Time to see one of my Christmas presents - Lego Set 10295 - the Porsche 911 - 1458 pieces of pure design brilliance and we are going to build it today (or a least half of it)
Firstly I comment on the actual car - this 911 I'm told is the 1974 version - so over 45 years old but it looks just as stunning as always - it's the classic Porsche from my childhood - although it must have been a least 15 years old by the time was interested enough notice cards. Maybe it's the appearance in Can't buy me Love (In white by the way) but this a very cool car in my mind.
This set can be made as either the 'Turbo' hardtop with the flared back wheel arches and the coolest spoiler of all time or as a targa top - but I don't need to make that decision until bag 8 - which is at least 3 or so hours away
Anyone who has ever built a modern Lego car set will know it all starts with this...
By the end of bag one you have something that approximates the underside of a car, the drive train tunnel is going through the middle and the two bits sitting up will eventually take some seats.
Bag two brings us the back 'seat' - this even comes with a pithy comment on in the instructions about how it isn't really a seat and it's actually a 2+2 - it's like the designer was still angry at having to sit in the back of a 911 for a long journey (having owned a 2+2 convertible back in the day I know people get very angry having to sit back there - oh well get your own car) - you are also starting to get a sense of the classic 'fastback' rear end.
Bag three and we have the rump of the car in place - interesting curved elements abound there have to be about 60-70 pieces in the bumper layered to build out the curves. Also note the printed piece with Porsche written across it - again in my mind this is eigthies glamour, eventhough it's the mid 70's
And then we have our first engine piece - the air fan
If I think the rest of this car in 80's then the seats remind me of the 70's - this is a brown that only existed back then and it's awesome. The way Lego builds these seats is pretty much the same in all of the creator sets, but I love the way it looks - it genuinely feels like tan leather
And that's it, we pretty much have half a car - there is still a lot to be done, and a decision to be made - Turbo or Targa - I would normally say 'Roofs on cars are unnecessary - but then again that spoiler - is there anything more iconic?