LEGO® Technic review & MOCs: 42137 Porsche Formula E 99x Electric

42137 Porsche Formula E 99X Electric is the third LEGOⓇ Technic Porsche and the first Technic model to be based on an electric vehicle. The set contains 422 pieces and launched at the start of 2022 priced at $49.99 / £44.99 / €49.99.

Admittedly, I’m not a motorsport fan but I do enjoy interesting and unusual new LEGO pieces, and there are a few goodies contained within this set.

Products in this article were gifted by The LEGO Group; the author's opinions are their own. This article may contain affiliate links; we may get a small commission if you purchase.

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New Moulds 

42137 Porsche Formula E 99X Electric introduced 2 new moulded parts, though they have just recently appeared (and in greater number) in 42143 Ferrari Daytona SP3. 

The new Technic Panel Curved 5 x 7 Parallelogram comes in both Left and Right versions and the set includes 1 Red and 1 Black version of each:

• 1x Technic, Panel Curved #62 4 x 5 Tapered Right in Red (6362557 | 80274)  
• 1x Technic, Panel Curved #62 4 x 5 Tapered Right in Black (6400129 | 80274) 
• 1x Technic, Panel Curved #63 4 x 5 Tapered Left in Red (6362558 | 80278)
• 1x Technic, Panel Curved #63 4 x 5 Tapered Left in Black (6400130 | 80278) 

I immediately went to my collection of wedge plates to find a matching angle to the parallelogram but no luck. Likewise, I had no luck with my slopes and wedges either. I consulted fellow New E. contributor Zachary Hill, who is much more versed in Technic than me, to see what this was all about. You can read his findings in his review of 42143 Ferrari Daytona SP3 but to reiterate here, the diagonal matches the bent liftarm whose angle is 53 degrees. 

That’s an angle we don’t see among LEGO System bricks and plates, but it is the angle found in a 3-4-5 right-angled triangle; a shape that is easy to construct with Technic liftarms. 

Recoloured parts  

• 4x Technic Panel 3 x 7 x 1 in White (6345328|71709)
• 1x Technic Axle and Pin Connector Perpendicular Double Split [Reinforced] in Red (6349275|69819). A redesigned element 
• 3x Technic Pin Connector Hub with 2 Axles in White (6257450|27940) 

The design of the axle and pin connector was updated last year, and the previous mould, 41678 appeared in Red in over 30 sets before then. I find the smooth surface of the newer version much more aesthetically pleasing. Hopefully this is a useful new part for builders. The two other recolours also seem like useful pieces for Technic builders, especially the panel element. If you’re a System builder your mileage may vary, but I’ve used the connector element a good few times in my MOCs and White is always a useful colour to have parts in. 

Printed elements

There is one new printed element which is currently exclusive to this set, but it seems generic enough to assume that it’ll appear elsewhere in the future. 

• 1x Tile Round 1 x 1 with Screen, Red/Yellow/Black Buttons/Racing Steer Controls print in Black (6381395|98138pr0281)

  

Rare parts

We also get a decent helping of rare parts that will likely be useful to Technic vehicle builders: 

• 1x Technic Beam 2 x 5 L-Shape with Quarter Ellipse Thick in Black (6378466|80286) 1 other set 42136 John Deere 9620R 4WD Tractor 
• 1x Technic Steering Wheel Pilot's Yoke [Closed Top] in Black (6378464|49151) 2 other sets Redesigned element 
• 4x Technic Beam 1 x 5 Thin with Axle Holes on Ends in Dark Bluish Grey (6370946|11478) 1 other set 42129 4x4 Mercedes-Benz Zetros Trial Truck 

Personally, I’m looking forward to incorporating a few of the new Ellipse Beams in my MOCs as I love curvy and studless pieces. The 1x5 Technic Beam is a part that I’m surprised is so scarce in Dark Bluish Grey. It’s great to see more of it here. 

• 1x Technic Panel Curved 3 x 13 in White (6253262|18944) in 2 other sets 
• 2x Technic Beam 2 x 3 L-Shape with Quarter Ellipse Thick in White (6345327|71708) 1 other set 42130 BMW Motorrad M 1000 RR 
• 2x Technic Panel Car Mudguard Arched 9 x 2 x 3 in White (6254784|42531) 2 other sets 
• 2x Technic Panel Fairing 2 x 3 x 1 in White (6334548|71682) 1 other set 42125 Ferrari 488 GTE "AF Corse #51" 

Some more great Technic elements round out our monochrome palette of rare pieces. I’m fascinated by the mudguard and large curved panel and I’m keen to get my hands on more of the small panel fairings too. I want to line a few of them up and use that curved surface for something. 

Stickers 

The sticker sheet is quite expansive and chock-full of brand sponsors. You can tell by the number of stickers here that the finished model will look quite bare without them. 

The build

In both the build and finished model, I missed the functionality present in a ‘traditional’ LEGO Technic set - there are no gear boxes or steering systems here. I was a little underwhelmed building the ratchet mechanism, but adding the panels in the later stages of the build and seeing lines and curves come together was satisfying enough for a Technic novice like myself.

The parts count and complexity has been compromised by the inclusion of not one but two pull back motors. A similar LEGO play experience is available in both Technic and City ranges at much lower price points, although I must say, winding the wheels up and kicking down on the release mechanism is a surprising amount of fun. 

 

The ratchet mechanism is well integrated into the real-life Porsche's silhouette which also has a similar red protrusion on the back. I’m quite pleased with the look of the finished vehicle and I’m sure it would look much better with all the decals applied. It's only when viewed next to the real Porsche 99X that some of the inaccuracies become apparent. The real-life car has some impossibly thin aerodynamic shapes that the designers have done a commendable job of matching with existing- and often rather chunky- Technic elements. 

Thomas Jenkins' MOCs with parts 80274 & 80278

The new parallelogram panel is the star of the show and the element that drew me to 42137 Porsche Formula E 99X Electric, so I used that as my seed part. The parallelograms have an aerodynamic quality to them, and they might make some fast and light wings on a speedy starfighter. In Red, an M-Tron ship perhaps? Those same elements might also make a nice Atlantis submarine paired with a Trans Green cockpit element... 

Sticking on that aquatic train of thought, as I played around with the elements they reminded me of a whale’s tail. Additional large LEGO Technic panels and curvy LEGO System elements helped bring this creature together. It isn’t based on a particular species, but images of humpback and blue whales helped inform the look of the creature. 

I think the model is best viewed side-on but a view from above shows off our new Technic panels in action. On a final note, the baleen, which are the straw-like teeth in the whale’s mouth, were created using New Elementary alumnus Aron Gerencser’s favorite cloth element. 

My next MOC takes us from the seas to the skies! Naturally I wanted to make a spaceship but after some trial and error - lots of different cockpit combinations in different orientations - I decided on a helicopter. Like the whale above, this doesn't have a particular real world counterpart, but I drew some inspiration from Mosquito helicopters - single seater scratch-built aircraft - and the LEGO City 60318 Fire Helicopter caught my eye when I was looking for inspiration. 

The curve of the windscreen element isn’t a perfect match for the Technic panels, but it’s pretty close and I was delighted to find that a pilot could fit snugly between the panels. 

Closing thoughts 

It’s a bit difficult to recommend the 42137 Porsche Formula E 99X Electric. It’s a reasonably fun toy and a decent replica of the vehicle it is based on, but a similar play experience can be found elsewhere at a better price and there are some nicer looking LEGO Technic vehicles available at a lower price point too. If you are buying it, please consider using our affiliate links, New Elementary may get a commission: USA LEGO Shop | Australia LEGO Shop | UK LEGO Shop/for Europe 'Change region'.

In terms of parts, the new parallelogram panels may make this an attractive set to some builders given the Black ones are exclusive to this set and your alternative option for the Red ones will cost you considerably more. There are also a few useful rarities that might be tempting, like the White Technic wheel wells and panels, but again, for the price, it depends how badly you want those parts.

Editor: Chris Baginski

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