77942 Fiat 500 is a re-coloured version of 10271 that was released last year.
It's only available from two retailers: LEGO and Zavvi. LEGO will only ship it to UK customers so if you live elsewhere you'll need to buy it from Zavvi, who will ship it worldwide. It's out of stock at the moment but it can be pre-ordered for delivery sometime in November, after which no more will be available.
In this article I will compare it with the yellow version, so I encourage you to take a look at our review of that one if you've not done so already.
European vehicles have appeared prominently within the exceptional Creator Expert selection and 10271 Fiat 500 looks quite impressive. This outstanding design enjoys remarkable renown internationally, epitomising the attractive style associated with Italian motoring.
However, curved bodywork dominates the Fiat 500, contrasting with the majority of LEGO elements which are inherently angular. That may have presented certain challenges to the designer, although I appreciate the broad variety of different designs which are available and am impressed with this addition to this range.
Manchester United F.C. was established during 1878 and maintains extraordinary international popularity. Old Trafford also boasts remarkable renown, hosting countless prestigious matches through the labyrinthine history of Manchester United and English football.
10272 Old Trafford - Manchester United seems accordingly interesting, particularly since LEGO has not produced any realistic stadia before now. The model appears exceptionally detailed in official images and demonstrates brilliant accuracy when compared with its source material, deviating significantly from previous sets.
It's also the first since then to feature a purely residential building, and of course is the first bookshop.
After a couple of modular buildings inspired by those in the New World that were perhaps not as well received by fans as might have been expected, this one returns to European influences and is much better for it.
Ten years have elapsed since the Winter Village range was introduced and this appealing series maintains consistent popularity. Some fantastic seasonal designs have been created and I think 10267 Gingerbread House looks splendid, even when compared with other buildings which are considerably more realistic.
The decision to produce something more fantastical than many previous Winter Village sets has proven divisive but the model appears incredibly detailed. Furthermore, the minifigures are enticing and the price of £84.99 or $99.99 seems reasonable, comparing favourably with other Creator Expert sets.
Numerous impressive larger-scale motorcycles have been released, most frequently within the Technic theme. 10269 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy seems particularly interesting in official images and this design deviates significantly from past models, due primarily to its focus upon System building techniques.
In addition, Harley-Davidson motorcycles have become representative of American touring culture, much like 10265 Ford Mustang. This set contains 1023 pieces and costs £84.99 or $99.99 which seems quite reasonable so this should prove to be an excellent model, especially following previous Creator Expert sets during 2019.
Almost five decades have passed since Apollo 11 delivered humans to the surface of the Moon on the 20th of July, 1969. This amazing achievement has inspired numerous LEGO models and 10266 NASA Apollo 11 Lunar Lander looks wonderful in official images, accurately replicating this classic spacecraft design.
The set contains 1087 pieces and costs £84.99 or $99.99 so seems to offer reasonable value in my opinion, especially given the inclusion of two minifigures. Furthermore, a superb selection of metallic gold pieces are included, representing the aluminised kapton foil which protects the exterior. They seem rather interesting and should result in an exceptional model for display!
Large vehicles have become an integral feature of the Creator Expert theme during the last few years and those models have been consistently impressive in my opinion. 10265 Ford Mustang appears to continue that trend as this fantastic automotive icon looks splendid in every official image, eliciting a great reaction.
This model depicts the classic 1967 Ford Mustang GT Fastback which is probably among the most influential cars ever designed. It therefore seems worthy of a place within the Creator Expert vehicles series, although the set costs £119.99 or $149.99 which is rather expensive when compared with others. Nevertheless, this should prove to be an excellent set.
When it's released on 1st January 10264 Corner Garage will be the 14th modular building to be produced since the series started in 2007. They all have their own unique style and colour palette but they all take inspiration from a bygone era when buildings were more than just a steel frame and plate glass.
Like last year's 10260 Downtown Diner this one takes inspiration from 1950's USA but unlike the diner, buildings with garages like it probably don't exist any more.
Before I start the review, I should give a big thanks to the LEGO AFOL Engagement team for getting the set sent out in time for me to review it on the day it's revealed. The press release was distributed last Wednesday, the set was sent on Thursday and I received it on Friday afternoon. I had a family commitment away from home over the weekend so had to take it with me and build it while my wife and daughters were off watching Mary Berry rustle up something tasty at the BBC Good Food Show in Birmingham.
Anyway, after something like 6 hours of building, another hour or so photographing and post-processing and a couple more writing it, I'm pleased to be able to bring you this review so soon after its reveal.
Find out if all that effort was worth it and what I think of it after the break...
When we reported on the release of 4999 Vestas Wind Turbine back in 2008 it caused a lot of excitement but also disappointment when it became apparent that it was to be made available to Vestas employees only. Consequently it became much sought-after and expensive on the secondary market. It went to the top of my wanted list but unfortunately I never managed to get hold of it.
When we learned that it was to be re-released I had mixed emotions: happy that I was finally going to be able to acquire one but also disappointed that it looked to be pretty much identical to the old version when we might have expected it to have been refreshed a bit to take advantage of pieces that have been introduced since its original release.
The popular Winter Village subtheme began in 2009 so is now approaching its tenth anniversary and has offered an impressive range of different buildings during that time. 10263 Winter Village Fire Station is the latest such model and this set contains 1166 pieces.
LEGO has produced numerous fire stations so speculation that another one would appear in the Winter Village range did not inspire great excitement. However, its eventual unveiling was remarkably well received and I have certainly been looking forward to this set. It seems to represent a return to the antiquated styling of earlier Winter Village buildings and costs £84.99 or $99.99 so should offer reasonable value.
LEGO has created products for more than forty licensed themes since 1999, ranging from Star Wars and The Simpsons to Ferrari and Winnie the Pooh! Nevertheless, the announcement of 10262 James Bond Aston Martin DB5 surprised many LEGO fans as certain aspects of the James Bond franchise seem poorly suited to the brand.
However, I am an enormous fan of James Bond so have been looking forward to building this set and to finding out whether its designer has been able to recreate the Aston Martin DB5's distinctive shape. Furthermore, the set includes an impressive range of functions, just like its onscreen counterpart, so I am hopeful that they have been integrated effectively.
When we first saw pictures of The Joker Manor -- the first set to include the new roller coaster track pieces -- in September last year, we correctly predicted that a Creator Fairground Roller Coaster would follow this year, but little did we know that it would be as huge, and awesome, as 10261 Roller Coaster.
Judging by the number of AFOLs who have been wishing for an official roller coaster set it should prove extremely popular, but before you rush ahead and buy it, there is the small matter of its size and fragility to consider.
10260 Downtown Diner is an enormous set and is worthy of considerable discussion so we have decided to divide our review into two sections.
The first part was focused upon the minifigures as well as the building experience but now we are turning our attention to the completed model and I will also be summarising my opinions of the entire set.
LEGO releases hundreds of products every year but I think the annual Modular Building remains the most anticipated of all, at least among adult fans. The range celebrated its tenth anniversary with 10255 Assembly Square last year and now makes a welcome return, bringing an entirely different kind of building to the street scene.
10260 Downtown Diner is unique among the Modular Buildings released so far, featuring an unmistakable Streamline Moderne architectural design which is defined by an abundance of horizontal and vertical lines as well as rounded edges. Such a dramatic change did not meet with universal approval when the set was announced but I have been looking forward to it very much, not least because the set represents such an interesting style of architecture.
This is an enormous set, containing 2480 pieces, so we have decided to publish our review in two parts. The first concerns the six minifigures included as well as construction of the diner.
10189 Taj Mahal was released in 2008 and was the largest set ever produced up to that point, containing some 5922 pieces. The adult market for LEGO products has grown at an exponential rate since then and demand for that impressive set has risen accordingly, particularly following its retirement in the waning months of 2010.
The abrupt announcement of 10256 Taj Mahal therefore proved to be a tremendous surprise for many LEGO fans, not least because direct re-releases have been rare in recent years and the return of such a large set is unprecedented. Nevertheless, this met with an overwhelmingly positive reaction on the whole as many more people will now be able to enjoy this fantastic model of the Taj Mahal. The addition of a brick separator has brought the piece count up to a total of 5923 while numbered bags have been introduced to improve the building experience.
I've always looked forward to getting the new Winter Village set each year. It's become as much of a tradition in my household as Christmas itself. After last year's 10254 Winter Holiday Train Winter Village Train, this year's offering of a Winter Village Station hardly comes as a surprise.
Initially, it looks a bit small - and the question of value for money has raised a few eyebrows. So in order to answer that question as truthfully as I can, I've stumped up my own cash (well, with some VIP points) to see if we're full steam ahead, or at the end of the line.
10258 London Bus represents the latest addition to the Creator Expert range and a series of vehicles which have proven extraordinarily popular over the last few years. Previous models have depicted a wide selection of different cars but this classic A.E.C. Routemaster bus marks a significant departure from the existing line.
Nevertheless, it appears to maintain the high standard which we have come to expect of these sets, comprising an exceptional level of detail both inside and out as well as some fascinating building techniques and a satisfying array of parts in new colours. Furthermore, the price of £109.99 or $139.99 seems reasonable given both the considerable size of the set and the 1686 pieces included.
10257 Carousel is the latest in LEGO's semi-annual collection of Creator Expert fairground sets. Its release comes 8 years after the first one, 10196 Grand Carousel, which is now highly revered and sought after, and which commands ridiculous sums on the secondary market, around £2000 for a new example on BrickLink.
The release of a new carousel has thus brought some relief to those who hanker after another fairground attraction to display alongside the more recent 10244 Fairground Mixer and 10247 Ferris Wheel.
Modular Buildings have become a highlight of the year for many LEGO fans and with very good reason. They offer spectacular structures, brilliant building techniques and a tremendous selection of different pieces which represent both the fundamental principles of LEGO products as well as the most advanced aspects of their design over the last decade.
2017 will mark the tenth year of the theme and this milestone is celebrated by the release of 10255 Assembly Square. The set contains 4002 pieces and is therefore the largest Modular Building yet as well as one of the most impressive based on the exceptionally positive reaction to its announcement in October. LEGO has kindly sent us a copy of the set so we can provide Brickset readers with an early review in advance of its worldwide release on the 1st of January.
