Everything is awesome when it comes to LEGO building bricks.  When I was a kid the holy grail of toys was the LEGO Technic Expert Builder Chassis set, released in 1980.  If you wanted to understand how cars function, that was the set to learn from.  It sold for more than $125 back then and now on eBay they can fetch more than $1,500.  The best part of the early Technic sets was that they didn’t fudge the basic LEGO pieces for the sake of design.  Which is why the current LEGO Creator line is full of great options.

Probably the most fun is the coming release of the classic Volkswagen Beetle.  Check out the instructions on the LEGO website for the new Volkswagen Beetle here for an idea of the detailed engine design.  And you’ll see that the design is true to the basic LEGO building blocks, meaning you get to learn to hone your creativity by adapting to the basic LEGO building pieces.  You can pre-order the VW Beetle now here from Amazon, expected to ship around the first of the year.

But if you can’t wait that long, don’t fret.  LEGO has already released some other cool car building sets as well as some nifty buildings.  If you’re not in the market for LEGO sets right now, they are still fun to gawk at.  Like this earlier Volkswagen release, the camper van:

Our band director had one of these and this design is dead on.  You can order the Volkswagen van now here from Amazon.

Or how about this Mini Cooper?

It’s also a great design and with 1,077 pieces you can create your own retro variations.  Check out more photos here at Amazon.

Although they don’t have that cool retro vibe, your thing may be the more stylish modern LEGO car designs.  Like this Ferrari:

Check out details on the Ferrari here.

If you want to get into the guts of how a car works, beginners should start out with a less expensive set like this Formula Off-Roader:

The Formula Off-Roader features working steering, detailed chassis, hinged cab cage, vertical exhaust pipes, large roof-mounted spotlights and a detailed 4-cylinder engine.  Learn more about the kit at Amazon here.  It’s a lot closer to the classic 1980 LEGO car kit mentioned above, shown here:

If you haven’t checked out all LEGO has to offer outside the franchise tie-ins like the various new Star Wars building sets, take a look at this incredible LEGO Creator series Sydney Opera House:

At nearly 3,000 pieces that’s certain to keep your favorite LEGO builder busy for a while.  Check out that set here and search here for even more sets in the LEGO Creator series available at Amazon here.

C.J. Bunce
Editor
borg.com