Review: LEGO 10300 Back to the Future Time Machine

March 22, 2022 | 13

It’s only April but the 10300 Back to the Future Time Machine Delorean is already high on my list of favourite sets for 2022.

It’s not a perfect set, it’s actually flawed, but the Back to the Future movies were a seminal part of my childhood cinematic experience, so getting a Creator Expert-scale LEGO Delorean just feels like a dream come true, and gives me much joy.

Announced days ago, taking the world by surprise, LEGO’s newest Creator Expert car goes down the licensed route, taking on the beloved Back to the Future Trilogy, with a 3-in-1 build, allowing you to choose and build the Delorean Time Machines from all 3 BTTF movies.

Never before has a particular model of a car been so synonymous with an iconic movie (except maybe Herbie) and the Back to the Future films and Delorean cars have been forever intertwined since Back to the Future hit the silver screen in 1985.

The 2022 LEGO BTTF Delorean will be released worldwide on 1 April 2022 (no, not an April Fool’s Joke) on LEGO.com and at your local LEGO store.

Let’s jump into the review!

See below for regional pricing and links:

• 10300 Back to the Future Time Machine [US] – US$169.99
• 10300 Back to the Future Time Machine [AUS] – AU$269.99
• 10300 Back to the Future Time Machine [UK] – £149.99
• 10300 Back to the Future Time Machine [EU] – €169.99
• 10300 Back to the Future Time Machine [CA] – CAD$219.99

Special thanks to the LEGO Group for providing this set for review

10300 Back to the Future Time Machine – Set Details

Name: Back to the Future Time Machine
Set Number: 10300
Pieces: 1,872
Price: AU$269.99 | US$169.99 | £149.99 – Buy from LEGO.com [AUS] [USA] [UK]
Exclusive to: LEGO.com / LEGO Stores
Theme: Creator Expert
LEGO Designer: Sven Franic
Release Date: 1 April 2022

Here’s a look at some of the pages from the instruction manual, which as usual, contains nuggets of information from the film, a bio on the design team, led by Sven Franic, and plenty of movie stills.

Like most modern Creator Expert sets, the manual also contains tidbits of trivia about the Delorean peppered throughout the build, and I learned so many new things about the Deloreans in the movies.

An interesting quirk about the set – there are no “Delorean” references anywhere, not even in the set’s name – personally BTTF Time Machine feels a little clunky, and I think most people would just call it the BTTF Delorean.

Unfortunately, unlike the 2013 LEGO Ideas/Cuusoo Delorean, the set relies heavily on stickers. Some of these, like the clear Flux Capacitor sticker make sense, but it’s quite disappointing to see even the license plates rely on stickers.

Building the LEGO Delorean

First up, an interesting discovery – the windscreen came wrapped in a film of plastic. This is quite a welcome move as it’s a really solid solution to prevent scratching, a problem that plagues large windscreens, but I don’t really know how this works with LEGO’s efforts to reduce single-use plastics in their sets.

Here’s a gallery of work in progress build shots of the LEGO Delorean. It was actually quite a simple and straight forward build – the wheel mechanisms are quite ingenious, but for the most part, it wasn’t a particularly challenging build, and would suit those new to LEGO, making this an idea introduction to Creator Expert vehicles.

Check out this speed build video to see how the LEGO Delorean comes together!

Back to the Future Minifigures

Before we get to the build, let’s take a look at the two minifigures included – it’s an uncommon move to have minifigures in a Creator Expert vehicle, but it wouldn’t feel the same without Marty McFly and Doc Brown.

Also pictured is the UCS Delorean plaque, which has a square-ish profile.

Small nitpick, but both minifigures don’t quite fit on the stand side by side.

Here’s a look at the 2022 Marty McFly and Doc Brown minifigures – Marty is in his trademark red vest that we know and love, but Doc Brown is decked out in his BTTF 2 yellow suit, which is a fresh new look for him.

He comes with a new hairpiece, and has those aluminium visors that look really neat.

Here’s a look at their alternate faces and back printing. I don’t know why they chose to re-use a minifigure’s head for Marty, as the previous one worked just fine.

A really awesome highlight though is Marty’s leg printing, which has Nike Mags printed on them. They look incredible from the side, but from the front, there are large blue gaps where I guess the printing machine can’t get to, but as a sneakerhead, I loved seeing these on Marty.

They look best from the side, naturally.

Here’s a comparison with the Marty from the 2013 Cuusoo Delorean on the left, and Marty from LEGO Dimensions on the right.

And here’s a Doc Brown comparison to. The yellow suit was a masterful touch, and adds so much character to him.

Back to the Future 1

Here’s a look at the LEGO BTTF 1 Model, which will be the first thing most people build. It’s the most “classic” Delorean, with not a lot of cool modifications, save for the back, and of course the massive hook used to catch the power lines.

Here’s a look at the bonnet, which is mostly flat, and built horizontally for that SNOT-look. You can see the DMC (Delorean Motor Company) logo on the front, which is printed on a double cheese slope, anchoring it with some degree of realism!

I also like the blue strip of trans-blue plates down the front.

Oh and the bonnet pops open to reveal some storage – perfect for a hover board or case of plutonium!

Here’s a look at the Delorean from the side. The side profile really shows off just how well designer Sven Franic captures the car’s iconic slopes and angles, which is incredibly satisfying to see.

Strewn across the front are wires which connect to the back.

Here’s a closer look at the doors, and yes, the gullwing doors can swing upwards, which is particularly satisfying.

Unfortunately the doors are the biggest flaw and most disappointing part of the entire build. While they do work as you may expect, lifting up to open the doors – they don’t stay up at all!

This means that you’re not able to easily display the Delorean with the gullwings popped open, which is a shame as it’s one of the Delorean’s most iconic features, and when you picture a Delorean, you’re likely visualising it with the Gullwing doors raised.

It’ll be pretty easy to modify and fashion some Technic device to hold them together, especially since there are exposed holes on the side, but it feels like quite a huge miss to not have some sort of locking mechanism to hold them in place.

On the dash are the iconic date console readouts, as well as a gauge for the Plutonium chamber, which are very nice touches.

On the inside as well is the Flux Capacitor which is powered by a light brick. Thankfully, no spelling mistake are on the clear sticker!

(the 2013 LEGO Cuusoo Delorean had a notable typo on earlier versions where SHIELD was spelt SHEILD)

The switch for the Light Brick is on the back.

Here’s a look at the Delorean’s back which has plenty of pipes, and tubes heading into the nuclear reactor core. The large over-sized black steam vents are also prominently displayed from the back.

And yes, the OUTATIME plate is here, for the BTTF 1 Delorean. The license plate uses a new technique, stickers on a window pane, which makes it quite hard to remove, but makes it look sleeker.

LEGO Back to the Future 2 Delorean

Switching between the different models is quite simple, as there aren’t many structural changes.

My favourite is the Back to the Future 2 model, which introduces Mr Fusion in the back, which replaces the Nuclear Reactor, and of course, can fly!

A particularly satisfying play feature is how the wheels rotate 90 degrees – there’s a bar at the bottom, which can snap and switch the position of the wheels.

Magic!

LEGO Back to the Future 3 Delorean

And last but not least, here’s a look at the BTTF 3 Delorean mode, which has a few changes in the bonnet, and red wheels, but otherwise retains much of the BTTF 2 look!

Here’s a comparison against previous Deloreans, the mid-sized one is the 2013 Cuusoo version, and the mini version is from LEGO Dimensions.

And here’s it alongside some other LEGO Creator Expert vehicles!

Enjoy some more photos I took of the LEGO BTTF Delorean!

What I liked:

• A fantastic re-creation of an iconic vehicle
• Great addition to the Creator Expert lineup
• Has 3 modes
• Play functions work brilliantly

What I didn’t like: 

• Quite pricey for a Creator Expert vehicle
• Too many stickers, not enough prints
• Gullwings don’t work properly

Final Thoughts:

Back to the Future is one of my favourite 80s movies of all time, with BTTF 2 being an all-time great, so it goes without saying that if you love the franchise like I do, you’ll love the LEGO BTTF Delorean.

As a (movie) licensed entrant into the Creator Expert line, it does a lot of things right, such as include minifigures, which makes it a proper display collectable, and will please LEGO and movie fans. The updated minifigures are great, and I welcome the new printing standards of 2022, but the reused Marty head feels a little cheap.

I really like minifigures, and they add so much to the set, and I hope this sets a new precedent for licensed (or even unlicensed) Creator Expert vehicles to start coming with minifigures – the Aston Martin DB5 for example, would’ve been so much cooler with an actual James Bond minifigure.

The ability to switch between 3 different Back to the Future Deloreans is easily the set’s best feature, encouraging you to constantly switch its look up, and tinker with it beyond placing the final piece.

It also lets you pick your favourite version of the Delorean, which is completely subjective. Everyone knows that BTTF 2 is the best version.

Unfortunately, the gullwing doors not working as they should, and inability to stay suspended in the air is a huge miss, and feels like a glaring omission. The heavy use of stickers, when the 2013 Cuusoo version had all printed elements is also another negative, especially for the price charged.

That said, the LEGO Back to the Future Time Machine is still a great and worthy set to add to your collection, especially if you want to expand your Creator Expert garage, and if you’re a fan of BTTF.

The accuracy of the model – all the lines, angles, colours and pops of drum-lacquered silver are close to perfection, and will make for an exceptional display model.

Creator Expert vehicles are already immensely popular with adult LEGO fans, and with the Back to the Future tie-in, I can see this being incredibly successful and popular, so if you plan on getting one, be sure to act fast when it releases on 1 April 2022.

Rating and score: 4/5 ★★★★✰

Build [4] – Simple and accessible build, with just the right number of surprises and neat techniques
Real Value [2] – Quite pricey for a Creator Expert vehicle, with very few printed or specialised elements
Innovation [4] – 3 models in one is pretty clever, and the wheel changing mechanism is inspired
Coolness [4] – A large-scale highly detailed Delorean has to be one of the coolest vehicles you can display
Keepability [4] – A great Creator Expert addition, and homage to Back to the Future. Not one I’ll put away any time soon.

Thanks for reading my review of LEGO 10300 Back to the Future Time Machine (Delorean), ahead of its release on 1 April 2022!

What do you think of the LEGO BTTF Delorean? Will you be picking it up in April?

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Special thanks to the LEGO Group for providing this set for review