10321 Corvette is ‘the sexiest car LEGO has done’ – but it comes at a price

Early reviews of the brand new LEGO Icons 10321 Corvette praise the set for its sporty exterior – but just like the real thing, adding it to your garage won’t be cheap…

The LEGO Group’s latest large-scale vehicle launches exactly a year to the day after its last Chevrolet, as 10321 Corvette joins 10304 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 on shelves on August 1, 2023. The 1,210-piece model recreates the 1961 model of the roadster in bright red, and is already in the hands of reviewers across the web.

From a welcome solution to windscreen damage to a major misstep in its secondary colour, here’s everything early reviews are saying about 10321 Corvette.

— LEGO Icons 10321 Corvette set details —

Theme: LEGO Icons Set name: 10321 Corvette Release date: August 1, 2023 (VIPs)

Price: £129.99 / $149.99 / €149.99 Pieces: 1,210 Minifigures: 0

LEGO: Order now

[bdproduct search=’corvette’ sort=’discount’ numberOfRecord=’2′ brand=” sliderMinValues=’0′ sliderMaxValues=’750′]

New elements help it achieve its curves – but it’s still pretty boxy

The 1961 Corvette is iconic for its sleek curves, and recreating that sporty shell with LEGO bricks was never going to be easy. But the LEGO Group has come up with a couple of unique solutions to the problems presented by the Chevrolet’s unique design, including new arched elements to better replicate the curved sloping of its side coves, as demonstrated by Tiago Catarino.

The YouTuber also shows off a brand new element for the headlights, which he says resembles a ‘1×1 plate that got stretched out a bit’. He does point out that its particular use here is a little puzzling, though, because it slots upside-down into a printed 2×2 round tile with hole. “I find it weird having this element rubbing against a print, as I thought that was illegal to do in LEGO sets – the same as having pieces rubbing on the LEGO logo on studs,” Catarino says.

It’s not all perfect: Hoth Bricks calls out the set’s ‘aesthetic shortcuts’, such as the straight lines around the wheel arches and the simplified grille, but concedes that the Corvette does a much better job with the car’s curves than 2018’s 10262 James Bond Aston Martin DB5.

Your windscreens will be safe from scratches

If you purchased last year’s LEGO Icons Chevy, or have built practically any other recent set with large transparent pieces, you’ll be pleased to hear that 10321 Corvette’s two new windscreens are packaged in separate paper bags, preventing them from becoming damaged in transit. The LEGO Group’s newest formula for transparent plastic is prone to scratches when bundled into bags with other elements, and most reviewers have picked up on the benefits of separate packaging.

“I’m really happy that these were individually packaged,” says Bricksie, before pulling out his copy of 10304 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 and pointing to its windscreen. “Mine has two smudges or scratches, which of course is avoidable if they’re protected.”

All grey and no chrome makes the Corvette a dull boy

Catarino and Hoth Bricks both take the Corvette to task for its light grey bumpers and details, which on the real-life car are chrome. The LEGO Group hasn’t mass-produced chrome elements for years (save for exceptions like its gold ring), but does have an alternative in drum-lacquered silver, which gives off a shiny metallic effect. We’ve seen that coating deployed in other LEGO vehicles including 10300 Back to the Future Time Machine and even 76911 James Bond Aston Martin DB5, but it’s nowhere to be seen in 10321 Corvette.

“The [real] Chevrolet Corvette gives pride of place to chrome equipment and this LEGO version does not pay tribute to it, while the retouched official visuals highlight reflections that are non-existent on the ‘real’ product,” Hoth Bricks writes.

It looks much better without the hood

Like 10295 Porsche 911, the Corvette includes the option to display it with the hood up or down. But where you might have struggled to decide whether to display the 911 in its Turbo or Targa configurations, the choice will likely be much easier where 10321 Corvette is concerned.

“I’m not a fan of that hard top,” says Catarino. “It’s too bulky when you see it through the front windshield. The shapes up top are all over the place and don’t match the overall sleekness of the whole car, almost as if it was a design afterthought, so having the option to remove this altogether is a blessing and makes it look way better.”

It’s ‘the most overpriced LEGO-branded car at this scale’

So says Catarino, although Bricksie doesn’t disagree, opening his review by calling 10321 Corvette ‘absurdly expensive’. It’s actually the cheapest car at this scale currently available, but has the highest price per piece, if that’s a margin you care about. Yet even for its size – perhaps a better metric of value – none of the reviewers seem especially enamoured with 10321 Corvette’s £129.99 / $149.99 / €149.99 price tag.

— LEGO Icons 10321 Corvette summary —

Is 10321 Corvette a worthy addition to your LEGO garage? On the whole, yes – at least according to early reviews. Hoth Bricks admits it’s ‘probably not the best vehicle in the range’ but says it still looks ‘great’, while Catarino proclaims it’s ‘the sexiest car LEGO has done at this scale’. If you can get past the Chevrolet’s dull grey details and the couple of areas in which it butts up against the limitations of LEGO bricks, you’ll likely have a lot of fun racing this around your LEGO room.

As long as you can stomach the price, of course.

Featured image: Hoth Bricks

10321 Corvette launches on August 1, 2023 for VIP members. Support the work that Brick Fanatics does by purchasing your LEGO sets using our affiliate links. Thanks!