LEGO Technic 42176 Porsche GT4 e-Performance Race Car review

20/07/202422/07/2024 Rachael Davies 192 Views 0 Comments

The fastest remote-control LEGO Technic set is racing on to shelves, but how does it fare upon closer inspection in our review garage?

42176 Porsche GT4 e-Performance Race Car will race on to shelves on August 1 and is available to pre-order now. We got our hands on the LEGO Technic set ahead of time to put it through its paces, starting with the build process and dashing through to the racy silhouette of the brick-built electric all-wheel drive car from Porsche.

Release: August 1, 2024 Price: £149.99 / $169.99 / €169.99 Pieces: 834 Minifigures: 0 LEGO: Order now

A faithful silhouette

The real Porsche GT4 e-Performance is instantly recognisable due to its striking silhouette, with a rounded bonnet and splashy spoiler. Those features have been faithfully recreated in 42176 Porsche GT4 e-Performance Race Car, highlighting how LEGO Technic can still accurately depict real cars’ appearances as well as their practical features.

The black body with blue accents is eye-catching without being too flashy and there’s enough of the body to cement it as a modern LEGO Technic car, without resulting in a repetitive build. There’s a clear focus on delivering an engaging experience and a good-looking model at the same time, two boxes that aren’t always ticked at the same time within the theme.

Extra authenticity is achieved through the various printed elements, from the DB Schenker on the door to the Tag Heuer on the front and rear bumpers. The real car’s status as an EV is signified through the ‘electric’ on the side, in a light blue colour that’s distinct enough from the bright blue elements to stand out.

Striking the balance between technical and play

As the fastest car (as of August 2024) in the LEGO Technic CONTROL+ range, 42176 Porsche GT4 e-Performance Race Car naturally packs a lot of play features into its 834 pieces. It functions as a surprisingly responsive remote control car that does take some getting used to but it goes one step further to offer more insight into the car, with the ability to turn on and off the lights and see live data on your drive within the app.

Connectivity aside, the bonnet opens fully to allow access to the Technic inner workings, encouraging you to continue exploring the mechanics even after the build is done. From the steering to the doors, the major mechanisms from the real car have been authentically recreated from wheel to spoiler.

There are enough LEGO Technic elements and sensitivity in the remote control play features to make this set act almost as a gateway to the theme. Its ample size means you can physically see the inner workings at play when moving, without being too fiddly for the working steering, lights, and internal functions to get missed entirely. Even if you’ve never built a LEGO Technic set, the build ramps up gradually, until before you know it you’ve built the inside of a working remote control car and are ready to the the open road (or carpet, as it were).

Do the play features warrant the price?

With impressive looks and play features, the conclusion would surely be that 42176 Porsche GT4 e-Performance Race Car is a slam dunk – right?

Well, the only true drawback, unfortunately, is the price. At £149.99 / $169.99 / €169.99, it doesn’t feel like there’s quite enough to warrant such a hefty price tag. Sure, it’s fast, and sure, the connectivity is impressive. However, it’s hard to forget that it’s more than three times the price of 42173 Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut Grey Hypercar, despite having almost the same piece count. The build is larger, to be sure, but it’s much smaller than 42171 Mercedes-AMG F1 W14 E Performance, which retails for £189.99 / $219.99 / €219.99.

The price differences seem to come down to the CONTROL+ connectivity, which is understandable – to an extent. If you’re a remote control car fiend, perhaps it will seem worth the hefty price tag but, for the vast majority, the price feels prohibitive to what is otherwise an appealing LEGO Technic set from start to finish.

This set was provided for review by the LEGO Group.

Support the work that Brick Fanatics does by purchasing your LEGO Ideas sets using our affiliate links.

Our honest opinion: While 42176 Porsche GT4 e-Performance Race Car impresses in many areas, it can’t quite tip the balance into warranting the price.

How long does it take to build LEGO Technic 42176 Porsche GT4 e-Performance Race Car?

You can expect to spend between two to three hours building 42176 Porsche GT4 e-Performance Race Car, depending on how skilled you are at building Technic.

How many pieces are in LEGO Technic 42176 Porsche GT4 e-Performance Race Car?

LEGO Technic 42176 Porsche GT4 e-Performance Race Car includes 834 pieces to make up the striking silhouette.

How big is LEGO Technic 42176 Porsche GT4 e-Performance Race Car?

42176 Porsche GT4 e-Performance Race Car stands 10cm high, 37cm long, and 15cm wide.

How much does LEGO Technic 42176 Porsche GT4 e-Performance Race Car cost?

From August 1, LEGO Technic 42176 Porsche GT4 e-Performance Race Car will be available to buy for £149.99 in the UK, $169.99 in the US, and €169.99 in Europe.

Author Profile

Rachael Davies

I write about all the very best fandoms – and that means LEGO, of course. Spending so much time looking at and talking about LEGO sets is dangerous for my bank balance, but the LEGO shelves are thriving. You win some, you lose some.