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Top 11 Lego Technic cars to buy on Amazon in 2024

Autoblog may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page. Pricing and availability are subject to change. I recently got a birthday wish list from my 11-year-old nephew, and I couldn't help but smile when I saw “Lego Technic Cars” at the top. Lego isnÂ’t a phase, itÂ’s a lifestyle. Once a Lego fan, always a Lego fan. In fact, IÂ’d be willing to bet that many of you reading this right now have some kind of Lego vehicle in a box somewhere, or better yet, on display in your home. While theyÂ’re not necessarily cheap, getting into building Lego Technic vehicles doesnÂ’t have to bankrupt you, either, unless you go for the $400 Lamborghini right off the bat. Here are 11 of our favorite Lego Technic vehicles on Amazon, right now, ranging from an affordable $35 all the way up to $450. LEGO Technic Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Ages 9+ (544 Pieces) - $39.99 (20% off) One of my first and favorite model cars growing up was a first-gen Ford Mustang GT350, so this GT500 for under $40 is right up my alley. At 544 pieces and made for ages 9 and up, the GT500 is a considerable step up from Grave Digger but a great starter to a Technic collection nonetheless. It isnÂ’t the most accurate-looking vehicle in this list, but the AR app and the fact that it can drive make it a worthwhile purchase. $39.99 at Amazon LEGO Technic Formula E Porsche 99X Electric Ages 9+ (422 Pieces) - $49.99 Not a Ford fan? Not a problem. This Formula E Porsche 99X is the same price and better looking than the GT500. Even though there are 122 fewer pieces in this Porsche set, it has a level of detail seen in much more expensive Technic sets including numerous decals and a pull back motor.  $49.99 at Amazon LEGO Technic Jeep Wrangler Ages 9+ (665 Pieces) - $54.99 This is the set I ended up going with for my nephew, not because I think it is the coolest, but because for the price, I think you get the most bang for your buck. 665 pieces is over 50% more than the comparatively priced Porsche 99X and it also scratches the nostalgia itch for me: The first-ever model vehicle I built was a yellow Jeep Wrangler Sahara. This Wrangler Rubicon has definitely had some aftermarket mods like the front winch, which makes it one of the coolest Technic sets under $60.  $54.99 at Amazon LEGO Technic Monster Jam Grave Digger Ages 7+ (212 Pieces) - $34.16 If ever there was a gateway Lego Technic, this Grave Digger is it.

Fiat Chrysler halts European production as coronavirus hits demand

MILAN — Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) is halting production for two weeks at most of its European plants to help protect staff against the coronavirus pandemic and adjust to a slump in demand, the Italian-American carmaker said on Monday. Italy has been the European country worst hit by the crisis and the first to enforce a nationwide lockdown, which has now been replicated by Spain and, to a lesser extent, by France as the virus sweeps through the continent. With all non essential services closed, including car dealers, and people forced home except for strict working needs, many forecast a heavy fall in car sales in March. FCA — which according to analyst estimates produces around 25% of its vehicles in Europe — said the suspensions through March 27 would allow it "to effectively respond to the interruption in market demand by ensuring the optimization of supply." Ferrari, meanwhile, said it closed its two plants until March 27. Ferrari said it had so far ensured production continuity, and it already implemented all the health measures decided by the Italian government at the two sites, in hometown Maranello and in Modena. But it was "now experiencing the first serious supply chain issues, which no longer allow for continued production." Marco Opipari, an analyst at Fidentiis, said a few weeks of closures was not a big problem in an over-supplied European auto industry and lost production could be recovered later on. "The real problem is on the demand side, people are not buying cars now, and sales volumes are expected to be very bad in March, with a real impact on automakers' earnings," he said. FCA said in a statement that production for its FCA Italy and luxury Maserati units would stop for two weeks, extending a temporary closure period already planned for some Italian facilities. Affected plants are Melfi, Pomigliano, Cassino, Mirafiori, Grugliasco and Modena in Italy, Kragujevac in Serbia and Tychy in Poland. The FIOM union said FCA's decision was "necessary". The carmaker said the freeze would help it to resume activity promptly once market conditions allow it. "The group is working with its supply base and business partners to be ready to enable our manufacturing operations to deliver previously planned total levels of production despite the suspension when market demand returns," it said.

NHTSA investigating power modules on Chrysler Group SUVs and minivans

The Center for Auto Safety is officially petitioning the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to begin scrutinizing alleged problems with the totally integrated power module (TIPM) on about 24 Chrysler Group SUVs and minivans. The advocacy group claims that the part's failure can cause affected vehicles to stall or not start at all. NHTSA is still looking into the accusations and deciding whether a full investigation is actually warranted.
The CAS petition claims at least 70 TIPM failures, but according to NHTSA, six of the complaints are for models that don't have the modules. In 34 of the reported cases, the vehicles refused to start, and in 17 of them the engine stalled. There were also two allegations of smoke and one of a fire. However, none of these affected airbag deployment or resulted in a crash.
This petition isn't the first TIPM-related problem for Chrysler Group. A recent report in the New York Times alleged that it found 240 complaints potentially related to the issue on NHTSA's website alone. In September, the automaker also recalled 230,760 examples worldwide (188,723 in the US) of the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango replace the fuel pump relay circuit inside of the TIPM-7 with one external to the unit. The original part could allegedly cause the models to stall without warning. Even earlier, the company also recalled about 80,000 examples of the Jeep Wrangler and Dodge Nitro in 2007 to have the module reprogrammed.