 | |
| Subject | Speed Racer |
|---|---|
| Licensed from | Warner Bros. |
| Availability | 2008–2009 |
| Total sets | 4[1] |
| Characters | Speed Racer,Snake Oiler,Racer X, Taejo Togokahn, Cruncher Block, Cruncher's driver, Gray Ghost, Cannonball Taylor,Pops Racer,Spritle,Trixie and a commentator. |
Lego Speed Racer (stylized asLEGO Speed Racer) is a discontinuedLego theme based on the 2008 filmSpeed Racer (which is based on theanime of the same name). It consists of four sets which were first released in April 2008.[2] The product line was discontinued by the end of 2009.
The product line focuses on Speed Racer, an 18-year-old automobile racer who follows his apparently deceased brother's career, choosing to remain loyal to his family and their company Racer Motors, which causes difficulties after he refuses a contract that E.P. Arnold Royalton, owner of Royalton Industries, offers him.Lego Speed Racer aimed to recreate the main characters in Lego form, includingSpeed Racer,Snake Oiler,Racer X, Taejo Togokahn, Cruncher Block, Cruncher's driver, Gray Ghost, Cannonball Taylor,Pops Racer,Spritle,Trixie and a commentator.[2][3]
Lego Speed Racer was inspired by the 2008 filmSpeed Racer. The construction toy range was based on the film and developed in collaboration withWarner Bros. Consumer Products. The construction sets were designed to recreate the story and characters of the film in Lego form.[2][4]
In January 2008 it was announced thatThe Lego Group had acquired the rights fromWarner Bros. to produce four sets based on the upcomingSpeed Racer film.[4] Lego has previously partnered with Warner Bros., creatingBatman andHarry Potter themes. TheLego Speed Racer theme was released under theLego Racers brand.[4]
The four sets were first released in the United States on April 3, 2008.[5] In the United Kingdom the sets Speed Racer & Snake Oiler, Racer X & Taejo Togokhan, and Grand Prix Race were released on April 6, 2008, while Cruncher Block & Racer X was released later at the start of May.[5][2][6]
According toBrickLink,The Lego Group released 4 playsets based on theLego Speed Racer theme.[1] The product line was eventually discontinued by the end of 2009.[7]
Speed Racer & Snake Oiler (set number: 8158) is a 242-piece set. It features theMach 5 supercar and Oiler's orange race car, both around 17 cm (6.5") long, and two minifigures:Speed Racer, wearing a blue pullover, andSnake Oiler.[2][8][9]
Racer X & Taejo Togokhan (set number: 8159) is a 237-piece set. It features a red and black racecar, a yellow and black race car, both around 16 cm (6") long, and two minifigures:Racer X and Taejo Togokahn, wearing a white suit.[2][10]
Cruncher Block & Racer X (set number: 8160) is a 367-piece set. It features the same yellow and black race car from theRacer X & Taejo Togokhan set, a 33 cm (13") semi truck and four minifigures: Racer X, Cruncher Block, Cruncher's driver, and Taejo Togokahn.[2][11]
Grand Prix Race (set number: 8161) is a 595-piece set. It features theMach 6 racecar, theGRX racecar, a black and grey race car, a commentators box, a car workshop, and seven minifigures: Speed Racer wearing white racing coveralls, Gray Ghost, Cannonball Taylor,Pops Racer,Spritle,Trixie, and a commentator.[2][12][3]
TheLego Speed Racer product line briefly appeared in the 2014 filmThe Lego Movie as one of the many lesser Lego worlds described by Wildstyle.
Animetion.co.uk rated the set 'Speed Racer & Snake Oiler' (8158) four out of five, stating the set is "great fun to build and are good enough to display or play".[13] They however criticized the use of stickers due to the large margin of error when applying them to the bricks and that one sticker covers three bricks, which could lead to problems when deconstructing the set.[13]
