Man, is there anything that makes a person feel as fundamentally good about the collective experience of humanity than a really well-designed Lego model? I doubt it. This model of an original Mini may be Lego's best iconic vintage car set yet.


Previous Lego kits have been for the original Beetle (especially challenging, given the Beetle's curves and the Lego brick's brickishness), the Microbus (much more suited to Lego bricks), and they appear to be keeping with the iconic economy car theme with this British Racing Green Mini, complete with racing stripes and fog lamps.


The basic Mini shape lends itself well to Legoization, and this one is even a Mini Cooper. If you don't trust the little badge, you can verify the Cooper-status by looking at the hood, which has an engine that even has the twin air cleaners of the dual side-draft SUs of the actual car. That's a nice touch.


This thing has more nice touches than a night with a masseuse: a flip down trunk lid that reveals a removable picnic basket and blanket, a rear fog light, spare tire under the boot floor, plaid-pattern seats, a removable roof, and so much British charm you better put down a drop cloth if there's anything around it you don't want all britcharmed.


It'll be available August 1, and these sorts of kits tend to be pricey, so start planning your low-level smash-and-grabs now.