This set has a great feel. With the "Speed Racers" line, Lego has gone above and beyond to have the sets hew as closely as possible to the real car designs, but this set just seems really clever. A lot of it relies on tricky half-plate ratios, which helps give the car its distinctive "face" and contours.

I'm especially fascinated by this chassis piece that you see below:

Lego has made so many advances over the years and this piece exemplifies that in many ways:

• It features "sideways" build capacity with the side-facing studs.
• The middle section features an odd stud-width.
• Unlike earlier car-chassis pieces, it is easy to stick on top of studded plates.

Despite this, it still draws clear inspiration from decades old, similar chassis pieces.

I would love a peak into the mind of those who approve designs for new pieces. There is such a fine line to tread between novelty and reusabilty!