howitzer

I don't think the Chiron or RTC are really near the limits of ABS plastics, it's more a design flaw. 42055 is extremely sturdy for its size and geometry, especially the base is basically a brick as far as elasticity goes. Studded bricks could be used to make even more rigid constructions but it appears they have been phased out completely except for some very special places like the boom of the RTC.

A couple of progress photos. 0,33l beer can for scale:

The masterpiece you linked is as great build as it gets, but unfortunately you're probably right about the cool factor, if you imagine it as a real set. On the other hand I believe some sort of SUV could have enough of cool factor to make kids pester their parents about it, and include four doors too. Hummer could be too, except it is probably too militaristic for TLG. Maybe a non-super luxury car like Jaguar or Maserati?

The yearly flagship sets are usually released in the second half and the first half sets are generally smaller and cheaper. I believe the huge set trend is TLG answering demand, as the same is happening with other themes too. Small sets haven't disappeared though, and there's usually some nice small to midsize sets every year so I don't think the huge flagships aren't a problem really. 42100 was sort of over the top of course but it was also a technical demonstration of Control+, similar to 8275 in 2007 when PF was released. This year's Volvo hauler already showed that the new system can be adapted to somewhat smaller sets too, and I believe this will continue in the second half of 2021.

If I buy a set, it'll always be primarily as a parts pack but I try to choose sets which are also enjoyable for their building process and include cool functions, but I'll dismantle almost all sets eventually for MOCing. As others have noted, buying parts in sets is much cheaper than from Bricklink so unless you know exactly what you want and how many of them, it's cheaper to expand your parts collection with sets. Bricklink steps into the picture when you need only a few types of pieces or pieces that are not in production or are otherwise hard/expensive to acquire from sets. For example, I bought recently from BL two C+ L motors and a new-type pneumatic switch for my excavator MOC, as those are expensive to get with sets, but on the other hand, about a year ago I bought 42096 purely as a parts pack when it happened to be available with huge discount. Nice big pile of black and white panels and some other part types which I didn't have too many previously.

Well, GT3RS had the sequential gearbox, which Chiron improved upon with the wave selector and while both of those sets were flawed in some aspects, apparently the Sian fixed most issues. I think the wave selector is actually pretty revolutionary, but beyond that there wasn't much of notable technical features in these cars. You're right of course in that most car features have been done over and over again and it's hard to invent anything new, at least if you don't want to continue making new parts which would mostly improve existing features instead of bringing something truly novel. The same basic problem applies to other Technic sets too, it's hard to come by anything truly novel while still keeping in mind that the sets must be marketable to wide audience. So I guess we'll be seeing more fast cars and cranes and excavators for the years to come. As for the cars though, at this scale I'd hope to see at least a fake engine, some kind of gearbox and Ackermann steering and perhaps some minor functions like opening doors/adjustable seats/etc. These empty shell cars don't feel worthy of the Technic branding, Creator cars look much better anyway if all you care about is a pretty exterior.

Nice and clean model, and great job on the photography too!

Yep, stickers are entirely justified here. If I were to get this model for some reason, I wouldn't apply them because I don't like stickers but I like prints even less because those make the parts almost unusable in MOCs. But the stickers are probably the most reality-accurate part of this car so nothing wrong with having lots of them.

Gotta love that red spring crossing the colour boundary while still fitting in perfectly.

My expectations for the 2H are also pretty high, as the 1H appears to have a pretty good lineup after all, with all the new parts and stuff. 2020 indeed was pretty dull, and 2019 we had the Liebherr which was way too expensive for me to get, so I hoping for something new and interesting for the latter half of 2021.

I thought about that but decided against it due to the mechanical complexity of routing power for LA's through the turntables. I currently plan to have the axial rotation to be powered from both sides, with one side turning the front part and the other turning the rear part of the boom support. I also don't have any of those sliding 8T gears but they indeed do open up some possibilities so maybe I should get some... I actually didn't do much research into how the real machine works as I'm now just making an attempt to build a machine with all the important functions, disregarding looks and mechanical authenticity. The boom on the real machine is indeed luffed with hydraulics, I'm not sure about the extension but hydraulics would be logical there too. Axial rotation is driven by geared turntable. This gearbox is extremely unsuitable for a car, as it has 4 inputs and 8 outputs with a selector for choosing the outputs in sets of four...

I think one point you're missing here is that all of those pre-2000 sets brought something new to the table. 8865 had proper suspension, Ackermann steering and hideaway headlights, 8880 had synchronized gearbox and four steered and driven wheels while 8448 expanded the gearbox and introduced a widely variable exterior styling. While nostalgia is naturally a factor, all of these earlier sets were truly innovative at their time while 42096 and 42125 don't seem to have anything new to show nor do they include any tried and true but still interesting functions like any construction machinery type set would. For some reason today's car sets don't even include stuff like adjustable seats or hideaway headlights which are of course nothing to write home about but still make a set feel like every part has received a proper consideration in design. Someone somewhere said that a Technic set should be only as large as is required for the functions and no more, and if you look at these sets from this point of view, almost any entry in the TC18 small car contest was at least as good. Indeed these cars feel really half-assed effort on TLG's part as they could've been so much more.

More usable as a decorative part, less usable as a structural part.

Yeah, the actual supercars like the UCS series and those released in the 80's and 90's indeed have earned their place in Technic with interesting and technical functions and design but cars like this new Ferrari and the Porsche are just not Technic in my mind, not that I have to buy them anyway. But apparently this is what people want and as long as interesting machinery keeps being produced, I'm happy with Technic theme. New/recoloured parts are of course always welcome and at least with paneling these non-technical Technic cars should help to widen the palette.

Yep, it has a Technic label and is built of Technic parts, but I see almost nothing that makes this set actually Technic. 42096 was the same (I bought it with significant discount as a parts pack.)

My thoughts too. I can see its usefulness as a panel extender but we're also in need of more L-shaped liftarms beside the current 2x4 and 3x5 (and if you count thin ones, 3x3) and the support destroys its usefulness in many structural applications. 3x4 would've been even better but still...

Nevermind, I somehow failed to notice the curved reinforcement, which means that the part is an old one.

It's actually quite common to have parts that seem like they are designed for Technic but are actually originally made for other themes and having them used in Technic only a few times, like 32L axle (used in three Technic sets and dozens of other sets) and 16L link, which has similar usage pattern even though it's very useful for Technic builds. Every part is a spaceship part so I wouldn't be surprised to see that Ducati brake disk in some future Star Wars set or something.

Ah, true, my bad. For a moment I thought we'd be getting a new member in the thin liftarm family.

Am I seeing wrong or is this a 7L liftarm with axleholes in ends?

Yep, I had that set too and still have it, though I liked the helicopter B-model more, or at least remember keeping it assembled more. I also liked the skirt parts, though I never got really around to finding a good alternative uses for them. The skirt is indeed kinda awkward on this, the curves just don't flow well. It's also orange, which doesn't sit well with my parts collection, but of course that's my problem and not a fault in the set. As I_Igor said, a fake engine would be a nice touch here, you don't see them to often in other sets than cars and sometimes in construction equipment.

All treads are useless on smooth surfaces, sets like 60222 have an axle connected to a wheel in the middle so that the treads turn when you push the thing around. I guess the rubber inserts for newer treads could help here but very few sets include those.

At least that. Doing laundry, looking after my kids and fixing global warming would also be nice. So a modernized 8824. Nothing wrong with that I guess.

I wonder what are the functions. Steering and propellers obviously, but is that it?

Is that a 3x5 L-shaped liftarm with axleholes at the ends and at the corner? I like the old style treads being used as treads again, that hasn't happened too many times for a part that's over 40 years old. Beyond that I'm not sure about the looks, doesn't feel like it has exactly correct proportions and using LA's where pneumatics would've been better isn't that great too. Still probably going to get it, as it's by far the most interesting model in the first wave (though I haven't seen the hovercraft yet) and looks to be a good parts pack.