The most memorable LEGO sets of the year

Every year, LEGO unveils dozens of new sets. Some impress with their size, others with their complexity or prestigious license. Yet, not all leave the same impression.
When it comes to reviewing the year, one question always comes up among enthusiasts: which LEGO sets really made their mark this year, and why?

Because a truly memorable set isn't just about the number of pieces or impressive specs. It's part of a broader concept, encompassing design, storytelling, memory, and readability. Like in motorsports, only certain objects stand the test of time.

The best-selling and most memorable LEGO sets of the year

Each year, some LEGO sets go far beyond the realm of novelty.
They become benchmarks, both in terms of sales and recognition among enthusiasts. These sets rarely share a common point in terms of price or size, but almost always an immediate readability and a strong symbolic charge .

LEGO® Technic Ferrari Daytona SP3 (42143)

Among the best-selling and most exhibited Technic sets

The Ferrari Daytona SP3 has established itself as one of the most popular Technic sets of the year.
Its success rests on several elements that are rarely found together simultaneously:

• an immediately recognizable silhouette,

• remarkable fidelity to actual proportions,

• a rewarding editing experience,

• and a strong statutory dimension once displayed.

This set does not function solely as a building object, but as a centerpiece , designed to remain visible.

🔗 Related wall art
The Daytona SP3's clean lines and rear structure lend themselves perfectly to wall display, emphasizing the technical aspects and the visual appeal of its dimensions. A matching picture frame transforms the set into a true decorative piece, legible even from a distance.

LEGO® Technic Lamborghini Sián FKP 37 (42115) – Discontinued set

One of the most sought-after Technic sets since its withdrawal

Since its production ceased, the Lamborghini Sián has become one of the most sought-after Technic sets on the secondary market.
Its status is less due to rarity than to its pioneering role: it is one of the first LEGO supercars to have imposed a new standard of finish and complexity.

This set marks a step in the evolution of the Technic range, at a time when LEGO has clearly changed dimensions.

🔗 Related wall art
The Sián stands out with its highly graphic structure and striking contrasts. A mural artwork extends its iconic character, highlighting the chassis geometry and the vehicle's overall architecture.

LEGO® Technic Bugatti Chiron (42083) – Discontinued Set

A timeless reference.

The Bugatti Chiron is one of the most iconic Technic sets ever produced.
Even several years after its production ceased, it remains an absolute reference for enthusiasts.

What makes it remarkable:

• an almost pedagogical approach to engineering,

• a long and structured montage,

• a strong but balanced visual presence.

The Chiron didn't just mark a year, it marked a generation of LEGO builders.

🔗 Related wall art
The technical reading of the Bugatti, especially from a top view, is ideal for a wall artwork that highlights the mechanical logic rather than the moment of racing.

LEGO® Technic Porsche 911 GT3 RS (42056) – Discontinued Set

A cult set, still considered a benchmark.

The Porsche 911 GT3 RS holds a special place in the history of LEGO Technic.
It is one of the first sets to have established an almost emotional relationship between the builder and the finished object.

Even today, it is regularly cited as one of the best Technic sets ever designed, both for its assembly and its mechanical accuracy.

🔗 Related wall art
The 911 lends itself perfectly to a wall-mounted interpretation focused on symmetry and structural reading, reinforcing its status as a timeless icon.

LEGO® Technic McLaren Formula 1 (42141 / 42171 depending on version)

Among the best-selling F1 sets in the recent range

Recent F1 Technic sets have been a massive success, driven by:

• the growing popularity of Formula 1,

• an immediately recognizable aesthetic,

• and a high exposure capacity.

These sets mark an evolution: LEGO F1 is no longer just a toy product, but an object of visual affirmation .

🔗 Related wall art
Formula 1 cars particularly benefit from wall displays in technical view or graphic composition, highlighting aerodynamic finesse and the tension of lines.

Discontinued sets: why they make a bigger impact than new releases

One point consistently comes up among enthusiasts:
The stopped sets are often the ones that get the most attention.

For what ?
Because they are no longer subject to novelty. They are judged solely on their real value: design, readability, ease of assembly and durability.

This is exactly the same mechanism as the one analyzed in
Why some cars leave a bigger mark than their victories . Time acts as a revealer.

A landmark set tells a clear story

LEGO sets that mark a year are rarely confusing.
They carry an immediately legible intention: an iconic car, a mythical machine, a recognizable architecture, a specific era.

This narrative clarity is essential.
A set that works is one that can be understood without explanation. Its silhouette, its colors, its structure already tell a story.

This logic directly aligns with what is analyzed in Why some cars mark more than their victories, where the object transcends its simple result to become a cultural marker.

Fidelity to the real model as a foundation

The most remarkable LEGO sets of the year are almost always those that deeply respect their original model.
Not just visually, but structurally.

Chassis, proportions, mass distribution, mechanical logic: when the set manages to reproduce the technical essence of a real vehicle, it immediately gains credibility.

This is particularly true in the Technic range, where construction becomes a form of mechanical reading, as developed in LEGO® Technic: telling a story through mechanics.
A memorable set is often one that teaches its builder something, even unintentionally.

Visual readability, the key to memory

One point that is often underestimated: visual readability .
Some sets are technically brilliant but visually confusing. Others, on the contrary, project a strong, almost iconic image.

The sets that define the year are those that:

• have a silhouette identifiable from afar

• maintain a consistency of lines

• remain legible even when exposed

This readability is what allows the set to move beyond the simple framework of the game to become an object that one keeps, shows, and displays.

This dimension aligns with the analysis developed in Formula 1 as contemporary mural art, where the machine becomes a visual language.

When construction becomes an experience

A memorable set isn't just beautiful once it's finished.
It is noteworthy during its construction.

Certain steps remain in memory:

• a mechanism that gradually reveals itself

• an unexpected technical solution

• a particularly logical assembly sequence

This assembly experience contributes fully to the value of the set.
It transforms the manufacturer into an active observer of engineering.

It is at this precise moment that the set ceases to be a simple product and becomes a complete experience.

Not all sets can mark a year

As in motorsport, not every season can be legendary.
Some years are years of transition, experimentation, and range stabilization.

These sets are necessary, but rarely memorable.
A memorable set almost always stems from a particular alignment:

• good topic

• good time

• good execution

This rarity explains why, at the end of the year, only a few models truly stand out in the collective memory.

Time as the final judge

A fundamental point: a set only becomes significant with hindsight .
The excitement of going out often distorts immediate judgment.

It is the sets that are still being talked about several months later, that are still being exhibited, photographed, and commented on, that truly deserve this status.

Time acts as a filter, just as it does for the iconic periods analyzed in Why some eras of F1 are more iconic than others

When the set becomes a collector's item

The most remarkable LEGO sets of the year often cross a boundary:
that between a game and a collector's item.

They are no longer stored in a box.
They are preserved, displayed, and showcased.

This transformation naturally raises the question of their place in an interior.
An iconic set deserves support that matches what it represents.

Highlighting what deserves to remain

At Kadris, this reflection is at the heart of our approach.
The paintings we design do not seek to artificially embellish a set, but to extend what makes it remarkable : its structure, its lines, its identity.

A set that made its mark on the year deserves to be seen in a different light than simply placed on a shelf.
It deserves to be exhibited as a cultural object, on the same level as a poster, a work of art or a technical photograph.

👉 Discover our paintings designed to enhance iconic LEGO sets

When a set deserves to be displayed differently

The best-selling or most sought-after LEGO sets have one thing in common:
They rarely end up in a cardboard box.

They remain visible.
And when an object remains visible, it deserves a support that matches what it represents.

At Kadris, the wall art associated with LEGO sets has been specifically designed to:

• continue reading the set,

• to highlight its structure,

• transforming a constructed object into a lasting cultural object .

👉 Discover the wall art designed to enhance iconic LEGO sets

Conclusion: Sales are not enough, the legacy matters

The best-selling LEGO sets of the year are attracting attention.
But it is often the sets that are stopped, understood and exhibited, that leave a real mark.

At the end of the year, these are the items that deserve to be remembered:
those that tell a story, structure a memory and continue to exist long after their release.