15 April 2020

LEGO® Creator Expert review: 10271 Fiat 500 – The Parts

Posted by Admin
The annual LEGO® Creator Expert vehicle is a treat to many and brings exciting new elements to all, and 2020's 10271 Fiat 500 is no exception – in fact its vast raft of recolours is astonishing and will open up new building opportunities with one of the less-common LEGO colours, as Inthert discovers in the first part of his review today. 




New Elements in 10271 Fiat 500

While both also appear in the LEGO® Creator Expert 10272 Old Trafford - Manchester United which we recently reviewed, the Fiat does sport some eye-catching transparent elements new for 2020:




  • Brick 1X4X3, Outside Half Bow, No. 1 In Transparent/ Trans-Clear (6288587 | 65734)
  • Windscreen 1X10X4 In Transparent/ Trans-Clear (6288588 | 65735)
Given the number of Creator Expert vehicles that use large windscreens, I was surprised to discover the latter was only introduced this year. Evidently it marks the first such element of it its size to not be slanted and so might prove to be more versatile than its angled counterparts.


But the more interesting of the two (to me at least) has to be the new curved top brick.


Its curve matches that of the new 1/4 Sphere 4X4X2 2/3, W/ Knob (49612) introduced in Star Wars BOOST set 75253 Droid Commander in 2019.


It also bears a strong resemblance to Bow Brick 1X3X2 (33243). However, while they certainly belong in the same part family, the two have some curious differences in moulding. Firstly, the stud on the 1x4 variant is solid as opposed to recessed as on the 1x3.

Secondly, the 1x4 has no so-called ‘nail rail’ – the jagged edges to the underside that aid in clutch power. According to a member of the LEGO element design team, the 1x4 variant was designed with minimal internal structures to improve its appearance when moulded in transparent plastic. They even tried to make the (presumably essential) inner rib resemble a drop of rain traveling down the window!

The only other brand-new element to appear in the set is the fabric sunroof (6296972). It comes in a sealed bag with a rigid backing card to keep it nice and flat.

It may be intended for use as a sunroof but I couldn’t help seeing it as a two-person cape for the best fiends in the galaxy!

Unique recolours in the LEGO Fiat


Now for the main event! When I first saw images of this set, I couldn’t believe my eyes; Cool Yellow as the primary colour? Surely not, the number of recoloured elements necessary to deck out the entire model in that rare colour would be through the roof! Just as well LEGO designed the Fiat with a soft top because the car is indeed built from a veritable avalanche of elements seen here for the first time in Cool Yellow/ Bright Light Yellow.

While seeing all the recolours in one place is (hopefully) impressive, it’s also more than a little overwhelming. Let’s break things down a bit, shall we? Starting with plates, both regular and wedged:


  • x1 Right Plate 2X4 W/Angle (6296528 | 41769)
  • x1 Left Plate 2X4 W/Angle (6296533 | 41770)
  • x5 Plate 2X4 (6296524 | 3020)
  • x13 Plate 1X3 (6296492 | 3623)
  • x2 Plate 2X2, Corner, 45 Deg. (6298528 | 26601)

Now for some of the larger curved slopes included:



  • x1 Right Shell 2X6 W/Bow/Angle (6296527 | 41747)
  • x1 Left Shell 2X6 W/Bow/Angle (6296525 | 41748)
  • x2 Brick 1X1X3 1/3, W/ Arch (6289285 | 30935)
  • x4 Brick W. Bow 2X4 (6296523 | 93606)
  • x2 Brick with Bow 1X4 (6296536 | 11153)
  • x20 Plate W. Bow 2X2X2/3 (6296487 | 15068)

Plenty of smaller slopes too:




  • x9 Roof Tile 1X1X2/3, Abs (6296498 | 54200)
  • x5 Roof Tile 1 X 2 X 2/3, Abs (6296510 | 85984)
  • x22 Brick 1X2, Outside Half Bow (6296494 | 37352)
  • x3 Left Plate 1X2, W/ Bow, 45 Deg. Cut (6296500 | 29120)
  • x3 Right Plate 1X2, W/ Bow, 45 Deg. Cut (6296509 | 29119)
  • x6 Brick 2X2X2/3, Inverted Bow (6296511 | 32803)
  • x7 Plate, W/ Half Bow, Inv. 1X2X2/3 (6296507 | 24201)
  • x6 Roof Tile 1X2 45° W 1/3 Plate (6296495 | 15672)

SNOT Bricks and brackets galore:



  • x6 Angular Plate 1.5 Bot. 1X2 2/2 (6296485 | 99207)
  • x6 Angular Plate 1.5 Bot. 1X2 ½ (6296496 | 99780)
  • x6 Angular Plate 1,5 Top 1X2 ½ (6296497 | 99781)
  • x4 Plate 2X2X2/3 W. 2. Hor. Knob (6296521 | 99206)
  • x2 Brick 1X2 W. 2 Knobs (6117317 | 11211)
  • x2 Brick 1X2 W. Four Knobs (6296512 | 52107)

I was struggling to fit the following parts into a category, so they get their own - The odds and ends:



  • x4 Roof Tile 1X2 Inv. (6070301 | 3665)
  • x2 Sliding Piece 1X4 (6296493 | 2653)
  • x4 Screen 1X6X1 W. Edge (6296488 | 62361)
  • x6 Flat Tile 2X2 Inv. (6298527 | 11203)
  • x9 Flat Tile 1X8 (6296504 | 4162)

And lastly, some small and especially useful bits that I find particularly exciting to see recoloured:


  • x2 Plate 1X2 W/Shaft Ø3.2 (6296964 | 60478)
  • x4 Plate 1X3 W/ 2 Knobs (6296535 | 34103)
  • x2 Wall Corner 1X1X1 (6296526 | 6231)
  • x8 Hinge Plate 1X2 (6296491 | 19954)
  • x2 Plate 1X2 With Slide (6296519 | 32028)
  • x4 Plate 1X1 W. Up Right Holder (6296531 | 15712)
  • x2 Plate 1X2 W. Hor. Hole Ø 4.8 (6296513 | 11458)
  • x18 Plate 1X2, Rounded, No. 1 (6296501 | 35480)
  • x2 Plate 1X1 Round W/ Horizontal 3.2 Shaft (6296963 | 32828)

Lesser-Seen Recolours

Also included are a couple of parts that have seldom appeared in Cool Yellow before:



  • x3 Flat Tile 1X4 (6289722 | 2431) (In 2 other sets)
  • x3 Plate 4X8 (6213270 | 3035) (Only In 1 other set: 2018’s 41333 Olivia’s Mission Vehicle)

Printed pieces in LEGO Creator Fiat 500

The only printed element included are two (three including the spare) Fiat logos printed on Flat Tile, 1x1 Round in Medium Stone Grey/ Light Bluish Gray (6296244).

Conclusion


Phew! That was a lot of parts to get through. I don’t think I’ve ever known a set to introduce such an overwhelming number of recolours. Better still, many of them are especially useful elements that come in respectable quantities too. There were only about 200 elements available in Cool Yellow before this set arrived, many of which are DUPLO, Scala or minifigure/minidoll parts. It goes without saying then, that the set is equally appealing as a parts pack as it is a display item – but more on that in part two when we examine the build!




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3 comments:

  1. *sigh* It might actually be possible for me to make a car in this color now, except for a few critical elements. No minifig-scale fenders, no 1x3x2 car doors, and no headlight bricks. Even making Luigi from Cars would be tough with this part selection.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. gee I guess the old adage "you can't please all of the people all of the time" sure is true...

      Delete
  2. There is a slight error in the parts list under the last picture of unique recolours. The 1x3 jumper plates are listed as "Left Plate 2X4 W/Angle". The element and design numbers are correct though.

    ReplyDelete