. None of them were particularly onerous to site and they do add to the look, especially on the truck cab.I spread the build over 3 days as real life intervened but I really enjoyed it the challenge. Yes, there is some repetitive work going on in this set but the designers have changed things up here and there with a different technique to get to the same end point. Definitely one of my favourites from a build point of view.Number Of Pieces: 2493Approximate Price Per Piece: £0.06Build Time: 11.5 Hours

This was a really fun build. Up until now I have been drawn to the Expert sets. This set was engaging in that it was neat to see how block-building differed from Technic. The result is a nice piece with useable and logical features that enhance the experience. I can't wait to take it apart and do the 2nd build.One area of concern is that this is the 3rd set in a row that was missing a piece. That said, with everything going on with COVID19, I am thankful that LEGO staff is employed and understand that is possible to miss something during these trying times.What I would like to see are additional vehicles that can be incorporated into the theme beyond the Corvette. In addition, it would be nice if these vehicles could have more complexity, similar to the Expert ... MoreThis was a really fun build. Up until now I have been drawn to the Expert sets. This set was engaging in that it was neat to see how block-building differed from Technic. The result is a nice piece with useable and logical features that enhance the experience. I can't wait to take it apart and do the 2nd build.One area of concern is that this is the 3rd set in a row that was missing a piece. That said, with everything going on with COVID19, I am thankful that LEGO staff is employed and understand that is possible to miss something during these trying times.What I would like to see are additional vehicles that can be incorporated into the theme beyond the Corvette. In addition, it would be nice if these vehicles could have more complexity, similar to the Expert vehicles, verses the prefabbed body panels and rudimentary look and feel. I would also recommend that these vehicles fit the truck & trailer, and be secured on the truck/trailer the same as the vehicle provided in the box. Incorporating these suggestions would significantly enhance the experience (which was really good).