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James Bond 2018

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12 minutes ago, Friscorays said:

I'm interpreting that as meaning that this is the best anyone can do a DB5 at this scale in Lego.  If I am reading your comment correctly, I agree.  

Pretty sure they mean it can be done better, although probably without the gadgets, with which I agree.

i like Bond, but I can’t help but wonder how much better this car would be without the gadgets. Of course the inclusion at such a scale is quite and impressive feat of Lego engineering, but man with that level of skill, the curves could of been pulled off so much better if they weren’t there.

Edited by Whovastron

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15 hours ago, grandell said:

Thanks. Given that the rotating parts are in a fairly confined space, it probably doesn't matter if it's a little loose

Don't know why they wouldn't just use a universal joint there and a few Technic pieces, probably trying to keep their usage to a minimum so it would be more brick built, Creator style, less complaining about it being too much Technic. 

21 minutes ago, Friscorays said:

I'm interpreting that as meaning that this is the best anyone can do a DB5 at this scale in Lego.  If I am reading your comment correctly, I agree.  

Sort of, although surely it could be better. Basically just a nicer way of saying "put up or shut up".

Edited by Johnny1360

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1 hour ago, Whovastron said:

Pretty sure they mean it can be done better, although probably without the gadgets, with which I agree.

i like Bond, but I can’t help but wonder how much better this car would be without the gadgets. Of course the inclusion at such a scale is quite and impressive feat of Lego engineering, but man with that level of skill, the curves could of been pulled off so much better if they weren’t there.

5

They could, but then it wouldn't be James Bond's DB5 without the gadgets. And without that badge on the box, they would lose the James Bond fans.

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1 hour ago, MAB said:

They could, but then it wouldn't be James Bond's DB5 without the gadgets. And without that badge on the box, they would lose the James Bond fans.

I know, my point would mean it isn’t James Bond, I never implied that it wouldn’t really. But honestly a DB5 would surely sell as well as a Mini Cooper or London Bus. You say it would loose the James Bond fans, but it does sound like this isn’t selling amazingly; probably due to the surprise reveal, but could also be because a lot of fans have been turned off by the look of it, which is due to the gadgets.

this is all just theory though, I obviously don’t have any evidence for anything

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I just received my copy of the set a few hours ago and finished building it about two hours ago. As someone who complained about the set when the first picture leaked I must apologize. The shape looks almost perfect from every angle and the designing process that went into the play features is just breathtaking. Comparing it to my other creator expert cars (I have all of them) I have to say it looks the most appealing by far. I especially love the ejector seat - as expected - but the way it was pulled off blew my mind. (I didn't look at those GIFs because I didn't want to ruin it for myself)

All in all this might be in the top ten list of my favorite sets of all time and I almost feel bad for criticizing it so much at first

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2 hours ago, Puresh said:

I just received my copy of the set a few hours ago and finished building it about two hours ago. As someone who complained about the set when the first picture leaked I must apologize. The shape looks almost perfect from every angle and the designing process that went into the play features is just breathtaking. Comparing it to my other creator expert cars (I have all of them) I have to say it looks the most appealing by far. I especially love the ejector seat - as expected - but the way it was pulled off blew my mind. (I didn't look at those GIFs because I didn't want to ruin it for myself)

All in all this might be in the top ten list of my favorite sets of all time and I almost feel bad for criticizing it so much at first

This right here.

 

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I just finished building the DB5 and it really was a pleasure: some clever techniques and a lot of very nice functions! It does look nice but as some others said it just does not look like an Aston Martin DB5. I asked my dad what car this is supposed to be. He had no idea although having seen many Bond movies several times. And you can clearly tell why the model just doesn't look right:

The headlights are too high, too big and much too close to each other.

The roof is at least a stud to wide considering the total width of the car.

There are no curves on the sides of the roof.

The front end is too flat.

But the main reason is: The model should be at least two studs wider. In the designer video they are talking about how they got the right scale but in the end they just did not make it right. I am really surprised about that.

And so am i about two techniques they applied: Firstly the front grille section is not connected to the rest of the car. It just fits undertneath the arches. Secondly the mechanism to open the bonnet is very "un-TLC-like". I know that many moc builders use this technique but to see it in an official set ist very suprising to me.

To conclude: A nice car to play with and a satisfying building experience but from a scale modeler's point of view very disappointing (I would not even call it a scale model at all!) and of course heavily overpriced. I used to love the Creator Expert car series but with the London bus last year and this year's DB5 my love for this series is vanishing.

 

Edited by legophisto

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When I first saw the reveal on Facebook I was really impressed - it looks like such a cool set with great functionality and definitely a "collectable" for the more serious AFOL or diehard Bond fan.

But... the likeness of the car is not great.  There's only so much you can do with Lego bricks at such a small scale, and it's never going to look as good as some people want it to.  When you see the picture of the set together with the silhouette of the DB5, you can see that it's a BIG difference in shape, to the extent that by its silhouette it's simply not recognisable as the same vehicle.

And there's the price.  Forget licensing and gadgetry - the only reason TLG have put that ludicrous price tag on the set is so that they can make a good profit on it.  Nothing more, nothing less.

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1 hour ago, LennyRhys said:

And there's the price.  Forget licensing and gadgetry - the only reason TLG have put that ludicrous price tag on the set is so that they can make a good profit on it.  Nothing more, nothing less.

That’s your assumption, though. Unless you know exactly how much the license was for Aston Martin and another one for Bond. As for the shape, it’s not that drastic. Going by the profile comparison you can see it’s the same shape. It’s not like the resulting model has six wheels or bears an uncanny resemblance to a Series 1 Landrover. It looks like a DB5, it’s just not identical. Aston Martin are so protective of their brand, they would not have signed off on something that they were not happy with representing their most famous product. The right people at Lego and Aston are happy with the final product, probably delighted. There it is. It’s Lego, which means that if you don’t like it or think you can improve it, then you have the chance to modify it. Or you you have the choice not to buy it.

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That’s your assumption, though.

It's not an assumption; it's a fundamental principle of business.  If a LEGO set wasn't going to be profitable for TLG they would never give it the go-ahead.  Granted, there will be liecence costs to cover, but it's still a ludicrous amount of money for a set of its size / piece count.

And to say "it's the same shape" is missing the point somewhat - the image that shows the overlay of the profile view demonstrates without quibble that it's not the same shape.  Whether or not people are happy with this margin of error is a different matter (i.e., purely subjective), and that's where the controversy lies.

 

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17 minutes ago, LennyRhys said:

 

 

It's not an assumption; it's a fundamental principle of business.  If a LEGO set wasn't going to be profitable for TLG they would never give it the go-ahead.  Granted, there will be liecence costs to cover, but it's still a ludicrous amount of money for a set of its size / piece count.

And to say "it's the same shape" is missing the point somewhat - the image that shows the overlay of the profile view demonstrates without quibble that it's not the same shape.  Whether or not people are happy with this margin of error is a different matter (i.e., purely subjective), and that's where the controversy lies.

Making profit is a fundamental principle of business, but if they have two licenses to cover then the price is not pure profit. You don’t know how much the Bond franchise wants out of it, nor what Aston’s cut is. If those fees are high, then Lego pass it on to the end user; another principle of business.

Not exactly the same shape, but it was never going to be. The DB5 was hand sculpted out aluminium, or however it was done. Lego elements were never going to replicate that unless they made a new piece. That would impact on the already high price. The three franchises agreed to work together and representatives from all three were clearly happy with the finished build. They came up with something that they all liked. With the aid of market research they went ahead because they knew that Lego customers would welcome something Bond and a DB5, Aston Martin would get representation in a new market place, likewise the Bond brand. What they didn’t take into consideration was that Lego fans have come to expect perfection despite buying an adaptable product that positively encourages the buyer to use their imagination. If you can’t use your imagination or suspend your disbelief then that is not Lego’s fault. How similar a shape is subjective. Aside from that it is still a good, clever build, something I have maintained from the onset.

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Quick thoughts on the new set. Overall I love it. I wish that a a James Bond figure was included in the set but besides that it's a nice looking set. Probably my favorite D2C car build since the Volkswagen.

 

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19 hours ago, RedHoodPug said:

 despite buying an adaptable product that positively encourages the buyer to use their imagination. If you can’t use your imagination or suspend your disbelief then that is not Lego’s fault.

Good idea! 30349 with some dose of imagination is almost James Bond DB5. And it is much cheaper!

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Got mine on Saturday, Was a bit reluctant to buy it, but in the end I love it. It is so much better in the flesh than in the photos. The techniques used are cool and that ejector seat is just fab!

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7 hours ago, parsom said:

Good idea! 30349 with some dose of imagination is almost James Bond DB5. And it is much cheaper!

That’s because it lacks the gadgets. And the scale. Oh, and the colour is a tad off. Other than that yeah, a good replacement. Well found. Sadly I’m incapable of suspending my disbelief.

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On 7/22/2018 at 5:37 PM, RedHoodPug said:

Making profit is a fundamental principle of business, but if they have two licenses to cover then the price is not pure profit. You don’t know how much the Bond franchise wants out of it, nor what Aston’s cut is. If those fees are high, then Lego pass it on to the end user; another principle of business.

Guaranteed that the 007 license is disproportionate/well in excess of the Aston Martin license.

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I'd love to see a James Bond CMF series, but I also like that this opens up the possibility for some Aston Martin Speed Champions sets

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On 7/18/2018 at 9:41 AM, MAB said:

You just need to straighten up the headlights and remove the sloped back and you have a Trabant!

For instance, here's a recent Ideas project that was ironically submitted just today:

LEGO Ideas - Trabant 601 

Spoiler

5608874-o_1cj434ga511qvkd3o7k4i51hj-thum

 

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It looks good indeed, but it is a fairly simple shape to recreate in Lego. You just cannot compare that to an DB5, a 911 etc.

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Saw it in person yesterday, personally it looked even less like a DB5. I really wish this hadn’t been branded as Bond so that the gadgets didn’t cost the look of the car

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