Random set of the day: Max Security Transport
Posted by Huwbot,Today's random set is 5979 Max Security Transport, released during 2009. It's one of 10 Space sets produced that year. It contains 330 pieces and 3 minifigs, and its retail price was US$39.99/£29.35.
It's owned by 1003 Brickset members. If you want to add it to your collection you might find it for sale at BrickLink or eBay.
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30 comments on this article
That's a pretty intense rideshare vehicle.
I love how the villains’ vehicle is just a rocket launcher with a seat bolted to the back
Imagine the recoil on that cannon.
Space Police I review earlier, Space Police III RSotD now. Coincidence? I think so!
Space Police 1 forgot to have engines, Space Police 2 had no weapons, Space Police 3 has prison cells with big targets on them. At least they didn't repeat the same design flaws.
This one was on the tail end of the first wave and IIRC the catalog didn't show off the transformation feature very well. By that point, I already had 5973 which I think is the star of the theme, second only to 5974.
I've never been a fan of these cars-that-turn-into-spaceships-by-rotating-the-wheels designs (Back to the Future's popularity notwithstanding), and the mechanism on this one is too flimsy and does not lock very well in either mode. But it's a big huge land vehicle that should manage to go just about anywhere on those tires; it's a little inefficient as it only holds one prisoner cell, though.
Throw in the lack of vacuum suits for the police and the rather unrealistic bad-guy vehicle shooter, and the first wave of SPIII went too far into the playability zone at the expense of realism. But overall I enjoyed the designs, and the second wave sets were much better IMO; 5985 is one of my favorite space bases and ticks all the boxes for the theme.
SIGH...You're the SPACE Police, and you're using a vehicle that looks like a Lunar Rover had a 'kid' with a Monster Truck...seriously?...Shouldn't you use something that; oh, don't know: FLIES, preferably with rockets...what's next, a boat?
Cool, Speed Champions scale too.
Which one is Max? Also, is it security transport or special transport? So many questions.
One of the few SPIII sets I didn’t collect. Oh well.
Communications dishes as hubcaps? Yowza.
I wanna see this thing in a race against 6895. Or maybe a monster truck rally.
I build this set back-to-back with my SPII sets earlier this year... SPII sets way better, IMO.
I never have been a fan of plastic wheel use instead of tires on vehicles. That doesn't ruin this set, though.
SPACE! :D
This came out just as I was slowly exiting my 2nd Dark Age, so I didn't end up getting it. (I did get the amazing 5981 ship ...and later got 5974 off eBay a year or two after it was discontinued.) No real regrets about that, but it's something I probably would pick up if an equivalent SPACE theme set was available today.
This set always stood out to me because it is the only land-based vehicle in the entire of the SPIII line. This makes it somewhat unique.
Some people in this thread don't seem overly fond of the big wheels, but personally I really like this design. It kind of takes my mind to the Power Miners sets, but with a Space twist to them.
Is Max Security the future descendant of Duke Detain?
So...Space Police 3 Officer 10 is named Max? Good to know.
@Mr__Thrawn:
That pair don’t fare much better in their other sets. The only vehicle Snake actually gets to pilot is 8400, and in 5974, Slizer has to walk. In space. Because that time Kranxx got to ride the crotch rocket launcher.
@Jack_Sassy:
Read up on the design issues they had with the wheels on the Apollo lunar rovers sometime.
@NotProfessorWhymzi:
It flies, and it also cannons. Does it do both at the same time? Probably not very well, but still better than 6245.
The transformation mechanism is seriously flawed. Otherwise, it's a cool model with a lot of potential. I imagine it just being the hover-thing it finallly turns into (a vehicle turning into a updated version of a vehicle... and back? it's like KITT in thelast season of KR).
@PurpleDave said:
" @NotProfessorWhymzi:
It flies, and it also cannons. Does it do both at the same time? Probably not very well, but still better than 6245."
Why, 6245 is the essence of a gun ship. I bet the Fright Knights or that witch would find a way to make it fly AND turn into a land vehicle (pulled by a dragon, of course).
Trying to figure out when a wide wheel base, low clearance and studded wheels would be usable as useless on rough terrain or sand dunes, then figured an ice planet would be ok. Still when I see those studded wheels I cannot help think about power miners which had far more interesting land based vehicles sitting on the same toy shelf.
Why does Max need to be securely transported?
The car looks cool, the bike can use a little work.
@Norikins said:
"Space Police 1 forgot to have engines, Space Police 2 had no weapons, Space Police 3 has prison cells with big targets on them. At least they didn't repeat the same design flaws."
The big targets are there to facilitate prisoner escapes so the racist chauvinistic space police state has an excuse to keep up its totalitarian regime of police despotism against all that are not human. It's similar to why LEGO City keeps prisoners in facilities with flimsy walls that can be way too easily torn down. If prisoners have easy escapes, you never run out of people to throw into jail, and the machinery can keep running.
@Gatanui said:
" @Norikins said:
"Space Police 1 forgot to have engines, Space Police 2 had no weapons, Space Police 3 has prison cells with big targets on them. At least they didn't repeat the same design flaws."
The big targets are there to facilitate prisoner escapes so the racist chauvinistic space police state has an excuse to keep up its totalitarian regime of police despotism against all that are not human. It's similar to why LEGO City keeps prisoners in facilities with flimsy walls that can be way too easily torn down. If prisoners have easy escapes, you never run out of people to throw into jail, and the machinery can keep running."
Ever noticed how none of the Aliens ist black? Dead aliens can't escape!
Hell yeah, my favorite dystopian militaristic totalitarian space regime theme!
I loved space police III as a kid
I didn't have this set but I do have 70355 : Aaron's Rock Climber from 2017, is a similar category, huge vehicle in a minifig theme, this one didn't have a prison but many of the other nexo/villain vehicles had.
Still, while I would not call Nexo Knight's a Space theme, some of the design style certainly could be linked to it.
@Norikins said:
"Space Police 1 forgot to have engines, Space Police 2 had no weapons, Space Police 3 has prison cells with big targets on them. At least they didn't repeat the same design flaws."
Those prison cells with targets (along with the open helmets of the 1st wave) totally turned me off on buying SP3!
In a way SP2 is a bit more realistic in its limited weaponry. If you need the firepower of a 6986, you should be using the military, not the police.
@TeriXeri said:
"Still, while I would not call Nexo Knight's a Space theme, some of the design style certainly could be linked to it."
And Nexo Knights' blue-and-trans-orange color scheme calls Ice Planet 2002 to mind...
"SIR! We found a major design flaw with our holding cells. Enough pressure on a particular plate causes them to crack right open."
"Well then, we better put some warning labels on those plates so that our people know to avoid accidentally putting any pressure on them."