What Would You Want to See from a Revival of the Racers Theme?

[Digger of Bricks]

Would you want to see a reboot of the multifaceted, everything automobile centric Racers theme? If so, what lines or subthemes would you like to see introduced or return for such a revival?

Introduced in 2002 and ended in 2012, with Speed Champions informally replacing it three years later, I've always been fascinated by the theme in concept, as its many subthemes were so varied and distinct from one another in a way unlike many other lines' handling of their own subthemes. Though many Racers subthemes from then were too odd or goofy for my likening, I think Lego could do better with such a conceptually restraint-less line nowadays, with much room for a great number of possibilities. 

[SirBlake]

Interesting thought. I’m all for it, but not at the expense of Speed Champions. 

SC has brought us some real gems and I would hate to see that theme go away. 

[Digger of Bricks]

Just now, SirBlake said:

SC has brought us some real gems and I would hate to see that theme go away. 

Neither would I, so that's why I think it should be integrated into a rebooted Racers as a subtheme of it.

[SirBlake]

Cool. To better answer the original question, I’d like to see continued use of the SC wheels and tires where appropriate, and let the Racers theme get a little more latitude to play as far as realism goes. There’s room to be funky and fanciful in a Speed Racer kind of way. 

[Digger of Bricks]

Just now, SirBlake said:

There’s room to be funky and fanciful in a Speed Racer kind of way. 

Exactly, as the theme could go whichever direction.

Personally, I'd like to see a different subtheme that would resemble Speed Champions in terms of scale, but with a wackier, character themed vibe, kinda like Mario Kart or the first Racers videogame. On the other end of the spectrum, how about another subtheme that would give us at least one Expert-scale modern supercar set a year, preferably System constructed as opposed to Technic constructed?

[Sinthoras]

I don't think there will be a revival of racers. We have Speed Champions in small scale, Creator Expert Vehicles for large scale, the Supercar Technic line, and for wacky cars with characters you get Ninjago and Nexo Knights. Even City has the Grand Vehicle Subtheme and I almost forgot the pullback Technic sets, therefore I can't see the need for a Racers revival.

Edited February 17, 2018 by Sinthoras

[Digger of Bricks]

2 hours ago, Sinthoras said:

I don't think there will be a revival of racers. We have Speed Champions in small scale, Creator Expert Vehicles for large scale, the Supercar Technic line, and for wacky cars with characters you get Ninjago and Nexo Knights. Even City has the Grand Vehicle Subtheme and I almost forgot the pullback Technic sets, therefore I can't see the need for a Racers revival.

I guess this is true, as nearly everything that was under the Racers banner has a fitting home in so many other preexisting themes and lines. This too can be said for other lines that are currently no longer with us.

But still, would you think that a revival could be a possibility if we saw a reboot of the Racers videogame series by TT Games? Though 2019's The Billion Brick Race is seemingly going to be serving the same purpose, I'm surprised we haven't seen a third game or reboot of Racers for all these years. Perhaps Lego and their media partners just don't want to tread on Nintendo's Mario Kart territory? 

[Nexogeek]

I would love to see Racers be brought back, and with Speed Champions being a TRU exclusive and well the store seems to be coming to its end how do we know if Lego will just cancel the theme or make it a store exclusive for say Walmart or Target. If it does end up canceled I would love to see them bring racers. Back when I was a kid in 2008-2010 I loved playing with them, had a some of the tiny turbos and I think two of the ones with the packaging that folds down into a little track with builds so having fond memories of those makes me want to see that kind of stuff return. Certain sets I would love to see a reboot Racers theme have similar things to would be Bullet Run, Brick Street Customs, Street Extreme, Brick Street Getaway, Bridge Chase, along with some of those small single car sets with wacky hot rods. 

[Digger of Bricks]

10 hours ago, Nexogeek said:

I would love to see Racers be brought back, and with Speed Champions being a TRU exclusive and well the store seems to be coming to its end how do we know if Lego will just cancel the theme or make it a store exclusive for say Walmart or Target. If it does end up canceled I would love to see them bring racers.

You do bring up a pretty good point regarding the closing of Toys 'R' Us; but, I wouldn't want to see the theme end though as a result. Like I suggested earlier, I'd rather want to see the theme incorporated into a revived Racers line as a subtheme of it.

11 hours ago, Nexogeek said:

Back when I was a kid in 2008-2010 I loved playing with them, had a some of the tiny turbos and I think two of the ones with the packaging that folds down into a little track with builds so having fond memories of those makes me want to see that kind of stuff return. Certain sets I would love to see a reboot Racers theme have similar things to would be Bullet Run, Brick Street Customs, Street Extreme, Brick Street Getaway, Bridge Chase, along with some of those small single car sets with wacky hot rods. 

Oh yeah, Tiny Turbos! Now there's a subtheme that was quite prominent within the Racers theme, and one that we really haven't seen any real successor for ever since. I suppose we do see little four-wide car sets done for the standard Creator theme every now and then, but a dedicated line of them would be fun to see again. Hey, if Racers were to ever come back, how about having Tiny Turbos revived as an annual blind bag series, perhaps with boxed sets featuring twelve cars per series priced at US $4.99 apiece? 

[Nexogeek]

On 3/14/2018 at 11:39 AM, Digger of Bricks said:

You do bring up a pretty good point regarding the closing of Toys 'R' Us; but, I wouldn't want to see the theme end though as a result. Like I suggested earlier, I'd rather want to see the theme incorporated into a revived Racers line as a subtheme of it.

I agree, have one big Racers theme and let speed champions be a subtheme like city has the exploration subthemes each year. 

 

On 3/14/2018 at 11:39 AM, Digger of Bricks said:

Oh yeah, Tiny Turbos! Now there's a subtheme that was quite prominent within the Racers theme, and one that we really haven't seen any real successor for ever since. I suppose we do see little four-wide car sets done for the standard Creator theme every now and then, but a dedicated line of them would be fun to see again. Hey, if Racers were to ever come back, how about having Tiny Turbos revived as an annual blind bag series, perhaps with boxed sets featuring twelve cars per series priced at US $4.99 apiece? 

Not sure how I feel about the blind bag idea, but boxed sets or something like what they use to come in for $4.99 would be sweet, twelve per series gives room for each series to have a couple race cars, hot rods, rat rods, and muscle cars. They could do sets similar to those I named off before as something like a summer wave each year and the winter wave be something else. This topic has me looking at sets and subthemes from the theme and something that caught my eye is the old track systems from 2002 subtheme never knew they existed cause of being one at the time. The track systems look pretty interesting and would be a neat concept to return for a one set a year thing in a Racers reboot. Technic seems to slowly bring the idea of the power racers back with WHACK! and BASH! 

[MAB]

On 14/03/2018 at 4:29 AM, Nexogeek said:

I would love to see Racers be brought back, and with Speed Champions being a TRU exclusive and well the store seems to be coming to its end how do we know if Lego will just cancel the theme or make it a store exclusive for say Walmart or Target. If it does end up canceled I would love to see them bring racers.

1

Speed Champions isn't exclusive to the US, it is sold worldwide. And it is not a TRU exclusive in the UK, for example. It wasn't made specifically for TRU(US), so there is no reason to cancel it.

On 14/03/2018 at 4:29 AM, Nexogeek said:

Back when I was a kid in 2008-2010 I loved playing with them, had a some of the tiny turbos and I think two of the ones with the packaging that folds down into a little track with builds so having fond memories of those makes me want to see that kind of stuff return. Certain sets I would love to see a reboot Racers theme have similar things to would be Bullet Run, Brick Street Customs, Street Extreme, Brick Street Getaway, Bridge Chase, along with some of those small single car sets with wacky hot rods. 

 

 

On 14/03/2018 at 3:39 PM, Digger of Bricks said:

Oh yeah, Tiny Turbos! Now there's a subtheme that was quite prominent within the Racers theme, and one that we really haven't seen any real successor for ever since. I suppose we do see little four-wide car sets done for the standard Creator theme every now and then, but a dedicated line of them would be fun to see again. Hey, if Racers were to ever come back, how about having Tiny Turbos revived as an annual blind bag series, perhaps with boxed sets featuring twelve cars per series priced at US $4.99 apiece? 

1

I think their current successor is the SH Mighty Micros. Fun little wacky cars made to race and bash into each other. Yes, something else gone licensed.

[Digger of Bricks]

4 hours ago, MAB said:

I think their current successor is the SH Mighty Micros. Fun little wacky cars made to race and bash into each other. Yes, something else gone licensed.

Well, a revived Racers theme could also incorporate DC and Marvel's Mighty Micros line into their own lineup as another subtheme, only that they'd expand it to other licenses as well. It'd be like BrickHeadz, a line of US $9.99 sets with various licensed franchises' characters, heroes and villains, pitted against each other in their own themed go karts.

[Nexogeek]

1 hour ago, Digger of Bricks said:

Well, a revived Racers theme could also incorporate DC and Marvel's Mighty Micros line into their own lineup as another subtheme, only that they'd expand it to other licenses as well. It'd be like BrickHeadz, a line of US $9.99 sets with various licensed franchises' characters, heroes and villains, pitted against each other in their own themed go karts.

5 hours ago, MAB said:

I think their current successor is the SH Mighty Micros. Fun little wacky cars made to race and bash into each other. Yes, something else gone licensed.

That would be neat, but not as a replacement if the racer theme ever came back. As its own thing yes, they don't even look like tiny turbos or give that feel to me, honestly they remind me of Xalax subtheme just with short legged minifigs instead of those weird things they used. 

To me if they ever do tiny turbos again they need to keep the same basic idea of no minifigures 

 

[Digger of Bricks]

4 minutes ago, Nexogeek said:

To me if they ever do tiny turbos again they need to keep the same basic idea of no minifigures 

I have to agree with that. Essentially, just a line of Hot Wheels-esque four-wide cars.

6 minutes ago, Nexogeek said:

As its own thing yes, they don't even look like tiny turbos or give that feel to me, honestly they remind me of Xalax subtheme just with short legged minifigs instead of those weird things they used. 

You mean these guys? Yeah, those were pretty darn strange, but I've never compared them to DC/Marvel's Mighty Micros before. Well, at least Mighty Micro sets have minifigures.

[Aanchir]

The main thing from LEGO Racers that's missing from today's sets, as others have brought up, is a Hot Wheels analogous product like the Tiny Turbos. Closest we get are occasional mini sets in the Creator 3-in-1 line or polybags in themes like The LEGO Batman Movie. But then again, these days, I don't know if Hot Wheels itself is doing so hot.

[Digger of Bricks]

5 minutes ago, Aanchir said:

The main thing from LEGO Racers that's missing from today's sets, as others have brought up, is a Hot Wheels analogous product like the Tiny Turbos.

Do you think a blind bag model would work for a Tiny Turbos reboot today, or would that only really work for minifigures?

[Nexogeek]

33 minutes ago, Digger of Bricks said:

I have to agree with that. Essentially, just a line of Hot Wheels-esque four-wide cars.

You mean these guys? Yeah, those were pretty darn strange, but I've never compared them to DC/Marvel's Mighty Micros before. Well, at least Mighty Micro sets have minifigures.

Yes those, neither have I till I started looking through the Racers theme and realized Mighty Micros are kinda similar in a since of size, them being wacky and have a small figure of some kind, thankfully Might Micros have minifigures.

Tiny Turbos are personally my #1 favorite thing from the Racers theme, I even loved them when I was to busy with Power Miners and Agents at that time. From the perspective of being a kid when Tiny Turbos were out and having them they were great, they fit perfect in a kids hand to play with, the sets with boxes that folded in a track that you built up things on was also a plus for imaginative play. 

25 minutes ago, Digger of Bricks said:

Do you think a blind bag model would work for a Tiny Turbos reboot today, or would that only really work for minifigures?

If they were a blind bag style set, what would make each model in a series stand out in the package feeling wise? For the price they would have to be and to get a bunch of repeats of the same without a way to feel the difference might make them not sell the greatest. How do you feel about them being sold in a similar way to Mixles, a polybag theme that's affordable and you know what model you get 

[MAB]

8 hours ago, Nexogeek said:

That would be neat, but not as a replacement if the racer theme ever came back. As its own thing yes, they don't even look like tiny turbos or give that feel to me, honestly they remind me of Xalax subtheme just with short legged minifigs instead of those weird things they used.

 

 

Yes, I know they don't look like them, but I meant successor in the sense of "What do I buy if my kids wants to play with small lego cars?". The target markets for both Tiny Turbos and Mighty Micros will overlap significantly, and so probably wouldn't be out together. Whereas Mighty Micros and Speed Champions are significantly different (SC being more adult / teen aimed) and can coexist more readily.

[Digger of Bricks]

10 hours ago, Nexogeek said:

Tiny Turbos are personally my #1 favorite thing from the Racers theme, I even loved them when I was to busy with Power Miners and Agents at that time.

The only thing that did annoy me about them, was their heavy usage of stickers, even though the same can be said about Lego's current Speed Champions line. I'd like to see a revived line utilize printed parts instead, but I guess that'd only drive the price past US $4.99 apiece.

10 hours ago, Nexogeek said:

How do you feel about them being sold in a similar way to Mixles, a polybag theme that's affordable and you know what model you get 

Well, I suppose a boxed series without the blind bag factor would be better, as I often forget Lego has done that before with the Mixels line.

[1980-Something-Space-Guy]

I am a simple man with a simple need: a Rocket Racer minifigure! Lego, if you're listening, I'd appreciate it if you could find an excuse to make him!

[Digger of Bricks]

8 minutes ago, BrickHat said:

I am a simple man with a simple need: a Rocket Racer minifigure! Lego, if you're listening, I'd appreciate it if you could find an excuse to make him!

Perhaps he'll have a cameo in 2019's The Billion Brick Race?

[Aanchir]

13 hours ago, Digger of Bricks said:

Do you think a blind bag model would work for a Tiny Turbos reboot today, or would that only really work for minifigures?

Can't imagine it working well for something like Tiny Turbos unless the building process were simplified and standardized a great deal. One of the reasons the blind-bagged minifigs work is that they offer extremely similar builds — they don't even need individualized instruction manuals. Now, something impulse-priced but NOT randomized, like Mixels, the 2012 Ninjago booster packs, or the LEGO Friends animal packs, would be another story entirely. That I could see working out a little better.

[Takanuinuva]

Perhaps a return to the lego Rc cars

Have a small chassis part that can have bricks built on top of it to create your own RC racer.

JangBricks already did a concept using a Rc car chassis that has a removable body.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4D2vNrDhTI&feature=youtu.be

Though the real dillema with this idea is trying to not make it terribly expensive

[Digger of Bricks]

Remember World Racers, that one action theme from 2010 that was sort of a subtheme of Racers in a way? While its premise was an interesting concept, I thought its setup of two adversarial teams kinda boxed it in and was rather uninteresting.

But, if Lego were to ever revisit the concept of a global race for an action theme again, I'd rather want to see the competitors be individual contestants as opposed to teams. Now that just may be what we'll see portrayed in 2019's The Billion Brick Race, but still, I think the individual contestant approach would make for a much more colorful theme.

[Lego David]

Racers is my 3rd favorite LEGO Theme of all time. It offered any racing experince a car fan could possibly want: Power Racers, Tiny Turbos, Xalax, OutDoor RC's, Race Tracks, complex Techinc moldels, etc. I recently got the 2004 Ferrari F1 techinc set, and Gosh, I LOVE IT. Racers is a underrated amazing theme. LEGO should 100% bring it back in it's authentic form, with Speed Champoins being incorporated as a subtheme. I just fell in love with those sets at first time I saw them, I set the goal to one day collect all 250 sets that were produced (which will likely never happen, but I lope to get at least half of all the sets produced). If they ever brought it back, I'l go and buy every single set the day they release.

Edited January 18, 2019 by Lego David