Review: GwP 40889 Build, Paint and Play from LEGO® Ideas

40889 Build, Paint and Play from LEGO® Ideas is a gift with purchase (GwP) set, which means you can't simply pick it up in store or order it online. You have to meet the predetermined spend threshold at LEGO to receive the set as a "free" additional bonus; the added anxiety for collectors here being the inevitable "while stocks last" disclaimer. The threshold is US$130/ £115/ 130€/ AU$210 and the set launches on Wednesday 28 October 2026.

There aren't any new moulds, which is entirely expected, but there are two very welcome recolours that will please Classic Space fanatics.

Parts review + MOCs: 43017 Oscar Piastri Helmet & 43023 Lando Norris Helmet from LEGO® Editions

In May 2026, two Formula 1® Scuderia Ferrari HP helmet models were released by the LEGO® Editions theme: 43022 Lewis Hamilton & 43014 Charles Leclerc, which were reviewed by Elspeth. She paid attention to both the mind-boggling construction and some really weird new pieces. I was a bit torn on these sets: on one hand, their MOC-like structure and use of various curved pieces was really interesting; on the other, they were covered with brand prints, and I have no interest in making MOCs "sponsored" by Unicredit, IBM and Shell. 

When two more helmets were released in June with (almost) no sponsor prints but still covered in unique patterns and made in rare colours, I was surprised and excited. My main focus in the LEGO hobby is building MOCs, and the two sets, 43017 McLaren Mastercard F1 Team Oscar Piastri Helmet and 43023 McLaren Mastercard F1 Team Lando Norris Helmet looked really inspiring for MOCs. Today, I'll review the interesting parts of these sets – and there are lots of them – and then present three new MOCs inspired by their printed pieces. 

Review: 77264 Jaguar Project 7 & Land Rover Defender from LEGO® Speed Champions

LEGO® Speed Champions set 77264 Jaguar Project 7 & Land Rover Defender comes with several recolours, exclusive prints and two builds that couldn't be more different from each other – aside from the fact they're both cars, of course!

LEGO® Creator decor: 31383 Floral Perfume Bottle, 31390 Floral Art Painting & 31392 Music Piano with Cat

The June 2026 LEGO® Creator 3-in-1 releases provided three "decor" sets with a pastel colour palette. I received two copies of 31383 Floral Decor Perfume Bottle and one each of 31392 Music Decor Piano with Cat and 31390 Floral Art Decor Painting to use in my own mini parts-fest, to make MOCs with some of the interesting pieces.

Review: 21065 Sagrada Família from LEGO® Architecture

 

At New Elementary, we enjoy parts, and the November 2026 LEGO® Architecture set 21065 Sagrada Família has a lot of them. Furthermore, it is a eye-opening dose of an architectural past and future.

Review and mod: 21371 Wallace & Gromit from LEGO® Ideas

LEGO® Ideas set 21371 Wallace & Gromit from is the 80th release to come from the fan-designed theme. As a long-time fan of Aardman's characters, and these two in particular, I was excited to get the opportunity to take a closer look at the set and its new contents.

Review: 77263 BMW M3 (E30) from LEGO® Speed Champions

Celebrate the 40th anniversary of a motoring icon with... a rock Golem? Today I take a look at the August 2026 LEGO® Speed Champions set 77263 BMW M3 (E30). Read on for my review of the model and MOCs inspired by some of its parts.

Review: 21373 Downton Abbey from LEGO® Ideas

“We’ve been expecting you.” Welcome to Downton Abbey, or Highclere Castle as the famous country house is known in the real world. After spending quite some time in intellectual property approvals, this LEGO Ideas project was finally approved, and in October 2026 we can buy this monumental landmark.

We received an early copy for review, and also spoke to the design team as part of a roundtable presentation.

Review & MOCs: 21365 Love Birds from LEGO® Ideas

We have a guest article from Margit Bermudez (on Flickr and Instagram), a frequent Iron Forge competitor and active member of PortLUG and BioniLUG. We sent her a copy of a January 2026 set containing some parts in the new warm pink color to explore.

Looking for a nice-sized display piece? Want to build your own trees, or a vibrant coral starfish? Read on for my review of LEGO® Ideas set 21365 Love Birds and a couple of MOCs inspired by its recolors.

Review: 42233 Mighty Machines Series 1 from LEGO® Technic

Big ideas in tiny boxes. Today I rekindle my interest in LEGO® Technic with a look at Series 1 of the new blind-box collectible series: 42233 Mighty Machines. Childhood Me would've gone mad for these: they're super-duper inspiring, lovely little builds that just make me go "wheeeeee"! To top it off, they contain interesting new moulds.

Review: 11382 Hubble Space Telescope from LEGO® Icons

The Hubble Space Telescope is almost as cool as LEGO® sets, so combining the two is a brilliant idea. On Saturday 1 August 2026, LEGO® Icons set 11382 Hubble Space Telescope is available: a detailed, realistic model both inside and out, and it's minifigure-scale! Let's take a peep.

Review: 21067 Tower Bridge from LEGO® Architecture

Tower Bridge is one of London's most iconic landmarks, so it is no surprise that it has been immortalised in LEGO® bricks several times. It has appeared in miniature in the LEGO® Architecture Skyline series set 21034 London. The 10214 Tower Bridge version had a shelf life of 8 years, so it must have been popular. But that set retired in 2018, so it is perhaps no surprise that the LEGO Architecture designers have decided to recreate it again, in a slightly smaller scale than its bigger sibling, as 21067 Tower Bridge. Let's take a closer look.

Review: 21370 E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial from LEGO® Ideas

It's time to grab your Speak and Spell and mount your BMX, because E.T. needs to phone home. Set 21370 E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is the latest set to emerge from the LEGO® Ideas platform.

It's not just 1980s nostalgia in the box; there's a new mould, a couple of new prints and a lot of medium nougat to feast on.

Review: 72051 Donkey Kong Arcade from LEGO® Super Mario™

It's-a me: Jumpman! In August 2026, Donkey Kong and the protoype Mario will appear together in LEGO® Super Mario™ 72051 Donkey Kong Arcade which recreates the game that introduced the world to these iconic characters for the first time. It's a playable game, to a degree – Jumpman is able to jump and move forward, but unable to climb. 

How high can we get on its new elements?

Build review: 11381 Jaguar E-Type from LEGO® Icons

The Jaguar E-Type is a paragon of British automotive design. It was revealed to the world in 1961 in legendary "a race for the finish line" style. It had an impressive reception at the Geneva Motor Show where it was appreciated not only for its looks but its technical innovation and capabilities. The E-Type subsequently became part of the visual make-up of the "Swinging Sixties". Like lava lamps, Andy Warhol, The Beatles and the space race, it helped define a groundbreaking era.

Following in the tyre tracks – or more appropriately, the optimal racing lines – of other LEGO® Icons vehicles, this lean green driving machine has a lot to live up to. I’m hoping, like its real world counterpart, the LEGO 11381 Jaguar E-Type will delight and impress in both looks and construction.

Review: 11513 Dark Flowers Arrangement from LEGO® Botanicals

The LEGO® Botanicals theme has several frequent typologies, one of which is the classic bouquet that requires an external vase for display. Last year's 10345 Flower Arrangement (see Thomas' review of set 10345) offered an alternative with a brick-built base that makes the model straightforward to display while keeping the essential idea of arranging different flowers with varying colours and shapes. Set 11513 Dark Flowers Arrangement is a smaller version of 10345 with a Gothic twist. It is a fitting arrangement for fans of old leather-bound books, black wax candles and Tim Burton. 

Parts review: 11381 Jaguar E-Type from LEGO® Icons

We've got the pedal to the metal on our review of LEGO® Icons set 11381 Jaguar E-Type, but first we're taking a quick detour to look at the parts included.

We're going green – British racing green – or rather, the closest LEGO® alternative, 141 Earth Green a.k.a. Dark Green. And you'll be green with envy too, because there's a lot of this lovely colour to covet!

Review: 11374 Arcade Pinball Machine from LEGO® Icons

While the LEGO® Icons theme is primarily known for delivering intricate models intended for display, the new 11374 Arcade Pinball Machine instead attempts to deliver a model where function is as important as form. Promising a fully-playable game of pinball using just LEGO bricks, I was understandably curious to examine how the model was constructed.

Build review: 42232 Koenigsegg Sadair's Spear Megacar™ from LEGO® Technic

The latest addition to the LEGO® Technic Ultimate Car Concept Series is packed with great new elements, as I revealed previously. Today, I’m finally building the set and find out if 42232 Koenigsegg Sadair's Spear Megacar also provides a satisfying build and finished model. 

Review: GwP 40912 Sea Serpent from LEGO® Ideas

LEGO® Insiders Days 2026 are now underway in Europe, Australia and New Zealand, and this year's gift with purchase (GwP) is set 40912 Sea Serpent, a reinterpretation of 6057 Sea Serpent, a LEGO® Castle set from 1992. This model is based on the winning entry to the LEGO® Ideas contest A Twist of Nostalgia. Anchors aweigh!