This is my second LEGO Racers set (the first was Midnight Streak), and although it only has the amount of pieces you would find in a $9.99 set, this set is R/C! My remote control broke down nearly a year ago, and now the car is on display without its wheels =D.

Pros

• R/C!
• A ton of awesome stickers, and the car looks great without them
• Cheap for its awesomeness
• Great display set
• Steering wheel
• The remote has multiple channels for racing with other cars
• Base is compatible with lots of other wheels (I think)
• Cheaper (and better) than the R/C car I saw in a 2001 catalog
• 3 in 1
• Customizable

Cons

• Why couldn't LEGO slice $10 from it?
• Could've been designed to hold minifigures
• Another $10 for a new remote control >=(

In all, this is an awesome set for ANY LEGO fan or R/C fan, just remember that the price could've been cut.

This set was cool because it didn't come apart when building it, and is fun to drive. There is a button on the remote that reverses the direction of the car so it's easy to drive it when it's facing you.
It's so cool! ;)

I have been watching Lego’s attempts at a remote control car over the years with a mixture of excitement and bemusement. Between the cost, the size, and the lack of compatibility with classic studded Lego pieces, most of these sets have been disappointing. So, when I saw the pictures of this set online, I was very interested to see if Lego had finally gotten it right.

In my opinion, this set is a vast improvement over previous attempts. First, this is the smallest Lego RC car to date. It’s just a hair too large (at 8 studs wide and 18 studs long) to be considered mini-fig scale, but its close enough that I give Lego an “A” for trying. The car uses the Power Functions designs seen in Technic sets. In fact, the remote is the standard PF remote, so it’s re-usable with a wide variety of motors, lights, etc. However, the car chassis is a single large “base” that contains a rear wheel drive motor, a PF receiver, space for 3 AA batteries, and steerable front axles. There is also a flexible front “bumper” that prevents damage to the front steering components. The steering is the standard solenoid that steers full left or right only. Proportional control would have been nice, but it’s not surprising considering the price and size of the car. Like other PF receivers, the car has a switch to select one of four channels. Thus, two or more sets could race, or even more fun, have a demolition derby!

The build is very straightforward, as the set has only 92 pieces (including the remote). It includes the usual sheet full of stickers to jazz up the appearance. Fortunately, none of the stickers span multiple pieces. The rear wheels are connected with a single 10-long axle, so the wheels slip when turning, but that didn’t seem to affect handling much. Actually you could use a longer axle for more or bigger wheels if you wanted. As an added bonus, the instructions show 3 different builds, all of which have a pleasing appearance. Because of the standard stud-based design, the car begs to be customized, and I’m sure the target audience will be all over personalized versions.

I found the car very fun and easy to drive. The speed is just about right – not as fast as other Lego RC cars, so it’s more controllable in an indoor setting, but fast enough to chase your pets. There is only one forward / reverse speed (although clever users may find ways to control the speed with the upcoming PF train controller), but it runs fine on hard surfaces or low-pile carpet. I could not get it to drive well on high-pile carpet. Also, like other Lego PF sets, the infrared control’s range is limited to about 30 feet (10 meters) and the control is limited to line of sight.

One of the complaints I have heard about this set is that it is expensive for what you get. I must admit, when I looked at the size of the box, it does seem a bit pricy. But when you add up the cost of a PF remote, receiver, motor, and battery box, the list of those items alone nearly equals the price of this set. Therefore, I think this set represents a good value, especially when you think of all the potential for customization. Also, the base seems like a candidate for motorizing all sorts of Lego vehicles in a much smaller form factor than was ever possible before.

A few nits – The steering wheel on the side of the remote is not as intuitive as designs that have the wheel on top that could have been achieved with just a couple more pieces. Also, the front fenders are only held in place by a one-stud connection to the base. If you grab the car near the fenders, they tend to break off, as there is no connection at the front of the fender. But these are minor quibbles with what is otherwise a very well designed set.

In summary, I think this set is great fun. I highly recommend it for kids or those who are still kids at heart.

Pros:
• Smallest Lego RC car ever!
• Lot’s of potential for customization
• Fully compatible with other Power Function remotes and features.
• Instructions for 3 different models included

Cons:
• Lack of proportional steering makes precise driving hard
• Steering less intuitive with steering wheel on side of remote.
• Infrared control limits range

I have written and posted a review of this set with pictures and video at my blog site. Please come check it out at - http://smutoys.multiply.com/journal/item/43/Photo_Video_Review_-_LEGO_Racers_8183_Track_Turbo_RC