Technic

Audi RS Q e-tron

Three motors, one app, and a genuinely wild real car behind it all.

Brick Rated Score

3.8/5

Set 42160 · 2023

Pieces914

Minifigsn/a

Year2023

Set number42160

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The verdict

This one won me over on the story before I ever touched a brick, because the real Audi RS Q e-tron is an electric hybrid rally monster that took stage wins at Dakar.

As a LEGO set it is a big, motorised Technic build with three motors and CONTROL+ app steering, and driving it around is a proper thrill. It is not the most detailed Technic model at this price and the sticker load is heavy, but if you want a powered car you can actually chase across the living room floor, it delivers. Best enjoyed by someone who cares more about playing with the finished thing than admiring it on a shelf.

Best for: Technic fans who want a genuinely drivable, app-controlled rally car

The full review

What it is

The real Audi RS Q e-tron is one of the strangest, cleverest race cars of the last decade, an electric drivetrain fed by a petrol generator, built to survive the dunes of the Dakar Rally. That backstory is exactly what got me excited to build the LEGO version. What you get in the box is a 914-piece Technic model roughly 37cm long that is really about one thing: motion. Three large Technic motors and a Bluetooth hub sit at its heart, and once you pair it with the free CONTROL+ app on your phone, you can steer it, accelerate, brake, and send it bouncing over rough ground. The first time I got it moving properly, weaving it around furniture with the app joysticks, I grinned like a kid. This is a set that wants to be played with, not parked.

The catch

I will be honest about where it falls short, because it is not a flawless model. At its full recommended price of around 180 US dollars it sits in serious Technic territory, and the finished car does not have the dense, mechanical richness you get from some sets in that bracket. The bodywork leans hard on two sticker sheets, 47 stickers in total, and applying that many cleanly tested my patience more than the actual building did. On the floor the car has a fairly tight turning radius and modest torque, so genuinely rough terrain slows it to a crawl. A few builders also pointed out that the stock model looks a touch unfinished and there is no removable interior to poke around in. None of this is a dealbreaker, but it is the difference between a very good set and an all-time great one.

Who it's for

So who should bring this home? If the joy of Technic for you is a powered vehicle you can actually drive, chase, and jump, this is an easy yes, and the trio of motors makes it feel like real value even before you factor in the model itself. Kids aged ten and up will get hours out of the app challenges, and honestly so will plenty of adults. If you are more of a display builder who wants a shelf piece dripping with visible gearing and authentic detail, I would steer you toward something else in the range, because the sticker-heavy shell and simpler internals may leave you a little cold. Buy it for the play, not the pose, and you will love it.

The parts story

What the build is actually like, and the pieces worth knowing about.

Building this one is a steady few-hour job that centres on a sturdy chassis and the wiring of those three motors. The cables are the fiddly part, they tend to flop into the way as you work, though the instructions are clear about exactly where each one gets tucked and woven between elements. The ball-and-socket joints on the front wheels were the section that tested me most, since the grey axle pieces kept popping loose until everything was locked in. It is a satisfying build rather than a punishing one, and the payoff of powering it up at the end is worth the patience.

The headline part is a brand new red wheel element (design 6451561) created specifically to echo the real Audi's wheel, a thick, solid piece you will not find anywhere else. It pairs with big rugged off-road tyres and a proper independent four-wheel suspension setup that soaks up bumps convincingly. The real parts value, though, is electronic: three large Technic motors and the CONTROL+ Bluetooth hub. Even set collectors who grumble about the stickers tend to agree that pile of powered components is the reason the box is worth its price.

Fun facts

01The real Audi RS Q e-tron is an electric car with a petrol engine used only as an onboard generator to recharge the battery, never to drive the wheels directly.
02At its 2022 Dakar Rally debut, Carlos Sainz scored the first ever stage win for an electrified drive concept, and Audi took four stage victories that year.
03The car was driven at Dakar by a lineup of legends including Carlos Sainz and nicknamed rally king Stephane Peterhansel.
04The set uses three separate motors and needs six AA batteries loaded into the hub before it will move.