Mattel's Brick Shop Is Trying to Get You to Leggo Your Lego Cars
The Mattel Brick Shop will focus on cars, at least for starters. Each kit is accompanied by a matching 1:64-scale Hot Wheels vehicle and contains extra parts such as a second set of wheels to allow for a 'custom' version to be built. Brick Shop will offer kits in three levels of complexity.
The Hot Wheels Speed Series, similar in scope to Lego's Speed Champions, will be the simplest, with 250 to 300 pieces in each 1:32-scale set. Initial offerings will include a Cadillac GTP racing car, Maserati MC20, and a hot-rodded '68 Chevy Camaro. The Elite Series of 1:16-scale cars contain 850 to 925 pieces and will start with a Corvette Grand Sport, a 1990 Acura NSX (at top), and a custom 1962 Chevrolet pickup. Top of the line is the Premium Series, which will offer a single 1,600-piece kit of a 1:12-scale Mercedes 300 SL with opening gullwing doors.
Technically, Mattel is already a Lego competitor; they sell a Lego-compatible building toy called Mega Bloks, and they've even offered a Mega Blok car with a Hot Wheels tie-in. So what separates their new Brick Shop car models from other Mega Blok kits—or from a certain well-known Danish brand? Mattel tells us the new Brick Shop kits will have better brick fit than the current Mega Blok kits, which are designed to be easy for young kids to pull apart, similar to Lego's Duplo line. The new sets will have improved assembly instructions and will include metal parts, which also differentiates them from Lego sets. A look at the Brick Shop models shows a lot more custom shapes than you'll find in the Lego universe, which we think would affect the mixing-and-matching that gives Lego sets their unique look. It's hard to imagine how the Brick Shop pieces that recreate unique hood-to-fender crease of a 1962 Chevrolet pickup would be much use in building the vault at Gringott's.
Now, if you or your kids are into Lego sets, you know how pricey they can be. A simple 250-piece Lego F1 racing car retails for $27, the 950-piece Ford Bronco lists for $65, and the 1,400-brick Technic Nissan Skyline GT-R goes for $140. Mattel's sets will be priced slightly lower, with Speed Series kits retailing for $19.99, Elite Series at $49.99, and the Premium Series priced at $119.99. (At least, that's the suggested retail price; Amazon.com is offering early access to the Speed Series Cadillac GTP racer at $21.59 and the Elite Series Corvette at $53.99.)
Of course, Lego cars can go for a lot more. The 2,900-piece Lego Mercedes G500, with an articulating suspension, working gearbox and lockable differentials, and animated engine, sells for $250, while the top-of-the-line 3,800-piece Ferrari Daytona SP3 and 3,900-piece McLaren F1 list for $450. Mattel doesn't have anything that complicated in their lineup, but if the Brick Shop is successful, who knows? Maybe there's a 4,000-piece Ford Lightning pickup with working electric motors in Brick Shop's future. For now, though, Mattel expects the first Brick Shop kits to arrive in retail stores this summer.
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