Testing the Tesla Cybertruck from Mega Construx
17.1.2022
Translation: Katherine Martin
Fifteen precious hours and 3,283 individual pieces later, you get a dust-catcher that you don’t have to hide: the Tesla Cybertruck from Mega Construx.
In November 2019, hundreds of thousands of people across the globe watched live on the internet as Tesla CEO Elon Musk publicly presented the Cybertruck. One scene in particular remained engrained in our memories: the moment when Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen demonstrated the robustness (or lack there of) of the truck’s bulletproof glass.
At least the corporation were able to make a joke of it; in fact, since the beginning of 2020 they’ve been selling T-shirts depicting the moment the glass shattered. The Cybertruck is set to go into production at the end of 2022, but a fun-size version of the futuristic pickup truck has hit the shelves already. Mega Construx, a sub-brand of Mattel is particularly well-known for its licenses. Alongside Pokémon, Game of Thrones and Masters of the Universe the company can now count Tesla among its collection. Obviously I had to order the Cybertruck right away.
Hats off to the packaging
I often decide at first glance whether I’m going to like something or not. When I pick up the box for the first time, I’m pleasantly surprised by its size. At this price, I hadn’t expected something so big, with so many individual parts. It’s heavy too –easily over five kilogrammes. What I really like, however, is the artwork. The contrast between the black box and the chrome-coloured truck and ray of violet light gives it a sophisticated feel. I don’t have the impression that I’m holding a toy. Things only get better once I check out the contents. Everything is divided painstakingly into several boxes, which are designed in the same style. Through detailed close-up photos on the side of the box, you can see how the vehicle will look once it has been built.
I’m also surprised by the content of the little boxes inside. The feeling is less to do with the bags of plastic blocks inside them – that much was clear. It’s more to do with the fact that the bags themselves are not made of plastic. Instead, they’re made of thick, FSC certified paper. Bags like these usually wind up in the bin straight after they’ve been opened. At least with this packaging, I’ve got a clear conscience.
The quality of the blocks is outstanding
The box isn’t the only thing that impresses me: the building blocks are pretty remarkable too. They feel robust and seem to.be of high quality. The set contains 3,283 in total, 90 per cent of them being black, grey or chrome-coloured. Through Lego I’m accustomed to models having various different colours, which makes putting them together that little bit easier. This isn’t the case with Mega Construx. Here, the colour scheme extends across the entire set.
This turns the construction into a challenge. When you set the blocks down in front of you, you clearly see the difference between them. In the instructions on the other hand, the colours are tricky to recognise. That’s why you should check them carefully at each step. And don’t despair if you have to dismantle a couple of bits because you’ve mixed up a block or two. I for one had my nose to the grindstone for a good 15 hours before the Cyberstruck stood before me in all its glory.
Visually, it’s a knockout
From a visual perspective, the Cybertruck from Mega Construx is definitely impressive. Right down to its smaller parts, it has an overpoweringly futuristic vibe. According to Tesla, the original is also supposed to include camping equipment. The model’s cargo bed has a little compartment with various individual parts. These could form a part of the camping equipment, but I’m not exactly sure what they’re supposed to be. Small features aren’t neglected either. The doors open, even if only with extreme care; and the door of the cargo bed pulls down too. This part can be extended so that a sort of ramp appears. In addition, you can manually retract and extend the cargo bed’s cover into the interior of the vehicle.
On the Cybertruck you can also find little elements demonstrating real attention to detail. On the middle of the centre console in the front for example, there’s a coffee cup printed with a tiny Tesla logo.
Lego had better watch out
All in all, the Cybertruck from Mega Construx is an extremely successful set. Besides the fact I couldn’t clearly distinguish between the colours in the instruction manual, I don’t have a bad word to say about it. The packaging is beautifully designed, the quality of the blocks is outstanding, it was fun to build, and the price is very attractive indeed. Lego are currently offering a VW T1 Campingbus for a similar price. The thing is, it contains 1,332 pieces and almost a third fewer blocks.
What I liked the most by far however, was the Mega Construx’s little dig at Tesla. You don’t just get shattered windows on a Tesla T-shirts, but as an option on the Cybertruck model too. Details like this stick in your mind and put a smile on your face when you’re building.
Riding my motorbike makes me feel free, fishing brings out my inner hunter, using my camera gets me creative. I make my money messing around with toys all day.
Toys
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