Alternate Models

Recently, there has been a lot of confusion on BZP over the plans for an alternate model of Jetrax in the November LEGO Magazine. Apparently, a lot of people have thought that refers to the yellow Jetrax store exclusive set, so I thought it was time for a little Alternate Model 101:

Q. What is an alternate model?

A. It's a new model built using pieces of an existing one.

Q. Would the yellow Jetrax be considered an alternate model?

A. No. You cannot build yellow Jetrax using pieces from existing 2008 models, because none of the sets have those pieces in yellow. If you have to paint existing pieces to build the model, it's not an alternate model

Q. What is the difference between a LEGO Magazine alternate model and the yellow Jetrax?

A. Besides what's already been stated, a LEGO Magazine alternate model is designed exclusively for Club by our Master Model Builders. Instructions are provided either in the magazine or on LEGO Club website. Club alternate models are not for sale in any store, though obviously the models they are based off of are.

Yellow Jetrax is a store exclusive model. It has its own packaging, it's for sale, and it includes its instructions just as any other LEGO set does.

So to sum up -- if we were doing a page showing the yellow Jetrax, it would not be referred to an alternate model page in the magazine, more likely as a feature page (since it shows an existing set available for sale with its instructions included). An alt. model page features a new model constructed using pieces from an existing one, with instructions available only through LEGO Club.

Make sense?