Lock-Down Lego – Five Lego Cars to Build

The world is a bit of a strange place at the moment, what with the current pandemic. Many of us are stuck at home, be that because we’re now captains of the good ship Home Office, or because we’ve been furloughed until everything calms down. And while being at home is nice, it gets a bit tiresome when it’s the only place we can go. We need some relief, a distraction of some kind to whittle away at the hours. We could do all those DIY jobs that we’ve been threatening to do for years. Or, you could fire up the computer, get the old bank card at the ready and buy one of these Lego cars. 

Lego is not the reserve of children. As adults, we too can enjoy the thrill of following the brightly-coloured instructions. We can marvel as we create something from a collection of seemingly random plastic bricks. We can also share it with the kids, make it a family activity and use this lock-down time for some solid family bonding. Make a positive out of it all and build yourself a cool toy in the process. What’s not to like? 

1) Lego Audi Quattro

If you’re new to the world of Lego, you don’t want to buy a kit that will overwhelm you. So instead, buy something smaller and easier to build. The Audi Quattro, resplendent in period-correct yellow and white, is a perfect place to start. Its boxy design lends itself to the angular nature of the Lego blocks, meaning you get a finished product that’s easily recognisable. The kit consists of 250 pieces, including a little Lego man driver and two wheel options (tarmac and gravel, naturally). And at less than twenty quid, it would be rude not to. 

2) Lego Dodge Drag Race

Want to do a kit with the kids? How about this Dodge drag race set? The kit is brimming with stuff. You get two cars – a classic Dodge Charger and a more modern Dodge Challenger Hellcat, you get a drag race ‘Christmas tree’ start light and you get three mini-figures – two drivers and one race starter. Build this and you and kids will have hours of fun as you race the cars against each other. Plus, you get different wheel options and even a big ‘supercharger’ that can stick proudly out of the Charger’s hood. 

3) Lego Volkswagen Kaefer

Who doesn’t like a cheeky Volkswagen Beetle? The icon of the air-cooled has now been immortalised in Lego, and it’s a great little kit. This one is bigger in scale (about 30cm long) and is made up of some 1,167 pieces! It’ll take you a tad more than ten minutes to put this together. But that’s fine, the joy of Lego is the build, and you’ll love seeing this car come together. You’ll build opening doors, bonnet and boot, a detailed engine, a full interior and even a roof rack and surfboard for the roof. The only downside is that you won’t be able to actually drive it! 

4) Lego Car Transporter

Are you ready for a proper challenge? How about this kit then? You have to build a car transporter, a draw-bar car transporter trailer and a car to go on it. It’s a behemoth of a kit with 2,493 pieces, but what a kit to build. The ramps on the truck all function, the truck cab has opening doors, a detailed interior and real steering and the cab tilts forward. Then there’s the car, which is packed with details, too. And if that wasn’t enough, the kit comes with instructions for an alternate build – this time a flatbed recovery truck, support van and trailer. This kit will keep you going for a while! 

5) Lego Land Rover Defender

If you really want to see how immersive and how detailed Lego can be, you need to get this Land Rover Defender set. With over 2,500 pieces this kit has it all. There is a real, functional all-wheel drive, working steering, a working engine complete with pistons and rods that move up and down and there is even a working winch. It is an astonishingly detailed kit and one that will keep you busy for hours. And the best bit is that you can play with this, too. There is a steering control that feeds through to the roof, so you can ‘drive’ your Defender around the lounge and seek out big game, like lions, or just your cat, Tiddles.