Ferrari 488 GTE AF Corse #51 by Lego

If movie memorabilia like the Ghostbusters ECTO 1 doesn’t cut it for your Lego building days, Lego has recently revealed a new motorsport inspired set – Ferrari’s 488 GTE “AF CORSE #51” based on the race car that tackles the world’s endurance races. It is the first Lego model to be designed with Ferrari and helps extend its long standing relationship.

The Lego model is 48cm long with 1,677 individual Lego technic pieces, for ages 18+. The beautiful model features front and rear suspension, aerodynamic curves, a V8 engine with moving pistons and a steering wheel emblazoned with the Prancing Horse badge to help the model truly come alive. Original race number #51, sponsor stickers and the authentic Tricolore paint job add the perfect finish to this epic model.

The Ferrari 488 GTE will be available in all Lego stores and online on January 1st (so don’t go spending all that Christmas money your nan gives you until then) at a price of £169.99.

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Lego Ghostbusters ECTO-1

Cars aren’t protagonists in films however manage to garner a cult following – think of the Mustang in Bullitt, the VW Beetle in Herbie or James Bond’s Aston Martin DB5. Well the ECTO-1 from Ghostbusters is part of that company and Lego has created its largest and most detailed version ever.

The car  is full of authentic details from the iconic converted 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor ambulance including a range of tools and features needed by any Ghostbuster to track and catch ghoulish enemies. Perfect for film buffs and Lego buffs alike, the set features a moving ghost sniffer activated by the wheels, an extendable rear gunner seat, working steering wheel and a whole host of other paranormal detection equipment on the detailed roof rack. Lego created two new bricks for this set, the curved windscreen and the 5-module steering wheel.

Available from 15th November online and Lego retailers, the 2,3252 piece set is a perfect Christmas present ahead of the release of the latest Ghostbusters: Afterlife that launches in 2021.

Rimowa watch case – MUST HAVE

Rimowa, the masters of luxury luggage has created a new limited edition watch case for when we start flying again. It is an ode to the brand’s storied heritage and mastery of its craft.

The unique minimalist design features an engineered grooved aluminium exterior shell and a microfibre interior with subtle nods to signature features of the namesake luggage capable of holding three watches. The design seamlessly glides open at either end to reveal three removable padded cushions and an additional top cushion layer.

The case was designed in Germany and built in Italy and priced at £1,490 and can be pre-ordered from the 10th November.

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Lego Technic Extreme Adventure

Lego is the largest manufacturer of tyres and in 2008 it was said that there were 62 Lego bricks for each person on earth. These are great little anecdotes to tell your friends but the real story is this Lego Technic Extreme Adventure vehicle. One that your child will be begging for this Christmas. It has four independent ground-gripping tracks, working suspension, winch, front steering and a number of other exciting functions.

Doors swing upwards to reveal running boards which can be lowered into position, a roof tent can be erected by turning the crank, the tailgate can be unlocked to reveal the sliding storage drawer where the snow shovel is kept. But what counts is what is under the bonnet – a V8 with moving pistons. If you get bored with the Adventure vehicle, it can be rebuilt as a Mobile Based Vehicle.

When it comes to Christmas day and the Extreme Adventure Vehicle stayed in your office because someone couldn’t contain their excitement, Lego has you covered with other options including an 6×6 all-terrain response vehicle, airport rescue, a fighter jet and many others.

The Extreme Adventure Vehicle costs £139.99 and can be bought from the Lego store.

Xmas idea: Portable charger

Cars are petrol heads’ pride and joy. However, on many occasions, funding runs low and the problems of car ownership catch up on us. If you find yourself having to perform rolling jump-starts more than you would like, here is the solution.

The Powerall Portable power bank and charger will start your car up to 20 times, but hopefully by then you would have replaced the battery. It doesn’t stop there though; it has two 5V USB ports so you can charge your tech on the go and a LED torch for when you are stumbling around the engine bay in the dark.

Priced at £63 it surely won’t break the bank, and you will be the most famous person at festivals. Get it here and have it delivered in time for xmas.

Xmas idea: Gulf Porsche 917 print

This stunning Porsche 917 with Gulf livery, designed by Hyundai automotive designer John Krsteski. Individually signed by John, the prints are each limited to a maximum of 50 prints so you can rest assured that you won’t find it down your local car boot sale. The print measures 102x61cm, available as a fine print or as a canvas print priced at £110 and £250 respectively. It will look great hanging above your bed or even in the garage with the rest of the motoring memorabilia.

Check it out with his other prints here.

REVIEW: JBL Flip 2

JBL Flip 2 box and speaker

In the market for a bluetooth speaker? look no further. JBL have the answer with their speaker known as the Flip 2.

Like most modern gadgets, the Flip 2’s packaging is minimal, the box simply contained the speaker and its sturdy neoprene carrying case. Upon further inspection, the carrying case held the charger and instructions to the bluetooth speaker. To be fair JBL could have done without the instructions. It’s that easy to use. Press the on/off button on the side of the speaker, hit the bluetooth button and pair with your device and bang! you are ready to go.

I am one of those difficult people who decided to run an Android phone whilst all my other tech is an Apple product.  This tends to bring about connectivity problems. The JBL Flip 2 has had no problems whatsoever, seamlessly connecting to my phone, Macbook and iPad.

What is great about this little speaker is that you can stand it up or lie it down depending or where you want to place it. six inches in height and crafted in beautiful metal and white rubber, it is very easy to mistake the design as part of the new Apple Mac family which is a compliment in its own right.

Another trick it pulls out of the hat, is that this speaker is also a speakerphone, great for an office or simply if you don’t want to hold your phone to your ear as you go about your business.

Testing it with two tracks, Outkast’s Rosa Parks and Muse’s Symphony part 3 where both tracks offer completely different levels of bass, treble and mid tones, the Flip 2 worked wonderfully for such a small speaker. At the beginning of Rosa Parks, there is a faint beat which is normally lost on headphones and some speakers however the JBL worked wonderfully. This speaker sounds a lot larger than it actually is and can compete with some of the top end speakers out there.

The downside that I have found with this speaker, is the battery life. It lasts 5 hours which is great but depending on the volume that figure may drop. I have found if you can plug it just do that and leave the wireless playing for when you really need it.

So go try it out and I can assure you, you will not be disappointed.

Spec Sheet:

Transducers: 40mm x2

Amplifier power: 2x6w

Frequency response: 100Hz – 20KHz

Signal to noise ratio: 80dB

Input connections: AUX/ Bluetooth

Battery: 5hrs listening time

Charge time: 3 hours by adapter