LEGO® Speed Champions review and MOC: 76922 BMW M4 GT3 & BMW M Hybrid V8 Race Cars

LEGO® Speed Champions returned in March 2024 with a trunkful of new elements. 76922 BMW M4 GT3 & BMW M Hybrid V8 Race Cars is the largest of the 4 new sets, and contains a total of 9 new moulds!

LEGO Speed Champions have a proven track record for impressive vehicles built with plenty of clever parts usage. Let's take this new set for a spin and see how it compares.

Products in this article were gifted by The LEGO Group; the author's opinions are their own.
This article contains affiliate links to LEGO.com; we may get a small commission if you purchase.

76922 BMW M4 GT3 & BMW M Hybrid V8 Race Cars 
US$44.99/ £44.99/ 49.99€/ AU$X74.99
676 parts
Released 1 March 2024

Set 76922 on LEGO.com

New moulds

Let's start our inventory analysis with an unexpected new element. Buried in the vehicle's innards, we didn't spot these new brackets when the PR images surfaced a few months before the new LEGO Speed Champions sets were released. 

Bracket 1x6 - 2x6 Inverted with 1x4 Cutout (part 5090)

• 2x Bracket 1 x 2 x 6 - 2 x 6 Inverted in Black (6458186 | 5090) 

The element has a large SNOT surface which provides plenty of room for sideways-facing studs, and the small footprint means this is an easy element to anchor in to our builds without taking up too much room. This could be a very useful element for builders in need of a SNOT solution.

Other appearances of this new-for-2024 element:

• 2x in Black in set 76920 Ford Mustang Dark Horse Sports Car 
• 1x in Red in 76921 Audi S1 e-tron quattro Race Car

New wedge slopes (parts 5414, 5415, 5093, 5095)

The wedge family welcomes two new members, pictured above in White. Let's take a closer look.

• 1x Slope Curved 1 x 4 with Stud Notch in Black - Left (6477767 | 5415) & Right (6037746 | 5414) 
• 1x Slope Curved 1 x 4 with Stud Notch in White - Left (647768 | 5415) & Right (6477766 | 5414)

A pair in Orange is included in 76919 McLaren Formula 1 Car.

These new wedges provide a smooth transition from the 4 x 1 Curved slope to the 3 x 1 Curved Slope. A super-useful element for creating organic and aerodynamic shapes.

• 2x Slope Curved 2 x2 with Stud Notch in Black- Left (6507846 | 5095) & Right (6477759 | 5093) 
• 1x Slope Curved 2 x2 with Stud Notch in White-  Left (6507844 | 5095) & Right (6477757 | 5093)
• 1x Slope Curved 2 x2 with Stud Notch in Blue- Left (6507847 | 5095) & Right (6477760 | 5093) 

These elements are also available in: 

• 76919 McLaren Formula 1 Car (1x pair in Black)
• 76921 Audi S1 e-tron quattro Race Car (1x pair in Red, 1x pair in Light Bluish Grey with print)

These new wedge elements can also be used to transition between different types of curved slopes, but with a small caveat. 

Like its larger siblings, Slope Curved 3 x 2 with Stud Notch Left (80177) and Right (80178), the smaller of its two curves is slightly out of LEGO System. While the larger curve matches the 2 x 1 x 2/3 Curved Slope (in Yellow above), the smaller curve almost matches a 1 x 2 Curved Slope (in Green) but it isn't perfect.

Wheel 24 x 13.4 with Pin Hole with Molded Black Hard Rubber Tire Pattern (part 105162)

A new wheel element allows more accurate options for car builders. 

• 8x  Wheel Rim 24 x 13.4 with Black Slick Tyre in Black (6458183 | 105162)

It is a single part: a plastic hub and a non-removable rubber tyre around it.

This element features a moulded spoke pattern on each side but the the hub is slightly deeper on one side than the other, so a Technic bush or 'washer' type element will need to be used if you want to have the 'wrong' side facing out. 

You can also get a printed version of these wheels in 76919 McLaren Formula 1 Car.

Slope 18 2 x 1 x 2/3 (part 5404)

Finally, grate-less cheese slopes!

• 1x Slope 18° 2 x 1 x 2/3 in White (6485124 | 5404)
• 1x Slope 18° 2 x 1 x 2/3 in Blue (6485125 | 5404)

There are just two instances of this highly anticipated element in this set, but you can also find 4 in Bright Light Blue (6513917) in the LEGO® Harry Potter™ set 76424 Flying Ford Anglia and 2 in Black (6483559) in 76919 McLaren Formula 1 Car.

The 'grated cheese' (61049) has long been used in MOCs to create a clean, 17-ish degree slope. I say clean, but building with this element leaves an often undesirable grill pattern along its length. Now we can make nice, smooth-edged wings and what-not on our MOCs. 

I have at least a few MOCs that would benefit aesthetically from a grill-less cheese slope. I'll make do for now but I'll be waiting patiently for more colours of this useful new element.

Tiles Modified 1 x 2 Wedge (parts 5091, 5092)

• 2x Tile with Stud Notch in Red- Left (6510127 | 5091) & Right (6510141 | 5092) 
• 1x Tile with Stud Notch in Trans Red- Left (6510128 | 5091) & Right (6510142 | 5092) 
• 1x Tile with Stud Notch in Trans Yellow- Left (6510129 | 5091) & Right (6510143 | 5092)
• 2x Tile with Stud Notch in White- Left (6510126 | 5091) & Right (6510140 | 5092)
• 5x Tile with Stud Notch in Black- Left (6483559 | 5091) & Right (6510125 | 5092)

With 5 different colours, this is clearly the best set to get a good sample of these new elements! 

The black ones actually appear in all 4 new LEGO Speed Champions sets and you'll also find other colours in these sets: 

• Orange in 76919 McLaren Formula 1 Car
• Dark Bluish Grey in 76920 Ford Mustang Dark Horse Sports Car and 76921 Audi S1 e-tron quattro Race Car
• White in LEGO® Icons set 10330 McLaren MP4/4 & Aryton Senna

Prior to these new tiles, we were limited to using 2x2 elements to cover up triangular elements of studs, so these elements will be excellent gap fillers. For example, with the previous tiles it was impossible to tile over a 3x3 or 5x5 triangle without gaps or tile overhang.

Recolours

• 1x Wedge Sloped 2 x 5 Left in White (6482745 | 3504)
• 1x Wedge Sloped 2 x 5 Right in White (6482744 | 3505)
• 4x Brick 1 x 1 in Trans Black (6329870 | 3005), also in 76920 Ford Mustang Dark Horse Sports Car
• 1x 4865b Panel 1 x 2 x 1 [Rounded Corners] in Trans Black (6471823 | 4865b)
• 1x  Sports Ice Skate in Blue (6482749 | 93555) third colour for this part
• 5x Tile Round 1 x 1 with Hollow Bar in Blue (6482748 | 20482)

Last year's LEGO Speed Champions sets featured a bunch of interesting new elements and it has taken a little while to see these trickle into other lines. While generic elements like the 'D-SNOT', 1x3 and 1x4 Round Plates, and windscreen elements (3383 and 3384) have been used in a large number of sets, the slightly odd wedge elements have barely appeared in any other sets. 

The weird McLaren wedges (3388 and 3389) made their second appearance in Dark Blue in 76281 X-Men X-Jet at the start of this year, but it's taken a whole year to finally get the 'Pagani' wedges (3504 and 3505) recoloured. I'm delighted to see them reappear, as their unique shape lends them well for MOCing- especially if, like me, you have an aversion to studs. I think we just need them in a few more colours until they begin to appear more widely in MOCs.

Likewise, I'm surprised it's taken this long for a Blue inkwell to appear. One of the first instances of this element was in a sports bottle and Blue seems like the perfect colour for such a thing. 

A Blue skate might make for a nice colourful greeble (luckily a spare is included so they you the element can be used as an actual ice skate for your minifigures when you're done with the set) and it is good to see the inventory of Trans Black elements fill out a little more with these widely useful basic bricks.

New prints

• 1x 3070bpr0312 Tile 1 x 1 with Black Shapes print in Dark Azure
• 2x 53118pr0003 Game Controller with F1 Steering Wheel Controls print in Pearl Titanium, also in 76919 McLaren Formula 1 Car
• 1x Plate 1 x 2 with BMW Logo print in Red (3023pr0006 | 6472260)
• 1x 3384pr0008 Windscreen 4 x 6 x 1 1/3 with Black/Silver Stripes print in Trans Black (6509260)

The game controller features a clever print that can be used with the controller in two different orientations. This is demonstrated in the set itself where one car has the controller 'upside down' relative to the other. It's a brilliant graphic design choice that allows the set designers to double up on elements while still remaining accurate to the real vehicles. It also gives MOC builders options for their own models.

Rare parts

With an inventory heavy on new elements, there's barely room for rare parts: just 3 in total. I've classified rare elements as those appearing in 3 other sets or less.

• 1x Equipment Hose Nozzle / Gun with Side String Hole Simplified in White (6468004 | 60849), appears in 1 other set
• 1x Windscreen 6 x 6 x 1 2/3 in Trans Black (6510197 | 65632), appears in 2 other sets
• 2x Technic Brick 1 x 1 with Axle Hole in Dark Azure (6446031 | 73230), appears in 3 other sets

The White nozzle is the rarest of the three, appearing only in LEGO® Ideas 21110 Research Institute from 2014. It's always welcome to see elements return after such a long hiatus. 

The other two elements, while rare, have appeared much more recently: we've seen the Technic brick as recently as last year's 76269 Avengers Tower, but since then it has appeared in LEGO® Creator 31157 Exotic Peacock and LEGO Ideas 21345 Polaroid OneStepSX70 Camera. The windscreen element is new in Trans Black for March 2024 and is also available in 76920 Ford Mustang Dark Horse Sports Car and LEGO® City 60432 Command Rover and Crane Loader. We will be reviewing the latter very soon.

Sticker sheet

71 stickers are provided spread over 3 sheets to create the bold, abstract livery on the vehicles' bodywork. I'd say that's a lot for such a small set but honestly, it's a lot for a set of any size. I won't complain, because it leaves plenty of undecorated elements for use in MOCs! And there are plenty of elements for MOC builders in this set.

The first 27 stickers are used to decorate the M4. 

The second sheet, with stickers 28 to 58, are used on the bodywork of the M Hybrid V8. 

Sticker number 66 is an odd one as it is stuck to a Black element. Perhaps it was just included for the sake of a symmetrical sticker sheet?

The third and final sticker sheet is also used on the M Hybrid V8. There are 5 decals here, all for the same element, and strangely, that element is already printed:

The stickers are used to create the (asymmetric) geometric pattern on the car so I can only assume that the set designers have provided us with a plainer, more symmetrically decorated element to use in our own BMW motorsport MOCs. While I appreciate receiving a more useful element, boy, were those stickers a pain to apply! Those Red and Blue stickers are tiny: frustratingly difficult to place correctly and when the large sticker on the top is applied, the finish is not a pure brilliant white, but more of a dull, grey colour (hopefully without any air bubbles!). This difference in colour is particularly noticeable where the sticker meets the printed White design on the element. In short, these present a sticking point indeed!

Minifigures

The set includes two minifigures. While one wears a Dark Azure jumpsuit and the other Red, the prints appear to be the same on both figures.

• Torso, Racing Suit, BMW Logo, 'M' print, Dark Azure, Black Hands (6501830)
• Hips and Dark Azure Left Leg, Black Right Leg with Black/White Shapes print (6485856)
• Torso, Racing Suit, BMW Logo, 'M' print, Red Arms, Black Hands (6501835)
• Hips and Red Left Leg, Black Right Leg with Whit/Black Shapes print (6472259)

Building the set

BMW M4 GT3

The M4 GT3 is built on the newer chassis that was released in last year's wave of LEGO Speed Champions sets and features the usual back to front construction.

There's a surprising amount of detail in the cab, thanks in part to the new big bracket element. There are lots of printed pieces and brick-built details to provide a suitably hi-tech look here. The central vertical Space Wing (4596) represents a safety harness. In Light Bluish Grey it looks metallic, like a roll cage. I might have chosen a different coloured element for this. Nevertheless, it's an inventive use of parts and a welcome detail.

The photo above is a good opportunity to point out that the designers have included the matching counterparts of all the new wedges and tiles, even if you can't see them. That Red and Black chevron will end up buried deep in the back of the finished car. I really appreciate this touch as I find it frustrating to receive just an odd right or left copy of an element.

 

There was an audible "woah!" as I put together the roof and back window area. A handful of LEGO Technic elements are used to gently slope the rear windscreen. Placing the subassembly onto the car and having the slope lock in place was a very satisfying moment. The result is the illusion of a gently curved surface. The LEGO Technic elements are partially visible on the exterior on the car, which I don't actually mind too much; it's a reminder of the impressive technique within.

The real-life M4 GT3 has a unique 'face' with a big gawping air intake. The designers have matched this area very well with some clever parts usage including the recoloured White hose element. This is also one of two instances in the set where tiles are placed standing perpendicular between studs on a plate: a pretty unconventional technique, but considered 'legal' when using tiles – not plates.

The new 1x2 corner tiles work so well to represent headlights: how ever did the theme manage before they were introduced?

I learned this little trick while building this car. Just behind the front left wheel is a 1x2 Tile with Bar (2432) element, and it has amazing synergy with a cheese slope. It was a little difficult to show in situ, so I recreated it with some colourful bricks. There's a few instances where this element is used in lieu of a regular slope and this technique is a brilliant way of integrating it into the model.

BMW M Hybrid V8 

With the Hybrid V8, I expected a similar build to the Porsche 963 as they have a similar shape but it proved to be quite a different build. 

Unlike the M4 GT3, the Hybrid V8 is built on the old race car chassis (30029), and we are working front to back this time.

An interesting SNOT technique to attach the sides of the vehicle using portafilters (32828) and hollow studs. This pairing is a useful SNOT solution to remember if you find yourself limited on space, and it's also a lot more solid than the standard stud to anti-stud connection. There's also a clip to bar connection to lock everything in place here.

This sub assembly is also where the new curved wedges are put into action. You can see how the curves of these new elements so closely match those of existing bricks to make wonderfully curvy bodywork.

The car features a 'dorsal fin' of a partially concealed 7 x 3 Flag. I like seeing the LEGO System work to make this an almost gapless construction.

There's more brick-trickery used to create the front air intake of the V8, with subunits attached on either side of the vehicle with clips. In comparison, the central printed tile seems like cheating but there is some clever SNOT-work to put it in place. Look at how those 1 x 2 panels lie on those tiles! 

The finished models

For me, this is another winning LEGO Speed Champions set. At a glance these models might be mistaken for die cast vehicles,  with barely a stud in sight and more nuanced detailing than ever before, thanks to the new wedges in the bodywork and tiles in the lights.

I don't usually apply stickers to my sets as I nearly always break them down and part them out for my own creations but these models really benefit from the added decorations.

The designers have done a good job of laying the foundations of the jazzy patterns with bricks – I wonder what kinds of headaches it caused having to figure out how to create the crazy paintwork with a hybrid of bricks and stickers. Ultimately, I think the naturally blocky pattern created by the tiles and plates work really well in tandem with the stickers to create the hodge-podge geometric pattern.

MOC with elements from set 76922

The MOC I created with these new LEGO Speed Champions parts is a little self-indulgent (it's a Star Wars one), but when I saw the recoloured Pagani wedges, one thing came to mind.

Inspired by fellow contributor Tom Loftus' brilliant downsized X-wing, I wanted to have a go at building another iconic Star Wars ship at a slightly smaller scale. 

The Spinjitzu Cone (18591) was released in 2015; 9 years later, an opportunity to include it in a MOC has finally presented itself! Although this model is close to the elusive (and controversial) 'minifig scale' that LEGO Star Wars fans often talk about, ironically the cockpit is too small to fit a whole figure. The pilot instead uses Racers Driver Body (41850) from 2002 as the torso. It's a detail I definitely overthought as it isn't visible in these photos, and hardly visible when seeing the model in-person.

As hard as I tried to recreate them with bricks, sadly the torpedo launchers (the black stripe on either side of the ship) are stickers: I cut the black bar on the side of a LEGO sticker sheet. Seeing the air intake on the Hybrid V8 recreated with a new 1x1 printed tile, I felt somewhat vindicated for this design choice!

Closing thoughts

76922 BMW M4 GT3 & BMW M Hybrid V8 Race Cars further cements LEGO Speed Champions in the top tier of LEGO themes. 

As I expected, the build experience for both vehicles was terrific (apart from applying all those stickers and especially the tiny decals on that windscreen element), with lots of neat tricks to recreate all the nuances of real-life vehicles. The finished models look great with an impressive degree of accuracy to their real-life counterparts. 

Finally, the set also boasts a great inventory for MOC builders as it consists of lots of small elements, which will definitely be useful for custom builds, and it also offers a very generous selection of new-for-March 2024 elements – even the 'unnecessary' right and left wedges and tiles!

76922 BMW M4 GT3 & BMW M Hybrid V8 Race Cars 
US$44.99/ £44.99/ 49.99€/ AU$X74.99

Set 76922 on LEGO.com

READ MORE: Revealed: the 2024 LEGO® Star Wars™ UCS set, 75382 TIE Interceptor

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