Review: 71737 X-1 Ninja Charger
Posted by CapnRex101,Several technologically-advanced vehicles were introduced with the Rebooted range, including 70727 X-1 Ninja Charger. That appealing model achieved an outstanding balance between both strength and speed. The updated car maintains those important qualities.
Despite preserving certain features of the other model, 71737 X-1 Ninja Charger includes completely distinct proportions, moving the cockpit forwards and the wheels backwards. The resulting vehicle appears considerably sleeker than its predecessor which is superb, although I wonder whether the differences are too dramatic.
Minifigures
Despite the X-1 Ninja Charger originating from Rebooted, Kai sports his Tournament of Elements attire here. This minifigure includes fantastic detail and I like the Ninjargon letters that read 'Master' across the torso. However, an updated version of Kai's blazing Techno robe would have been preferable, especially since the same minifigure could have accompanied 71704 Kai Fighter last year.
Jay also features his robe from the Tournament of Elements which is somewhat disappointing, although I feel less frustrated by this because Jay was not included with the original 70727 X-1 Ninja Charger. In addition, his Techno robe actually appeared surprisingly similar to his clothing from the Tournament of Elements, featuring familiar sashes and iconography on the torso.
Another significant similarity between the Techno and Tournament of Elements designs is the integration of bandanas. Hair pieces are accordingly provided for both Kai and Jay, along with double-sided heads. Unfortunately, their smiles are not wholly concealed behind the masks so they appear slightly awkward. The minifigures are properly armed though, carrying katana and nunchaku into battle.
Corresponding with the original set, their primary opponent is an imposing Nindroid Warrior. Variants of this minifigure have already appeared in several Legacy sets and their designs are rather similar to the Nindroids from 2014, featuring intricate mechanical detail which is partially hidden beneath black and purple clothing. The subtle red stripes also remain intact, although I wish printed legs had returned from the original minifigures too.
70726 Destructoid introduced a shorter Nindroid character, known as a Mindroid. This figure shares multiple pieces with the aforementioned warrior but does incorporate short legs which reflect the previous minifigure. I love the mechanised hoods which display triangular targeting icons, reminding me of the Predator's famed shoulder cannon. Removing these hoods reveals equally menacing heads, again featuring metallic silver decoration!
Nindroids deployed numerous vehicles during Rebooted, including some personal flying craft. This example evidently takes inspiration from the design which accompanied 70727 X-1 Ninja Charger during 2014, including pearl silver katana as wings. They are connected using hinges so their angle is adjustable and I like this bright colour combination, including a sticker with the Nindroid emblem.
Celebratory minifigures accompany several new sets, acknowledging the tenth anniversary of NINJAGO. Cole Legacy is available here, featuring the unusual metallic mask from Master of the Mountain. This colour scheme of pearl dark grey and pearl gold looks extremely appealing and the enormous shoulder armour certainly distinguishes this ninja from others.
Once again, the golden gi features excellent decoration to reflect each character's Elemental Powers. Cole's attire therefore includes tumbling rocks and his black accent colour looks nice, although the ninja with brighter colours have been more visually impressive. Additionally, I like the grey fabric beneath the gi and considerable detail continues across the legs.
Cole is invariably equipped with his mighty hammer which connects to the back of his armour. Each minifigure from this Legacy range features a black display base and these look splendid, displaying a printed 2x2 round tile on the front. Colourful 1x1 round plates also adorn the base and orange was certainly the most appropriate choice for Cole, with whom orange accents are commonly used.
The Completed Model
Outstanding power and speed were the most important aspects of 70727 X-1 Ninja Charger during 2014 and this updated rendition preserves those features. The bodywork seems quite aerodynamic and I love how varied curved shapes transition smoothly. This vehicle measures nearly 24cm in length so is certainly substantial, although that only narrowly exceeds the past design.
Viewing this model from the side reveals the primary distinction between this rendition of the Ninja Charger and its predecessor. The new model is significantly lower to the ground and its profile seems completely different, more closely resembling a racing car than the older design that resembled a muscle car. Furthermore, the wheel positions have been altered and this car features a subtle forward rake which looks fantastic.
Several 2x4 curved slopes are situated across the front, forming an attractive shape above the radiator assembly. These are decorated with stickers which fittingly display flames, intakes and the word 'Charger' in Ninjargon. I like the trans-yellow band at the centre of the radiator and the golden katana look wonderful too, although they might look even better if adjoining at the centre.
Additional stickers with excellent flaming designs are applied on either flank, between further pearl gold swords. These angled blades highlight the flowing bodywork and complement the wheels which appear relatively similar to those on the original 70727 X-1 Ninja Charger. The engine between them is brand new though, including a recessed air intake which looks quite reminiscent of traditional muscle cars.
The black 3x6 curved windscreen was another distinctive feature of the previous X-1 Ninja Charger and that returns here. An opaque windscreen certainly seems unusual but appears perfectly stylised and I like the streamlined shape of this windscreen. Despite the substantial scale of this vehicle, there is only space for one minifigure and two control panels inside.
Pressing the conspicuous yellow button immediately behind the cockpit causes the vehicle to open and releases an agile motorcycle. This motorcycle actually forms the seat inside the car, hence its launching seems quite reminiscent of Batman's Tumbler and the Batpod. The button could certainly have been concealed more effectively, although this is not the only appearance of yellow elements throughout the model.
The motorcycle measures 12cm in length and comprises an approximately even division of Technic and System pieces. The bodywork around the front therefore looks very impressive, most notably where dark bluish grey elements are integrated. Another sticker is applied here, featuring Kai's fiery animal symbol that was introduced ten years ago with the first NINJAGO sets!
Technic elements appear more prominently towards the rear, without any bodywork covering them. This is disappointing because the resulting design lacks detail, although some exposed pins were necessary for the launching mechanism. Nevertheless, the designer could definitely have included a rear mudguard behind the seat, without affecting the mechanism.
Spring-loaded shooters are mounted behind the cockpit on the car and these are connected using hinges for altering their pitch. However, the launcher cannot rotate which surprised me because there is adequate space for a turntable. The angled bodywork alongside the missile launcher looks good though and I like the divided spoiler which looks quite reminiscent of the design from 2014.
Unfortunately, the weakest aspect of this vehicle is undoubtedly its appearance from behind. The engine and surrounding bodywork seems unfinished, actually prompting me to check the instructions and ensure that I had not missed anything! This is particularly disappointing as the engine nacelle was among the best features of 70727 X-1 Ninja Charger, making perfect use of a basketball hoop.
Overall
Futuristic vehicles are not generally what appeal to me about NINJAGO, although 71737 X-1 Ninja Charger looks marvellous. The racing aesthetic is notably successful in my opinion and the vehicle appears powerful so retains that feature of 70727 X-1 Ninja Charger as well, even though its prominence is arguably reduced. Personally, I appreciate such substantial changes but I recognise that many fans prefer subtler alterations for Legacy sets.
The motorcycle launching function is also impressive, although I believe its appearance could have been improved. Certain areas of the X-1 Ninja Charger also lack detail, most importantly towards the rear. The price of £44.99 or $49.99 seems fairly expensive beside other NINJAGO sets but this represents a pleasing addition to the Legacy collection, especially following a discount.
This set was provided for review by The LEGO Group but the review represents an expression of my own opinions.
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19 comments on this article
It makes all that fuss about the 8 wide Speed Champions disappear.
The original was one of the only Ninjago sets I was ever interested in, so I might consider picking this one up.
absolutely abysmal: to take a vehicle with one of the most visually distinct and dynamic silhouettes and turn it into a ridiculously large flat car is a disservice to the vehicle and an awful choice for the 10th anniversary; shaping on the entire front is terribly chunky despite the "sleekness", the entire rear is of course awful and nearly slapdash in how it's constructed, the rear wheel's mudguard is pitifully covered by a single flag, and the function almost looks obtrusive compared to the original. for that matter, all the functions seem to have been downgraded: the bike reportedly doesn't shoot out of the front as well as advertised and the guns look awkward attached to the car, where before they were disguised in the model with a decent bit of flair. i respect the efforts of lego designers, i really do, but this doesn't seem like a set that's gone through at least a year of product testing and refinement; disregarding the visual splendor of its predecessor, on its own this just looks like a big flat rectangle on wheels and i'm sure lego designers now have a greater capacity to make stunning products than before
i'm sure my thoughts here have a decent bit of bias given that the original floored me as a 12 year old but idunno; outside of cole and the reported vip points/target points attached as well as an apparent prominent appearance in ninjago's animatrix-esque celebration, the set simply cannot sell itself on its own and that's a major disappointment. at least it's $40 on bricklink!
Not a fan of this to be honest. This is one of the very few times I feel that the Legacy version does not improve upon the original. It looks more like a rectangular block covered with slopes than a car, and the features are not nearly as well integrated as the original. I do appreciate the forward rake of the Charger though, and it does a better job of covering up the underlying technic frame when compared to the original.
Surprisingly, the original 70727 is now on Bricklink at $ 180.
Oh my! So many weapons... What are they for? For fighting??!! Oh my!! Isn't it against some rules?
Hey, Lego! Weapons = violence!! Bring back Technic Osprey and bury the really violent sets 6 ft under. Oh, right... You won't do that, because this is where the money is, so duplicity works better.
This car is the scale of a Technic figure. 8225 probably is smaller than this one.
If you remove the bike, you probably can fit a Technic figure in there.
@Banderolas said:
"Oh my! So many weapons... What are they for? For fighting??!! Oh my!! Isn't it against some rules?
Hey, Lego! Weapons = violence!! Bring back Technic Osprey and bury the really violent sets 6 ft under. Oh, right... You won't do that, because this is where the money is, so duplicity works better."
They're also ninja who can harness the elements, using those weapons to fight purple robots. Surely we can agree that that's different from a vehicle that's exclusively been used in real-life combat situations.
@MusiMus said:
"Surprisingly, the original 70727 is now on Bricklink at $ 180."
i was not aware of that, although further perusal shows that that's for a new box whereas a used set goes for a nice 41 at lowest. i'll probably pick it up at that price for now
I find the dislike for this model interesting because I think the updated design looks much more appealing than the original. Admittedly, I do not own 70727 X-1 Ninja Charger from 2014 because I have always considered that model rather chaotic in appearance. The new design appears sleek by comparison, until reaching the rear.
Also, I have not encountered any issues with the motorcycle launching mechanism.
The blue on jay looks better than normal
Another Lego vehicle that is absurdly oversized for a minifig.
Could it be possible to see some pictures with the old and new cars next to each other? I find it hard to see the differences and improvements? thank you if it is possible!
The Legacy line seems to make one new Gi stand in for two or three from the earlier waves/animated series. The 2019 version was used for sets from the pilot through season two, in place of the original, ZX, and Final Battle robes. These 2020 ones similarly fill in fir both the Techno and Tournament robes, ignoring the Stone Armor and Jungle ones entirely. I expect that the 2021 robes, so far only seen on Zane in the new Titan Mech set, will stand in for the robes from both Possession and Skybound if no others.
A perspective from a non-Ninjago fan entering the theme fairly recently, for what it’s worth. Only familiar with the movie, never watched an episode of the show and I’m drawn to the theme frankly because of the strength of the aesthetic in the models. I think my first Ninjago purchase ever, if I recall, was a Lloyd car, because I thought in my post Dark Age infancy it would help lead me to an interesting Jungle Bat Buggy. Yeah...I have an odd working process. But I recall how solid I thought the structures were, and how sleek even then.
This car is really, really cool. Compared to its predecessor it’s not even close. I say that having zero connection to the original which therefore makes it easier to say as much, but I love how it looks. Dynamic, fast, powerful...it’s all there, while the original struggles between bulk and form.
Just my two cents. This is high on my buy list, in case that’s not obvious.
@CapnRex101 said:
"I find the dislike for this model interesting because I think the updated design looks much more appealing than the original. Admittedly, I do not own 70727 X-1 Ninja Charger from 2014 because I have always considered that model rather chaotic in appearance. The new design appears sleek by comparison, until reaching the rear.
Also, I have not encountered any issues with the motorcycle launching mechanism."
I personally love the chaos of the old model.
It certainly looks like a fun build, but it is just too big.
I'm surprised at how many commenters are criticizing the size/scale of the car… it's certainly nowhere close to the same scale as a typical Friends or City vehicle, but why would anybody expect otherwise? MOST cars, trucks, bikes, etc. in the Ninjago theme are at an exaggerated scale like this, same as in other action/adventure themes like Dino Attack, Agents, World Racers, Ultra Agents, Hidden Side, Monkie Kid, etc.
Among fans of these themes, vehicles with elaborate builds, high levels of detail, numerous play features, and "larger than life" proportions like this are often a big part of their fantasy appeal, rather than any sort of drawback. If this set were a standard 4-wide or 6-wide City sports car (or like 10722 Snake Showdown, which more or less resembles a 4+ version of the X-1 Ninja Charger) it wouldn't be anywhere near as dynamic or interesting, IMO.
For my part, I was a big fan of the original version (huge fantasy ninja muscle car, what's not to love?), but this version's streamlining, proportions, low ground clearance, and racing stripes along the top and sides are a big improvement in terms of the execution of that base concept.
The hood (that's "bonnet" to y'all across the pond) is also much less gappy than it was in the 2014 incarnation, and the long, thin headlight strip makes the front of the car feel less oddly proportioned than the original tiny headlights and narrow grille.
That said, I agree with the review that the absence of the huge booster rocket on the back feels like a considerable downgrade, particularly since both it and the exaggerated rear-mounted supercharger seemed to nicely reinforce the vehicle's fiery theme.
Overall, however, I'm really impressed with this redesign! As with a lot of great Ninjago Legacy sets (including other vehicle redesigns like 70668 and 71699), it maintains the familiar core elements of the original set, but updates the build itself to have much greater complexity, detail, and sophistication. Great work by the designer!
The front does look more like a (1970 Dodge) Charger now...