The Land Rover Defender’s iconic blocky shape has always resembled a Lego car, so it was only fitting that key details about the new 2020 model were leaked through its Lego Technic version earlier this year. Of course, now that we’ve seen the real deal and the details of the Lego Technic kit, we’re going to need some playtime in both the real truck as well as its intricately detailed 2,573-piece Lego version, which we’ve recently learned features four-wheel-drive with both high and low range gears.
In case you’re wondering, this is the most complicated gearbox ever put into a Lego kit. Low range, of course, enables the real-life truck to crawl along at slower speeds while staying in a usable rev range. This ultra-slow mode is often what helps ease you out of difficult situations off-road, or keeping you out of one, so it’s about time it made it onto a Lego truck.
The gearbox operates via two levers inside the cockpit—one for selecting high and low range, and another for selecting the gear. Opening the door on the back of the truck and folding the rear seat forward gives you a close look at some of its trick gearbox components once the truck is built. You will want to show that off, of course, provided your house-guests haven’t already start fiddling with it as soon as they saw it.
If your miniature Landie falls into a really bad place between the sofa and a steep pile of throw pillows, never fear—Lego included a working winch on the front bumper, too.
In addition to the trick gearbox, the new Lego Defender comes with independent suspension, front wheels you can steer with the steering wheel or from a wheel on the roof, and even an inline-six under the hood with moving cylinders. You can tell this was based on a nicely optioned Defender, too, as the roof rack, storage boxes and winch all come in the new model’s Adventure Pack, Top Gear notes.
Like the real 2020 Defender, this one should be coming to America soon. Per Robb Report, you can pick yours up for $199.99 on October 1 on Lego’s website or at your local Land Rover dealership.