Yup, after a few days away from TLCB keyboard we’re back! We’d been waiting for a crack team of Elves to return from a secret mission infiltrating The Lego Company headquarters, and we’re pleased to announce that some of them have returned safely!

The lucky returnees are enjoying the fame and glory associated with bringing back the clearest images yet of LEGO’s summer Technic releases, and the fact that there are no alsatians for them to evade in the grounds of TLCB Towers.

So, on to the first new set!

42068 – Airport Rescue

LEGO’s first new addition to the Technic range is this, 42068, and we feel like we’ve seen it before. Yes, it does bear a striking resemblance to 8454 from the bad-old days of Technic, but on closer inspection it’s a far more realistic attempt at an airport firetruck than was made in 2003.

With no Power Functions or Pneumatic System, 42068 relies on good ol’ fashioned mechanics to enable its working functions. Front and rear steering and a manually raising and extending boom are the key features, and the set employs a wealth of stickerage to liven up what is basically a panelled box sat atop six wheels. Next.

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42069 – Extreme Explorer

Are LEGO running out of new ideas for Technic vehicles? If 42069 is anything to go by, probably. Loosely based on a tracked arctic exploration vehicle, the Extreme Explorer drops into the 2017 Technic line-up right at the top, being aimed at ages 11+, and the box – intriguingly – has no upper age limit. That stops us having to make excuses to long-suffering partners at least!

With a few unusual purple panels and four separate independently sprung tracks, 42069 looks like a set that’ll be snapped up by those wishing to increase their parts stock, but we’re not sure how well it stacks up in its own right.

In addition to those suspended tracks there’s front axle steering, gull-wing doors, flashy stickers (not shown on the box above) and a working winch. There also looks to be a gearbox too, although we’re not convinced that this is the conventional sort, and it may be more to do with suspension settings or all-track-drive capabilities.

42069 will reach stores in the second half of 2017 and will be priced towards the top end of the Technic line-up, but with no pneumatics or Power Functions components it could offer a decent piece count for the price.

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42070 – 6×6 All Terrain Tow Truck

This is more like it! With over 1,800 pieces and Power Functions remote control, 42070 becomes the flagship set in the 2017 line-up when it arrives later in the year.

Just like your Mom, this thing is massive, with those six suspended wheels running on the same tyres as the brilliant 42054 Claas Xerion tractor set.

We expect 42070 to include full remote control drive and steering, working support legs at the sides and rear, and a gearbox to transfer the motorised power to a remotely operable crane and winch.

We’ll see if we’re right when 42070 lands later on this year, but expect it to be expensive!

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There you have it, the 2017 Technic line-up is now complete, plus rumour has it that combining these sets allows you to build a modern take on the very first LEGO Technic supercar set too.

We’ll bring you further set news later on in the year, and in the meantime you can check out all the official LEGO sets that have been reviewed here at The Lego Car Blog so far by visiting the enormous Set Review Library.