The DeLorean DMC-12 hit the market in 1981 to a great deal of hype, mostly due to the promises the company made regarding luxurious and tech-forward features the car would have. The striking gull-wing doors certainly didn’t hurt. Some purchasers even paid more than the MSRP.
2 years later, however, the silver coupe ended production, and by the time the DeLorean co-starred alongside Marty McFly’s Toyota in the 1985 classic movie
Back to the Future, it was already considered an offbeat collector’s vehicle. (Fitting, then, for the film’s eccentric Doc Brown.) Ultimately, the DeLorean Machine Company couldn't deliver on many of its pre-production promises, and the expense of the car ($25,000 in ‘81; about $71,000 now) didn’t measure up to its lack of speed or power. So to the cultural zeitgeist, it became the time machine; bearer of the Flux Capacitor.
Where we’re going, we definitely need roads
The DeLorean was disappointing as a car, but its success as a pop-culture icon gave it enough staying power for the re-convened DMC to announce its re-release as a 2023 electric vehicle. Little is known or seen of the upcoming “DeLorean EVolved,” aside from shadowy glimpses of an aerodynamic silhouette, but LEGO is here to hold us over until details are released.
Motor1
tells us LEGO’S newest release is a 3-in-1 Back to the Future themedset, complete with accessorized Marty McFly and Doc Brown Brickheads and starring the time-traveling DeLorean in its various trilogy iterations.The car’s level of detail is incredible, and especially striking when compared to LEGO’S 2013 Back to the Future set. The new release contains 1872 pieces and is ages 18+, whereas its predecessor targeted a younger audience of 10+, and contained a mere 401 pieces.
The 2022 set boasts a whopping $170 price tag, just one more departure from the earlier set’s humble cost of $34.99.
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Silly kids, LEGOS are for adults!
Many have noted that LEGO seems to be targeting nostalgic demographics with the release, as it's not kid-friendly. Early reviews call it sturdy enough for display, and it even comes in a clamshell-style box, a form of packaging associated with hobbyists who like to hold onto the box for sentimental reasons.
There will be no shortage of tinkering for those hobbyists: once finished building the DeLorean featured on the box (and in the first BTTF) one can take it apart and start on the featured model from the second or third film. Unfortunately, if you want all three at once you will have to purchase three separate sets.
These are not chunky little LEGO cars like the ones you played with in kindergarten, either. The finished DeLorean clocks in at 14” long, 7.5” wide, and 4.5” tall. Aside from very slight differences among the three models, each one measures about the same.
Just keep an eye on millimeter changes—the iconic gull-wing doors actually function, increasing the car’s wingspan. The Flux Capacitor works, too—well, the lights do. Let us know if you manage to hit 88 mph in your LEGO car.
Speaking of iconic, Doc Brown’s time machine isn't the only famous movie car-turned-LEGO-set we've seen in recent years.
Bats, dinos, and LEGOS! Oh my!
Much has been made of the 1989 Batmobile LEGO set. Of course with Hollywood’s love for sequels and spinoffs, it's no surprise that a Batmobile sourced from a vintage film is still relevant. Still, Bruce Wayne’s muscle car got a 2022 LEGO Technic facelift as Robert Pattinson’s The Batman’s wheels-of-choice.
There’s no such thing as an uncool Batmobile, but Nerdist
says this one takes it to another level by challenging kids to think inside the box. As a LEGO Technic set, this kit is designed to submit to the laws of physics and mechanics as a real-life Batmobile would do, challenging the analytical mind. There's another type of car-lover movie-lover hybrid who, whether child, grown-up, or somewhere in between, isn't as taken with the analytical side but wants to indulge in the adventure of it all. LEGO has many sets for them too: the Jurassic Park series.
In 2014 a fan built a Jurassic Park touring truck and submitted it to LEGO as a product suggestion. Five years later, the fan’s impressive design became a reality, and the set can still be purchased online.
Currently, however, there’s a lot of hype surrounding the sequel series; Jurassic World, which goes far beyond the Jeep of the original film. Helicopters to flee from Pterodactyls, trucks to outrun T-rexes, and of course, a motorcycle with which to “run with” Blue and her pack of Velociraptors.
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Saving the world, saving money
In Jurassic World Chris Pratt is a heartthrob whose coolness is only maximized by careening around rough terrain surrounded by carnivorous dinosaurs. Makes you wonder, how much is this guy’s motorcycle insurance premium? Then you realize: duh! He must’ve gotten a great deal with Jerry
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