[REVIEW] 76924 Mercedes-AMG G 63 & Mercedes-AMG SL 63

[MKJoshA]

INTRODUCTION
If the Friends line has some of the best overall sets, then the Speed Champions line has some of the best small scale detail techniques found in sets. With 800 pieces this set of Mercedes vehicles is the 4th largest Speed Champions set of all time, the biggest set that doesn't include extras like a race track, garage, or transport truck, and of course the largest of the 2024 line-up. But does bigger equal better in this case? Spoilers, yes, yes it does.

SET INFORMATION
Number: 76924
Title: Mercedes-AMG G 63 & Mercedes-AMG SL 63
Theme: Speed Champions
Released: 2024
Part Count: 800
Box Dimensions: 35.4 x 19.1 x 11.8 cm
Weight: 916g
Set Price (RRP): £44.99/$44.99/€49.99
Price per Part: 5.6p/5.6c/6.2c
Links: Brickset, Bricklink

THE BOX AND WHAT'S INSIDE

My other review sets sent by Lego had the new paper bags, but this set still had the plastic. I'm sure we'll see more and more paper as Lego recently released a statement about further efforts to go green. But this shows that there are still some sets with plastic left to be sold. The sticker sheets were small considering this is a Speed Champions set. None of them were too obtrusive and I applied them all.

THE BUILD
I built the AMG SL 63 (the yellow one) first. I'll start off by saying I'm not a gear head. I know how to fix cars and have done some larger projects myself like changing the engine bolts, replacing struts, and fixing a fuel pump. But I don't follow car news and couldn't pick out makes and models like a normal car fan might be able to. I had to Google which car was the SL 63 and which was the G 63 for example. But I do know good Lego techniques when I see them and the SL 63 has them on full display.

We start off with the new standard base for Speed Champions cars. Here you can see some of the extra egregious injection mold marks.

We get some new parts and new prints. I really appreciate that the curved and sloped parts have prints instead of stickers.

The front grill section uses a fantastic combination of clips, a bar, and neck brackets to create the minute details.

The end result looks pretty good. The exposed stud under the rear view mirrors and the edge of the yellow bracket sticking out the back end are small eye-sores in what is otherwise a gorgeous convertible.

The clips that allow the hood to open are the other eye-sore. I wish the designer had found a different solution.

Under the hood we see a sticker on the engine which seems to indicate that it's eco-friendly. A fast search says its a 4.0-litre V8 biturbo engine.

The car can comfortably seat 3. The overall look of the car is excellent, though it does feel oversized compared to system scale cars.

The G 63 does not use the standard Speed Champions base and instead relies on a Technic frame.

The entire chassis is built using a plethora of jumper plates to allow for half-step offsets throughout the build.

The end result is a beefy yet sleek truck. Rear view mirrors, windshield wipers, detailed grill, offset wheel wells, angled back windows and chrome exhaust pipes make this the most detailed Speed Champions car I've ever built.

We get a whole pile of cool parts. The plates in the 2nd picture are gun-metal grey. They add a slight color variation on the truck that's almost unnoticeable but shows an impressive attention to detail.

The back-end shows how the back windows angle in just slightly. It makes the back window look a little off, but overall I think the design was the right choice. It's such a small angle, but the designer clearly went to great lengths to get the shape of the car just right and the end result is very impressive.

The roof comes off to allow easy access inside. It can seat 4 and additionally has a spacious back compartment. The engine compartment hinge is much better hidden on the truck.

Under the hood we see the same symbol on the engine as the convertible.

The minifigures are not the draw, but they are unique to this set. Both drivers have aviators and specialized tops.

Neither head has back printing, probably to allow them to wear cop hats in police sets.

Now for a public service announcement.

If you've been collecting Legos for more than 5 years you may have noticed a decline in quality, especially with the injection mold points or sprue marks. It didn't use to be this bad as you can see in this photo I sent to Lego CS:

Injection marks have always been present in Lego, but they have gotten either more noticeable or even include rough edges around the mold point. I encourage you to ask Lego for replacements for any pieces that have really bad injection points. I've noticed they are especially bad on tiles and curved slopes. Lego's moto is "Only the best is good enough." Hold them to that. They will only change their production method if it starts to hurt them financially to keep using shoddy methods.

OVERALL

Paired together these vehicles are impressive. They each have minor flaws, the convertible more than the truck. But the attention to detail is incredible and I have to give the set full marks. They won't fit well with city sets as they are too wide, but as incredibly detailed models they are fantastic.

SCORE
How do I rate this set?

DESIGN 9.9
These are amazing designs full of NPU. There are a few minor flaws, but this set is near perfect.

BUILDING EXPERIENCE 10
As is to be expected with the Speed Champions line the building process is fun and filled with creative techniques.

FEATURES 10
The intended feature of this set is to be a display model. In that it succeeds perfectly. But the cars are also functional and have impressive space inside for multiple minifigures.

PLAYABILITY 10
You can't exaclty swoosh these, but you sure can Vroom! them. Plus the easy access to move minifgures around gives this set full marks for playability.

PARTS 10
A great selection of unique, new or rare colored parts makes this an excellent set for part selection.

VALUE FOR MONEY 10
800 pieces for $50 is a great deal. Add to that how great the set is and you have a real winner.

FINAL SCORE: 10
Even if you don't like cars this set is a real gem. The building process is fun, the techniques are creative, and the end result looks stunning. This is one of the best sets I've come across and I highly recommend getting it if you have the chance.

[Jim]

I love these combo sets. Thanks for the great review!

[Jody Meyer]

Alright, these are sexy.

[Lyichir]

When parts lists for this set came out I was surprised and impressed by the variety of basic parts introduced in Titanium Metallic. It's such a subtle detail that I didn't even notice it on the early pics, but it's so cool both in terms of how it looks on this set and how useful those parts could be overall.

[LEGO Train 12 Volts]

Thanks for this superb review! 

[JopieK]

Really great review indeed! Thanks @MKJoshA!

The mold marks are maybe because of the particular molds that need service as they suffer from wear and tear.

[MKJoshA]

On 9/5/2024 at 7:36 PM, Lyichir said:

When parts lists for this set came out I was surprised and impressed by the variety of basic parts introduced in Titanium Metallic. It's such a subtle detail that I didn't even notice it on the early pics, but it's so cool both in terms of how it looks on this set and how useful those parts could be overall.

Yeah, it really shows the designer went above and beyond for this set.

41 minutes ago, JopieK said:

Really great review indeed! Thanks @MKJoshA!

The mold marks are maybe because of the particular molds that need service as they suffer from wear and tear.

If that were so I would expect to see them far less frequently. They are in every new set I buy now.

[JopieK]

18 hours ago, MKJoshA said:

If that were so I would expect to see them far less frequently. They are in every new set I buy now.

I didn't notice it, but I haven't built that much new sets lately. Very strange, one would think these days it would become even more precise with better CNC machines available to even the masses...