Friends

The Big Race Day

Three go-karts that actually launch across your floor, wrapped in one cheerful little raceway.

Brick Rated Score

4.0/5

Set 41352 · 2018

Pieces648

Minifigs3

Year2018

Set number41352

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The verdict

The thing that won me over here is that the go-karts are not just for show.

Each one sits on its own launcher and genuinely fires across the room, and that single feature turns a tidy 648-piece build into a set kids will keep coming back to. It is not the most sophisticated Friends build LEGO has done, and the raceway is smaller than the box art suggests, but the play value is real and generous. If you love the Friends world and want something that actually does something on the floor, this is an easy set to say yes to.

Best for: Friends fans aged 7-12 who want a set they can actively play with, not just display

The full review

What it is

This is the go-kart racing chapter of LEGO Friends, and the whole set is built around one lovely idea: the karts actually launch. You slot each little car onto its own ripcord-style launcher, give it a shove, and it shoots off across the room with a real turn of speed. I did not expect to enjoy that as much as I did, but there is something genuinely satisfying about lining three of them up and firing them off at once. The set gives you a two-storey race building to go with them, with a changing room and lockers downstairs and a winner's podium and VIP lounge up top where all the Heartlake pets can watch. It captures race day in a way that feels playable rather than posed, and for a mid-size Friends box it packs in a lot of little moments.

The catch

I will be honest about where it sits, though. At around $60 for 648 pieces, this is not a standout on price, and a good chunk of those pieces go into the three karts and their launchers rather than into the building itself. The race structure is pleasant but plain, and it is noticeably smaller in the hand than the busy box art leads you to expect. The build itself is easy, which is exactly right for the 7-12 age range but means an older or more experienced builder will breeze through it in an afternoon without much to chew on. And because the launchers are the headline feature, the appeal really does hinge on whether that gimmick lands for the person playing with it.

Who it's for

For a child who loves the Friends world and wants toys that do something, this is a genuinely good pick, and the three-kart setup is made for playing alongside a sibling or friend so nobody has to wait their turn. It also holds up well as a first properly sized Friends set thanks to the clear instructions and forgiving build. If you are chasing intricate engineering or the best pieces-per-dollar deal on the shelf, this is not that set, and you would do better elsewhere. But taken for what it is, a bright, active, race-day playset, it delivers exactly what it promises.

The parts story

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

Building this is a relaxed, breezy affair. The instructions are broken into clear numbered steps across separate booklets, and nothing here will trip up a younger builder or frustrate an adult helping out. You assemble the two-level race building first, then the three karts, and the karts are the most fun part of the process because you get to test-fire each one the moment it comes off the launcher. It is the kind of build where the payoff comes at the end and then keeps paying off during play, rather than a set you savour purely for the construction.

The standout pieces are the go-karts and their launcher mechanisms, which are the same clever ripcord system LEGO used across its racing sub-line, and getting three of them in one box is the real draw. You also get three mini-dolls in proper racing outfits with crash helmets, including Vicky alongside the more familiar Stephanie and Mia, plus three animal figures: Vega the cat, Dash the dog and Twister the rabbit. The palette leans into cheerful racing colours with printed checkered and trophy detailing, and while there are no rare collector parts hiding in here, the launcher elements and the trio of matching karts give the set a genuine reason to exist beyond the usual bricks.

Fun facts

01The three go-karts each come with their own separate launcher, and reviewers noted the karts travel noticeably further when a grown-up gives the ripcord a proper pull.
02The set retired in January 2019 after only about 13 months on shelves, making it a fairly short-lived release.
03Upstairs the race building includes a VIP lounge and winner's podium specifically set up so the Heartlake City pets can watch the race.
04It launched at a $60 RRP for 648 pieces and now trades close to or just under that price on the secondary market, so it never became a big grower.