LEGO® Technic review: 42156 Peugeot 9X8 Le Mans Hybrid Hypercar

LEGO® are releasing their first Peugeot vehicle, so get ready for some petrol-fueled fun.  There's a good chance sparks will fly as well, as the car we’re looking at features the first ever electric engine in a Technic set.

Products in this article were provided by LEGO®; the author's opinions are their own.
LEGO® Technic 2156 Peugeot 9X8 Le Mans Hybrid Hypercar
US$199.99/ £169.99/ 199.99€/ AU$299.99
1775 parts
1 May 2023
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Start Your Engines

Cars are not new to the LEGO® Technic theme. One of my first sets was the 8832 Roadster from 1988, and many more have entered my home since. I think this directly dates me as being old. 

The cars have always come in all shapes and sizes, and in recent years LEGO has seemed to settle for 3 ranges. There are the smaller sets like the 42123 McLaren Senna GTR and 42151 Bugatti Bolide, most of which will fit the 42098 Car Transporter. On the other side we find the super cars, with the 42143 Ferrari Daytona SP3 as the latest addition. And then there is the group in the middle, with a part count around 1200-1600 parts, and a price range of €119.99 - €199.99. Sets in this group include the 42077 Rally Car, 42125 Ferrari 488 GTE "AF Corse #51" and the new 42154 2022 Ford GT, which Zachary recently reviewed. Today’s car fits in with this middle scale and price range, but stretches the part count a bit, coming in at 1775 parts.

In general, I’m not a big fan of this range of sets. They look good enough but, for me, LEGO Technic is all about functionality; the finished model needs to be able to do something, otherwise it is not LEGO Technic. Most sets in the middle group look pretty but lack more function other than the basic steering, suspension and fake engine. That’s all fine if you like a display model, but I need more. The 42156 Peugeot 9X8 Le Mans Hybrid Hypercar however packs some surprises, which hopefully makes it stand out from the others. 

Inside the box

First, we’ll take a look at the parts that make up the model. Inside the box we find 1775 parts, with 239 unique elements. The Peugeot doesn’t really shine in terms of color usage so it won’t surprise you that Black and Dark Bluish Grey take up more than half of the parts, together providing 150 unique elements. The other colors are mostly parts that come in a standard color like pins and gears, with only some Lime, one Red  one Glow in the Dark and one Orange element used with purpose in the set.

Going by the box art, the model doesn’t seem to be relying heavily on stickers for the looks, especially compared to the similar scaled 42125 Ferrari 488 GTE "AF Corse #51". So I was a bit surprised to find 2 massive sticker sheets. Getting ahead of the conclusion: I’m not a fan of stickers, but in this model they all seem to be complementing the design, rather than depending on them to make the car be recognizable as the Peugeot 9X8 Le Mans Hybrid Hypercar. Leaving them all out would leave the car looking rather bare.

The latest fashion

The set brings us just a single new mold, adding a new member to the fashionable family of flip-flops or,  to use the official terminology,  Technic Beams with Alternating Holes. 

The first 2 members were introduced in 2021, coming in the sizes 11L and 15L. Earlier this year, 7L joined the family, and now we get the first non-linear version,  Technic Beam 3 x 5 L-Shape with Alternating Holes in Black (6408182| 2477).

New balls, please!

In March 2023 we listed a potential new mold for 2736 Technic Axle Towball, the (6443149 | 3985). I don’t know if the mold has appeared in other sets already, but this was the first time I encountered it. The only difference is the position of the sprue mark (an inevitable mark created during the injection moulding process). The old 2736 (right) has a sprue mark on the top of the ball whereas the new 3985 has a completely smooth ball. Much better!

A not-so-colorful look at recolors

With a near-completely Dark Bluish Grey car, we can expect some Dark Bluish Grey recolors to be found.  In fact,  all recolors come in Dark Bluish Grey.  These elements also come from the same category, Technic Panels. 

First up the largest parts:

• Technic Panel Car Mudguard Arched 13 x 2 x 5, Arched Top in Dark Bluish Grey (6435029 | 69911), the 3rd color for this mold.
• Technic Panel Round Corner 5 x 3 x 2 Right was introduced in March 2023, this is the 3rd color with Dark Bluish Grey (6422627 | 2442).
• Technic Panel Fairing #6 Long Smooth, Side B has been around since 2009, and I was surprised to find Dark Bluish Grey (6435025 | 64393) to be a recolor.
• Technic Panel 3 x 2 x 5, introduced last year, gets its 4th color in Dark Bluish Gray (6435031 | 80285)
• Technic Panel Fairing #5 Long Smooth, Side A is, like its counterpart, surprisingly new in Dark Bluish Grey (6435026 | 64681)
• And the last one in the photo is the counterpart of 2442, Technic Panel Round Corner 5 x 3 x 2 Left in Dark Bluish Gray (6422625 | 2438)

Moving on to the smaller panels:

• In the back we see Technic Panel Fairing #10 Medium Triangle Smooth in Dark Bluish Gray (6426608 | 2403) and Technic Panel Fairing #9 Medium Triangle Smooth in Dark Bluish Gray (6426607 | 2395). These molds were introduced in January 2023, and come in their 3rd recolor here.
• The same goes for Technic Panel Fairing 2 x 3 x 1 #3 Angled in Dark Bluish Gray (6426611 | 2457)
• Technic Panel Fairing 2 x 3 x 1 has been around since 2021 but Dark Bluish Gray (6435030 | 71682) is new.

Rare elements

There are several elements that haven’t appeared in many sets and of course,  we’re seeing many Technic Panels here.

• Technic Panel Fairing #17 Large Smooth, Side A in Dark Stone Grey / Dark Bluish Gray (6215178 | 64392) and Technic Panel Fairing #18 Large Smooth, Side B in Dark Stone Grey / Dark Bluish Gray (6182380 | 64682) have only appeared in the 2018 Mack Anthem
• In between those 2 finally a more colorful element: Technic Beam Frame 7 x 11 in Bright Yellowish Green/ Lime (6247432 | 39794) has only been seen in 3 Educational sets.
• Technic Panel Curved and Bent Angled Left 5 x 4 x 3 in Black (6362555 | 80272) and Technic Panel Curved and Bent Angled Right 5 x 4 x 3 in Black (6362554 | 80271) have only appeared in 42141 McLaren Formula 1 Team 2022 before.
• Technic Panel Car Mudguard 13 x 2 x 5 in Black (6358257 | 71689) has only been seen in 42126 Ford F-150 Raptor from 2021
• Technic Panel Curved 5 x 13 x 2 Tapered, Left in Black (6390391 | 67142) and Technic Panel Curved 5 x 13 x 2 Tapered, Right in Black (6390393 | 68196) only appeared in the McLaren Formula 1 set as well
• Rotor Blade 3 x 19 with 3 Holes in Black (6305550 | 65422) was used in 2 sets prior, not counting the canceled Osprey.

Moving on to some smaller parts:

• Technic Beam 2 x 5 L-Shape with Quarter Ellipse Thick in Dark Stone Grey / Dark Bluish Gray (6407065 | 80286) appeared in 2 sets in 2022
• Technic Panel 3 x 2 x 5 in Black (6399568 | 80285) has been used in 42143 Ferrari Daytona SP3 in 2022
• Technic Panel Fairing # 3 Small Smooth Long, Side A in Dark Stone Grey / Dark Bluish Gray (6248903 | 64683) and Technic Panel Fairing # 4 Small Smooth Long, Side B in Dark Stone Grey / Dark Bluish Gray (6248902 | 64391) have been seen in 2 sets from 2019
• Technic Panel Curved 7 x 3 with 2 Pin Holes through Panel Surface in Medium Stone Grey/ Light Bluish Gray (6257136 | 24119) appeared in 2 sets prior.
• Technic Shock Absorber L with Blue Spring in Medium Stone Grey/ Light Bluish Gray (6364922 | 79717) only appeared in 42130 BMW Motorrad M 1000 RR before.
• Technic Beam 1 x 11 Thick with Alternating Holes in Medium Stone Grey/ Light Bluish Gray (6362250 | 73507) has been seen in 3 sets.

And lastly, the smallest rare parts:

• Technic Pin Connector Perpendicular 2 x 4 Bent - Beam with 90 Hole Ø 4.8 in Bright  Orange/ Orange (6370447 | 29162) has only been seen once in 2022
• Technic Pin Connector Perpendicular 2 x 4 Bent - Beam with 90 Hole Ø 4.8 in Bright Orange/ Orange (6370447 | 29162) has been away since 2014, but reappeared this year in 42154 Ford GT. In that set we got only one, but here we get 6.
• Technic Panel Fairing #8 3L Very Small Smooth, Side B in Black (6426590 | 2389) and Technic Panel Fairing #7 3L Very Small Smooth, Side A in Black (6426589 | 2387) have appeared in 3 sets from 2023
• Hose Rigid 3mm D. 10L / 8.0cm in Medium Stone Grey/ Light Bluish Gray (6361430 | 80051) was introduced in 2006 and has since made a single appearance in 2021
• 71682 Technic Panel Fairing 2 x 3 x 1 in Bright Red/ Red (6381442 | 71682) was seen in 2 sets in 2022
• Technic Pin Connector Hub Perpendicular 3L with 2 Pins in Medium Stone Grey/ Light Bluish Gray (6408168 | 2393) was introduced in 2023 and has appeared in 3 other sets so far
• Brick 1 x 2 x 3 with Bottom Stud Holder in Black (6228588 | 22886) has been seen in 3 sets prior
• Technic Axle and Pin Connector Angled #2 - 180° in Bright Yellowish Green/ Lime (6351581 | 42134) was seen in 2 sets prior
• Technic Beam 1 x 2 Thick in Dark Stone Grey / Dark Bluish Gray (6179631 | 43857) has surprisingly only appeared in 2 other sets. The version with an axle hole is much more common and also appears in this set.

Get a move on

I think we’ve talked enough about the elements, let's build a car. As I mentioned, my biggest peeve with Technic cars in this scale would be the model’s functions. I don’t mind good looks, but in a Technic set I’m primarily looking for things that do something. I would rather build a complicated crane or digger than a good looking car with no functions. I know this is a personal preference, and I won’t judge the set by it (too harshly). But I am very happy to find some interesting techniques in the Peugeot!

The first surprise is the axles. Normally, we get a standard style suspension with 2 vertical shocks on each side. In this car, each axle gets a single, horizontal shock absorber which is mounted differently for front and rear suspension. The shock absorber for the rear axle is mounted underneath the differential, while the shock absorber for the front axle is placed on top.

I have not seen this way of mounting a shock absorber before in a Technic set (I haven’t built every single Technic set, so please let me know if I missed one), so this is a nice deviation from the norm.

Powered by...

As the name suggests, the Peugeot 9X8 Le Mans Hybrid Hypercar is a hybrid, meaning the car is driven by 2 motors. 

The rear axle is powered by a V6 motor, represented in LEGO bricks in the same way it’s been done for decades. I am so ready for a redesign of the V6 please. The front axle is powered by an electric engine, a first for Technic cars, which is represented by 2 x  Large Figure Weapon, Barrel in Light Bluish Grey (6186129 | 98585).

Chassis and Bodywork

I was expecting the car to be similar in size to the 42154 2022 Ford GT which I built right before this review, but when the bare chassis is finished, the Peugeot has already surpassed the length of the Ford.

The rest of the build consists of applying the bodywork, slowly adding all the curves using loads of Technic panels.

As usual by cars in this scale, the doors can open. It does seem to be a climb to get in, as the door doesn’t cover the whole side all the way down, but cuts just under the steering wheel. The hood that covers the V6 in the back can be completely removed. It’s held in place by 2 axles, and will fall off if you mount the car to the wall. This is easily fixed by replacing the axles by pins. The rear shows the icon rear lights, created out the only exposed Red parts, all stickered.

 The headlights are created using Glow in the Dark lightsabers, making the front light stand out when darkness falls.

The end result is an impressive model, standing 22 cm wide and 50 cm long. The model is very sturdy and can take some handling, with only the engine cover coming off easily. Just make sure you place it back straight, otherwise you might find out later on you need to retake all your photos…

The build is a nice mix of interesting techniques and good looks and I enjoyed  this aspect more than I expected going by previous experiences. The two engines and interesting suspension added more complexity than I’ve seen in the Ferrari or Ford GT, satisfying my need for functions.

From a New Elementary perspective, this set also functions well as a MOC feeder. The recolors do add some new options for your MOCs, although the results won’t be very colorful. I’m curious to find out how popular the new flip-flop L-beam will become. Let me know in the comments if this is an element that has been on your wish list.

And finally...

I did spot some small issues in the car. The area between the hood and steering wheel is very open and messy, leaving it in need of some coverage. Underneath the engine cover in the back we find some big gaps. And the front of the car seems to be too high, appearing to be lower in the photos of the real-life model found in the instructions. The front wheel archers are the correct height, but the hood area should be a bit lower. Maybe this compromise was needed to fit the engines in the model?

These issues don’t really spoil the fun for me, and all combined, my final verdict is pretty positive for the 42156 Peugeot 9X8 Le Mans Hybrid Hypercar. The only thing that would keep me from buying the set myself would be the price tag, with 1775 parts for €199 coming down to 11.3 cents per piece. That’s on the high side for a Technic set, even considering there is an IP license.

In closing, a size comparison of the Peugeot next to the Ford GT since I had both parked in my driveway today.

READ MORE: LEGO® Technic reviews: 42153, 42154 & 42155

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