After turning 18 and saving enough money, I treated myself to one of the lego sets I could never have as a child. It took many hours over several days to finish this build. The unboxing experience is second to none; the presentation of the set is incredible. The manual contains some information on history of Porsche and the process of manufacturing, but it is mostly bubbly praise about the company and the car. There are some pretty cool pictures of the manufacturing process though, and is much more interesting to read than most other lego manuals. Instructions are as clear as always. The first box builds the chassis, drivetrain, and transmission. This is by far the most rewarding part of the build. Engineers at Lego and Porsche have really outdone themselves here, and I spent a couple hours just trying to figure out how the gears interacted with each other and how all the mechanisms in the car functioned. It is true that the transmission shifts from 1st to 3rd to 2nd to 4th gear, but Lego has claimed that this was an intentional design.
Whether you want to switch it for it to be correct is up to you. Every bit and piece has a purpose. Finding those purposes was a fun learning experience. The next three boxes mainly focus on building components of the frame, the parts that make the technic skeleton a Porsche 911 GT3 RS instead of just a mass of gears. The designers at Lego really thought outside the box for this one, using panels and pieces in ways that I've never seen before. Even though models like the Tower Bridge or Opera House have many more pieces, many steps are tedious replication of one part. With the Porsche 911 GT3, You are never asked to build the same part over more than twice. Every page is a different step, and the build does not ever get boring or too repetitive. 300 on is not the final product, but the build experience itself, which is presented in several handsome boxes and guided by a clearly written, colorful manual for many hours of non repetitive fun. If you are looking for a 1:8 model of the Porsche 911 GT3 that is an impeccable replica of the real car for display, this set is not for you. This set does make for a very cool display piece, but it is not a perfect model of the real car. If you enjoy challenging Lego builds and want to see new Technic mechanisms never before used, start saving some money. 300 dollars, a great alternative is the 24 hours race car. Thanks for reading my review!
Porsche don鈥檛 provide exact production numbers on these cars, but we are assured that there are considerably less than 991 GT3s produced, giving the T a speculative stake in the future classic arena. Something else that bolsters its future classic potential is that this model was the last ever 鈥榥arrow-body鈥?911, with all 992 cars making the switch to a wider profile. Our test car - finished in vibrant Racing Yellow - has a few additional options; such as rear-wheel steering and ceramic composite brakes. Yet, unlike the few 911 Ts on the secondhand market of late, it has been specced with the model鈥檚 purpose in mind. The iconic 911 teardrop shape is present and correct, complimented by the clean unfussy nature of Carrera bodywork. Its contrasting grey 20-inch wheels fill the arches to produce a well-balanced stance that is sporting in nature, but mature in terms of performance cars.
In a darker shade and without its decal emblazoned along the wheelbase, it might just slip under the radar 鈥?we like that. The interior is your typical Porsche layout in that its first function is ergonomics. The dashboard is minimalist, the steering wheel is devoid of distracting multimedia buttons, and the seat perfectly positioned. Said sports seats gently grip you in perforation for a sporting derive, but not so much so that they become uncomfortable on long motorway stints. GT3 inspired fabric door-pulls and the hollow 鈥榯hunk鈥?the doors make when closed start to hint at what this 911 wants to achieve. A lack of rear seats reduces practicality in one respect, but also serves to boost the already generous cargo capacity in the 911鈥檚 nose. The beauty of any Porsche 911 is that it fits into your life almost as easily as any other car. You can take it to the shop to pick up milk without the headache of it being highly strung, it will cruise the highway without eroding your spine, and if you鈥檙e gentle it even returns pleasing fuel economy.