LEGO Technic 42173 Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut Grey Hypercar [Review]
LEGO loves fast cars! The Speed Champions and Technic lines are both pounding them out at record speeds. And with the summer wave of Technic sets, we add a few more to the growing list. Join us as we take a closer look at the latest in the series, LEGO Technic 42173 Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut Grey Hypercar. This 801-piece model will be available August 1st and retail for US $49.99 | CAN $64.99 | UK £46.99.
The LEGO Group sent The Brothers Brick a copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.
Unboxing the parts, instructions, and sticker sheet
The thumb-punch box is on the small to medium side. The front features the typical forward-facing shot of the vehicle, while the back shows the opposite end with the doors open. Under that are inset images of play features and the real car.
Inside the box are seven polybags numbered 1-7.
The instruction manual is standard fare from the outside, however a slight difference inside is that there are two special pages at the back of the booklet instead of the front.
Of course, this set also comes with a pretty standard sticker sheet.
The build
Bag one has us assemble the base of the vehicle, which includes the lower part of the steering mechanism. There’s also a gear rack that will come into play later with the doors.
From there we quickly transition into building the V-8 engine. I’m in love with this new piston style that we’ve seen in recently released sets. If you’re not already aware, LEGO has produced a couple new molds – a yellow fork pin and a light bluish grey offset cam – to achieve the appropriately sized engine for vehicles at this scale.
The forks clip onto the cams but are allowed to slide freely along their rim. When corralled by liftarms, they are able to “pump” as pistons should.
With that complete, we add it to the car, along with the back differential that drives the pistons. We also tack on some attachment points and more of the door mechanism.
The doors utilize a fun technique to achieve the “dihedral synchro-helix” opening. That gear rack previously mentioned guides 12-tooth double-bevel gears connected to perpendicular single-bevel gears. This creates a mechanism that turns 90 degrees while moving outward.
Next we add the seats and the front fender. We also use new black 3×13 Technic frames to sturdy up and give more attachment points to the sides.
Liftarms, panels and newer slopes begin to give the exterior of the car some shape.
A hood is made to cover the engine, and makes excellent use of Bionicle wings for the back fins. That hood is hinged and lifts so that you can see the engine inside. It’s a great feature, although it doesn’t always want to stay open under it’s own power. In the same bag are also pieces to begin work on the front hood.
We’re nearing the finish line as we build those nifty doors and add them to the body. Once again you can see in the GIF below how that mechanism works. It’s a very clever way to replicate the real thing and avoid pinching/binding. An additional advantage to this system is that the doors feel comfortable and solid both open and closed, rather than flopping around.
The completed model
Once finished, the car looks pretty slick. If you were to compare this set with the real deal, you’d find lots of things that don’t align. Scroll back to the side-by-side picture from the instructions and you’ll notice some glaring differences that aren’t as easy to describe without a visual. However, if you’re not paying attention to the details of what car it is, you’ll find that it’s simply a cool LEGO car.
It also has a lot of play features packed into a small space. Just look at the size of it compared to my hands in the GIFs above. Everything opens and moves, offering hours of play.
Conclusions and recommendations
While I may be the resident “Technic enthusiast” here at TBB, the span of vehicles LEGO produces far outreaches my knowledge and fandom. Admittedly, I had never heard of a Koenigsegg Jesko Hypercar before this review. I’m sure there will be racing fans that are not amused by the differences between this and the real thing, however on the basis of being a really fun LEGO car to build (and a 10+ age-range set), it’s a winner for me. The vehicle packs a punch in the play feature department, and I like the techniques in general. It may seem small, but the price is within reason. With those things in mind, I’d recommend the kit to anyone who is considering it.
I do have a bit of a twist to throw at you, however! Don’t ask me why, but apparently LEGO couldn’t make a decision so they decided to produce this set in BOTH grey and white. While I reviewed the grey version, you can pick up the white one for the same price, and they’re identical other than livery. Now you just have to decide which, or maybe even both! Got twins? These are the sets for you!
LEGO Technic 42173 Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut Grey Hypercar will be available August 1st and retail for US $49.99 | CAN $64.99 | UK £46.99. You may also be able to find it from other retailers on Amazon and eBay. If grey is not your thing and you rather have white, you’ll be able to find it for the same price by following the same links above and using the set number 42184.
The LEGO Group sent The Brothers Brick a copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.
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