Cumulonimbus

Because you asked nicely: It would require a lot of stickers to make it look smooth I think.

As requested. I also played with the 42039 green, standard TLG yellow, standard blue and the 42050 azure:

Forgive me the quick and dirty photoshop action, but I wanted to get an impression of the effect of the colors:

I wonder how easy it is to remove attachments. The mini-LA at the rear looks really deeply embedded in the crane. I might be wrong, but it looks like it's not as quick to swap like it was in the Unimog. A side note: is it correct that a real Xerion doesn't have a front PTO?

I'm still on the fence about this set. On one hand it is an new machine for TLG, it's huge and it has nice new parts. But on the other hand it's very bulky and the proportions haven't convinced me yet, it should be a bit lower or longer. I'm really curious what other uses TLG and AFOLs will find for the circular gear racks. Has it been said before that the new part is actually just a quarter of a circle? This means that four are needed for a complete circle and that the BWE has at least 14 of them (8 in the bucket wheel, 4 for the turning table of the upper structure , 2 for the pivot of the rear conveyor). BTW, I noticed that the mining truck is not completely identical to the yellow 42035 version. look in the left of this image: The lights and the air filters are modeled more accurately and the ladder is now brick built.

I didn't notice it at first, but it's nice to see some studded bricks used in the excavator boom: I'm a little bit let down by the lack of a mechanism or gearing for the outriggers and the blade. Could this be because the battery box of the optional PF is stored in the chassis and its space claim makes any functions beside steering impossible?

What to say ... this set is awesome. It is so impressive even when most of its features are not fully disclosed yet. Definite a must buy for every AFOL (if he/she can afford it). Could this be the first set without a B-model or do you think TLG has a yet another surprise in store for us? Thank you TLG!

Although I'm not a huge fan of agricultural machines, this set is impressive. New tires, 3 steering modes, authentic features such as the cabin lift, ... very well done. I will probably think of another attachment/tool/trailer, but well done TLG.

Oh my, I really love this Volvo. It's really lifelike, includes pneumatic and with interesting features such as the cabine lift. I think the new bucket of the BWE might also be included in this set as well, but in black. You're right bob, this is something relatively new for Volvo, I first noticed it when researching Volvo haulers like the A25E (you can see it best in the vehicle brochures on the Volvo site). Volvo didn't do it at the time of the 42030B, but I guess that eventually all new/updated models will have the orange handrails.

Thank you for the lxf-file, I had some fun with some colour schemes as well:

That is seriously impressive, I like the quality of the braid. How tightly has it been braided? I love these "stationary" creations and machines, especially when they are actually doing "usefull" work, like braiding. Very good job. I would be interested in learning more about the working principles of your machine, what each section does, how you switch between braiding patterns, etc.

The tall version is more impressive but I'm a bit concerned by using the steering links as a stressed element, especially in compression. These aren't the most rigid parts. It all depends on the loads (weight of the body, driving speed and roughness of the terrain) I guess. For a big, possibly RC/PF vehicle, I would vote for the low version.

If that guys had put as much energy and creativity in a Lego creation, he might have created something which is worth putting on Lego Ideas himself. It reminds me of the story that Lego sets are used as currency in crime, as it is untraceable, keeps (or even increases) its value and is widely abundant (more info here). Anyway, I wish you good luck with dealing with those guys, if there is anything we could do, give a shout. EDIT:

I like your little tractor, but I wonder if you could still give it a "face" with some lights and a grill. You might be tight for space, but your model could really benefit from it in my opinion.

Seems you have learnt to build studless in a short time, impressive. I like your crane very much, there is something similar waiting on my desk to be finished.

I must admit that I struggle to start my entry for this contest, I'm still stuck at the drawing board. Three of my ideas for original machines proved to be too bulky, even at the smallest functional scale. Each mock-up quickly past a volume 15000 studs, not even close to the threshold of 10000. To be continued ...

Aha, just what I was looking for. Thank you!

Nice setup for the TC9, Jim. It provides a nice balance between model freedom and technical challenge. I will try to find the time to enter. I was wondering if there's an overview available of the past (Technic) contests and if not, there might be a need/wish for a central location with a summary of the contests and the links to the relevant topics. Last night, I was trying to find an entry of the MINI contest, but it took me some time to dig for it. Just an idea.

Thank you for the reviews Jim and Sariel, they really give a good impression of the new sets. As for the Drag racer, I'm still on the fence. I like details such as the engine and internal roll cage, the colors and the originality but I share most of the criticism mentioned above. I might have a go at redesigning the body on the same chassis, I'm imagining something along the lines of a scaled down 41999. @ Blakbird: I would be interested to know more about this case, can you share a source or a link? I'm curious how early in the development this decision has been made, because the 8284 B-model looks like a typical B-model in my eyes: less detailed and with fewer functions. EDIT: I have found this website which explains that the 8284 B-model was sold as the A-model in the US, but not in other markets. I thought you meant that they were switched during development. Curious decision anyway.

I was thinking, could the kart have a hand brake action which locks the rear wheels? If two counterrotating gears are engaged within the 'gearbox', the rear wheels could lock up. I know that neither a gearbox or a handbrake are seen on a real kart, but if the designers have allowed themselves this artistic freedom, a handbrake could add more play value than a gearbox ... maybe.

Those names sound fantastic: Mighty Torrent, Lighting Flash, Raging Fire, Shadow Saber. But the sets themselves look too crude for my taste and I suspect that the quality of the plastics and the mouldings are much lower than we are use to form TLG.

On the other hand you could see it as a challenge, might even be a contest idea .

Well, I have been part of a few trainings in which Lego was used as a team building element. For example: in a training about communication one exercise consisted of two teams: one had the building instructions and a two-way radio, the other team had the bricks and another two-way radio. The visual instructions needed to translated into words, which was quite challenging. These kinds of trainings are a bit silly though and the 2000431 set wasn't used for it, but rather a basis creator set. Luckily, the best team (which I was part of) won small Lego sets, which is never a bad thing.

True, maybe the contest should be open to "surprise requirements" halfway through the process. For example: "Use at least three blue parts". In the WIP topic, a photo should prove that in during the build progress, these blue parts suddenly appear. Yes, I understand it is tricky, nevertheless I think many creations could benefit for increased attention to the construction and rigidity. MOCs are often constructed sketchy and sometimes so flimsy they are not playable at all. This is only apparent when you build them in real life. In my eyes, here lies one of the biggest strengths of an official set, they are really engineered properly to withstand the use during paying. The same is true for video in my opinion. Great, I'm already curious about it.