Portal axles and 2,891 pieces of G-Wagen

A member built the Mercedes-Benz G 500 Professional Line (42177) and sent three photos. This is one of the newer additions to the library, a 2024 kit, and I think it is one of the most satisfying off-road builds we have had in the rotation. The boxy G-Wagen shape translates well into LEGO Technic, and the portal axle system makes it genuinely interesting to examine when assembled.

Portal axles are the mechanical feature that gives the real G 500 Professional Line its extreme ground clearance. Instead of the drive shaft connecting directly to the wheel hub, it connects to a reduction gear at the hub, which raises the axle centre above the wheel centre. The result is the G-Wagen’s characteristic high-riding stance with the wheel arches pushed up. The LEGO version replicates this accurately, and you can feel the articulation in the suspension when you pick it up.

Dom’s Dodge Charger

The 42111 is one of the few film-licensed Technic sets LEGO has produced, and one of the more recognisable ones at that. The car is Dominic Toretto’s 1970 Dodge Charger from the original 2001 Fast & Furious, flat black with a supercharger blower sticking up through the bonnet.

The set packs in a full-size V8 engine that sits in the bay and is visible through the opening bonnet. Both ends open, which is unusual for a Technic car set. There’s a moveable steering rack as well. At 1,077 pieces it builds in around 3 to 4 hours.

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What to expect when you build it

The Charger is a more compact build than the 1:8 hypercars, but the engine assembly is the centrepiece and it gets a proper treatment. The V8 block goes together in the middle section of the build, and the supercharger blower that crowns it is one of the better-looking single parts in this set.

Having both the front and rear bonnets open is an unusual feature. Most Technic cars open one end. On the Charger, the rear reveals the boot space and the front frames the engine bay properly, so you can display it with both up and it reads immediately as the movie car.

The flat black colour scheme means every panel line and detail shows clearly. Not a lot of colour variation to track, which keeps the build moving.

Ferrari Daytona SP3

The 42143 is a 1:8 scale replica of the Ferrari Daytona SP3, one of the limited-run Icona series cars Ferrari produced as a tribute to the endurance racing Ferraris of the late 1960s and early 1970s. The bodywork on the real car is the main event, and LEGO has done a reasonable job of capturing the long hood and the wide rear haunches at this scale.

Under the body there is a naturally aspirated V12 with moving pistons, the engine sits in a mid-rear position and is accessible when the bodywork panels are removed. The suspension is independent all round, and the gearbox is a 6-speed sequential unit. It is a long build at 3,778 pieces, typically 8 to 10 hours across a couple of sessions.

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What to expect when you build it

The first third of the build is all chassis and drivetrain. The V12 block is the most involved part and needs to go in before any of the surrounding structure. The gear selector mechanism runs up through the centre and the linkages have to be set right before the body panels close over them, so it is worth going slowly through that section.

The bodywork goes on in stages toward the end of the build. The panels are colour-coded with the red accent pieces and the fit is tight. This is a model that benefits from working in good light because there are some small clips that are easy to miss if the instructions are not followed in order.

The finished car is wide and low and looks right on a shelf. The Daytona SP3 silhouette reads immediately even in LEGO form.

Alan takes on the Heavy Duty Forklift

Alan is one of our most consistent Brick Club builders and the Heavy Duty Forklift (42079) landed in his hands as part of a run through the working vehicle section of the library. At 592 pieces it is one of the more compact kits in the Technic range, which makes it a decent change of pace after something bigger.

This is a 2018 set and you feel that slightly in the build, but the working forks are the whole point and they deliver. The gear mechanism raises and lowers the forks with a satisfying positive action. Steerable rear wheels, orange and grey colour scheme at roughly 1:20 scale. It builds well and displays well on a desk.

Alan takes on the Rough Terrain Crane

Alan is one of our most consistent Brick Club builders and the Rough Terrain Crane (42082) is his most ambitious build from the library so far. At 4,057 pieces it sits in the same tier as the big supercars; this is a proper weekend build rather than an evening session, and it demands your full attention.

LEGO produced this in 2018 as one of their largest Technic sets of that year. Eight wheels, full crane arm that extends and rotates, working outriggers, counterweight, winch with a hook that actually lowers. The turning radius mechanism across both front and rear axles is a serious piece of engineering by LEGO’s standards. Alan has turned in a clean build on all of it.

Three levers, full rotation, working tracks

A member sent this one in. The Heavy-Duty Excavator (42121) is the classic Technic construction build, yellow cab, tracked base, and a three-lever arm that controls each joint independently. Boom, dipper, and bucket all move separately, which sounds obvious but makes a real difference when you are actually operating it.

At 569 pieces it sits on the compact end. Build time is two to three hours. The superstructure rotates a full 360 degrees and the cab detail is good for the size. If you want a taste of the big construction kits like the Volvo EC500 before committing to something larger, this is a reasonable way in.

A classic Technic truck from 2011, still in the library

A member built this one and sent a photo. The Flatbed Truck (8109) is from 2011, which makes it one of the older sets in the Brick Club collection. At 1,096 pieces and a 1:17 scale it is a proper size, with working steering, suspension, opening cab doors, a detailed interior, and a tilting flatbed.

The fact that it is a retired set is part of the appeal for some builders. You cannot buy this new. The classic Technic era had a different feel to the modern licensed kits, more functional and mechanical, less about the finished model as a display piece. If you want to see what Technic building was like before the Bugattis and Ferraris arrived, the 8109 is a decent example.

Boom arm, spinning saw, and a grab that actually picks up logs

A member built the Forest Machine (42080) and sent a photo. This one gets less attention than the cranes and excavators but it is genuinely interesting to operate. The articulated boom arm swings out and down, the saw blade spins, and the grab opens and closes to pick up logs. At 1,003 pieces and 1:12 scale it is a compact machine with a lot going on.

There is also a full alternate build: a mobile pile driver. So if you are on a longer subscription and want two builds out of one kit, the 42080 is worth knowing about. I like this set. It is one of the more unusual things in the library and it is not obvious from the box what it can actually do until you get into it.

Tandem rotors, working winch, 1,042 pieces

One of our subscribers sent photos of their finished Heavy Lift Helicopter. The build dates from July 2023, one of the earlier ones we received, and it is good to finally get it up on the blog.

The 42052 is a 2016 set and one of the older kits in the library. Back-catalogue does not mean lesser. This one has a tandem rotor setup you almost never see in Technic, and the mechanics behind it are genuinely interesting.

Ford GT 42154 – third time around

The Ford GT (42154) has now been photographed by three different Brick Club members. That says something. It is one of those builds where the finished model looks genuinely good enough to sit on a shelf, and it photographs well too.

This member shot theirs from directly above on a stone floor, with the doors open and the cockpit interior visible. The composition is clean. You can see the Le Mans Heritage livery properly, and the gullwing doors lifted up give you a clear look at the detail inside.

1,466 pieces, 4 to 5 hours

The Ford GT is rated Advanced and sits at the upper end of what I would call approachable Technic. The build mechanics are genuinely interesting: working steering via a knob at the rear, front and rear suspension, and a V6 EcoBoost engine with pistons that move as you roll the car. The opening rear engine cover lets you show off the engine detail.

The gullwing doors are the thing people remember. They open from the top section of each door, exactly as they do on the full-size car. It is one of those design details that makes the finished model feel like more than just a static shape.