As the father of a six-year-old, I have been amazed how he figured out how to use the TV remote control. One of his favorite things is to go on YouTube and search out kraken models built from Legos, but what if his father is an automobile enthusiast? CaDA Bricks offers a nice solution.

CaDA Bricks, part of the Double Eagle Group, provides “high-quality bricks that inspire creative building experiences for hobbyists and enthusiasts for all ages.” There’s a host of automotive models that include Formula 1, supercars, and even farm and construction equipment. Among the models are two collections: Technic Series and Master Series. The former consists of 1,300-2,700 pieces and includes the Super Car Series; the latter “showcases licensed models crafted by talented MOC (My Own Creation) designers.”

Though I’ve tried to get my son into cars — often with Hot Wheels purchases in the supermarket (although I’ll admit they also were for me) — he hasn’t really budged, instead being fascinated by robots and certain cephalopods. As such, the yellow hue of this 1:20 Ruf (Porsche) CTR 2017 Yellowbird caught his eye. It’s a beginner-friendly kit that combines brick-building with remote-control play. Consisting of 222 pieces, this Porsche also features dual-mode control using either a 2.4GHz remote or a smartphone app that uses gyroscope control and programmable path planning.

Measuring 7.87 x 3.78 x 2.09 inches, this model is recommended for 6 years on up, making it the perfect build for my son. That being said, he found it to be challenging — that’s not a bad thing, but does it signify it’s simply a build that challenges his skill set, or is the minimum age recommendation optimistic? I attempted to get to the bottom of this:

Me: How easy was it?

Him: Very …

Me: Very?

Him: … Hard.

Me: It was hard?

Him: Yeah. I mean a little bit.

Me: Okay. Why was it a little bit hard? What was difficult about it?

Him: Well, not finding some not organized pieces?

Me: Okay, so maybe the issue was that you didn’t organize them?

Him: Yeah, I guess so.

Me:  And what else?

Him: The easy part was putting the stickers on.

Me: Oh yeah? And what was the next easiest part?

Him: The next easiest part was making the wheels.

Me: Making the wheels? And after that?

Him: I guess that’s it.

Me: Okay, and what about the radio control part? Do you like it?

Him: Yeah.

Me: Does it interest you? Do you like the aspect that you can drive it around?

Him: Yeah.

I found the included controller not working to my satisfaction, deciding to save the problem-solving for a later time because I found the app quite commendable. What do other enthusiasts think of CaDA? I found several opinions on Reddit:

• I was never disappointed with the quality of the bricks … For me, the quality of the bricks is now easily on par with the guys from Denmark, if not better.
• If you are just looking for a display model, all of them look amazing, and it’s just down to your personal preference. In my humble opinion, the bricks are on par with Lego, if not better, when it comes to a snug fit (they are a pain to get apart).
• CaDA makes their own bricks, and they’re just as good as Lego in my opinion. We have a few of their sets and they’ve all been great.

We have a 1:10 Ruf GT for a summer project, but already I think it will be a much more complicated build. Upon first glance, it seems confusing for an unseasoned adult like me, so let’s see if my son is able to school me — stay tuned!

The featured Ruf Porsche model was supplied by CaDA for editorial review purposes.