Shell's Lego Ferrari models: fill up and build
Filling up with petrol can be a tortuous affair. Put aside the fact that you need to part with a small fortune for the privilege of filling your tank with fuel, there's also the pain associated with the payment process. Having waited patiently in line for the shopper in front to collect their weekly groceries, you're then presented with a series of 'exclusive' offers at the checkout.
Why do they always offer a bar of chocolate for a quid? Surely it would be better for the nation's health if they offered a couple of bananas for 50p? Or a pineapple for 99p? Fill up with fuel and collect one of your five-a-day at the same time. Job done?
It's a shame, because I'm one of the few people who actually doesn't mind topping up the tank. I like the feeling of a fresh tank of fuel and seeing the needle hovering over the 'F' on the fuel gauge. And of course, you can look forward to another few hundred miles of driving - which is no bad thing.
Mostly though, it's an horrendous experience, as some blogs from the PetrolBlog archives will reveal here and here.
But right now, the joy has been lifted somewhat by the good people of Shell. As you may have already heard, if you fill up with £30 of Shell V-Power before 8th January 2014, you can collect a Lego Ferrari model for £1.49 - a price which, coincidentally, is remarkably similar to the cost of a litre of fuel. Just don't go putting tiny pieces of Lego into your fuel tank.
Now being PetrolBlog, we'd naturally be more excited if the Lego collection consisted of French cars from the '80s and '90s, but hey, these models are very, very cool. Take your pick from a Ferrari F40, Ferrari F1 car, Ferrari 458 Italia, Ferrari FXX, Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta and a Scuderia Ferrari Iveco truck. They don't take long to build, but as they're 'whizz-bang-pull-back-and-go' models (technical term), there's hours of fun to be had after you've completed the car.
Of course, the downside is that you need to part with at least £180 of fuel to collect the full set, but if you're filling up with V-Power anyway, it's not a big issue. Only it wouldn't be if -unlike me - you don't have two car-mad children to keep happy. They, of course, want one model each. So that's £360. And of course, I'd need a set, too. This could get expensive...
Fortunately for me, it won't. In the interests of transparency, I should point out that the good people of Shell UK actually sent a complete set to PetrolBlog HQ. And not only that, the Lego models arrived in a giant Lego cube. It's arguably the best thing to arrive through the post at PetrolBlog HQ this year. Many thanks, Shell!
Quite clearly, a Lego Ferrari model is far more appealing than a few loyalty card points or a cheap bar of chocolate. Just don't go trying to build it as you hurtle along the outside lane of the M4 motorway...
Check out the LEGOchallenge website where you can find more details about the cars and how to win a trip to the Ferrari factory in Maranello. It's the most exciting petrol promotion since the Green Shield Stamps.
Right now, PetrolBlog is off to speak to its new friends at Shell UK about the possibility of bringing out a PB-themed Lego collection. A Talbot Matra-Rancho and a Jeep Cherokee would seem like obvious candidates.
