We Put Together the Lego 'Back to the Future' DeLorean

There have been plenty of fictional time machines over the years, from Doctor Who’s TARDIS to . . . a hot tub. But for car lovers, the coolest ever envisioned is the DeLorean DMC-12 from the Back to the Future franchise.

When Lego announced it was releasing a new DeLorean set, improving on the much smaller DeLorean set from 2013, we knew we had to get our hands on it. Officially dubbed the Back to the Future Time Machine kit, Lego says the vehicle is inspired by all three variations of the DeLorean used in the movie trilogy. Indeed, this car comes with extra pieces to transform it into your favorite variant, including the lightning rod, Mr. Fusion, and the hood-mounted circuit board.

Back to the Future Time Machine

Incredible details
Comes with Doc and Marty minifigs

It’s a big one, too, with 1872 pieces spread out over nearly 450 steps in the hefty instruction manual. Inside comes everything needed for the car and its technological accessories, including a battery-powered light brick that eventually becomes the flux capacitor, an information plaque, and two minifigures—Marty McFly and Doc Brown.

Collin MorganCar and Driver

Assembly went about as well as with any other Lego set—fantastic instructions, flawless fitment, and sore thumbs. As expected with the iconic silver exterior color, there were enough different-colored gray pieces to make a Charlie Chaplin film jealous. Because of this, the colorful details stood out brilliantly, like the aqua behind the bumper, Marty’s bright-pink hoverboard, and the illuminating flux capacitor light brick.

Collin MorganCar and Driver

As you approach the end of the build, you can complete the DeLorean in any of the three different styles from the trilogy. I chose the variant from the second film, complete with Mr. Fusion, a beer can, and a banana.

The orange Flux Capacitor illuminates with the push of a button.

Collin MorganCar and Driver

Mr. Fusion in the rear, complete with a beer can and a banana inside.

Collin MorganCar and Driver

Upon completing the build, the car looked fantastic. The wheels rotate to hover-car mode with the flip of a bar underneath the car, the flux capacitor lights up with the push of a button, and the slightly shiny silver exterior looks just like brushed stainless steel.

Collin MorganCar and Driver

There was, however, one thing I couldn’t get to work: the gullwing doors. I was hoping they would stay open on their own, but they slowly descended back down thanks to, well, the Earth’s gravitational pull (insert your own “this is heavy” joke here). I’m not sure if Lego intended for them to stay open on their own, but I couldn’t get them to remain ajar for longer than a couple seconds, even after rebuilding them.

All in all, the new Lego Back to the Future Time Machine set is excellent, meeting the standards we’ve come to expect from the company. You’ll definitely need to dedicate a full weekend (or more) to complete it, but for fans of the movie franchise, it’s a labor of love.

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