Monthly Archives: September 2015

Italian-American Icon

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Lego De Tomaso Pantera

Tempting as it is to dip into a Family Guy-like Italian-American stereotype for this post, having rightly got into trouble before, we’ll simply stick to saying that Italian design plus American power is a pretty good combination. Oddly it’s a formula that hasn’t often appeared, but De Tomaso gave it a good go for two decades following the launch of the Pantera in 1971. This neat Model Team example has been built by serial bloggee Senator Chinchilla, and you can see more of his brick-built classic on Flickr by clicking here.

Scale Scania

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Lego Scania Truck

This beautifully detailed Scania 143M was found on Brickshelf today. It’s the work of previous bloggee Ingmar Spijkhoven and it features suspension, RC drive and steering, working lights, a detailed V8 engine, and a functioning fifth wheel. See more via the link above.

Harvest Time

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Lego Technic Combine Harvester

It was quiet in TLCB Towers over the past few days. The Elves were out foraging for creations, thus allowing TLCB Staff to get whatever it is they do done, away from any Elf-related shenanigans. That productivity ended today.

Three creations were found, and – as is almost always the case – this started an Elf fight. This time though, one Elf had a distinct weaponry advantage…

Usually our smelly little workers employ the use of stationary, kitchen utensils and other office supplies to tip the odds in their favour. Unfortunately for the two Elves equipped as per the above, one of today’s combatants brought along an enormous remote control combine harvester…

It’s safe to say that a hand whisk is no match for several kilograms of remotely controlled whirling plastic.

The machine in question – a Bizon ZO56 – was found on Brickshelf, and whilst it is responsible for quite a lot of Elf blood on the office carpet, it’s also a damn good build. Trawson21 is the builder behind it, and there’s lots more to see, including a link to a video of the harvester in action, on Brickshelf at the link above.

Red in the Rearview

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Lego Mad Max 2 Road Warrior

There are a few vehicles that you don’t want to see looming in your rearview mirror. If you’re Mad Max, the first of today’s two creations is one of them; the lead chase car in Mad Max 2 ‘The Road Warrior’.

As it turns out, it doesn’t end well for the pink-mowhawked maniac riding in the convertible truck, but Max doesn’t fare much better either. This excellent mini-figure version of the car from the 1981 movie comes from TLCB regular _Tiler, and there’s more to see at his Flickr Photostream.

Today’s second creation is a from a brand that we’re all used to seeing in our rearview mirror, two feet from our rear bumper, being driven by a sunglasses-wearing douchebag who really must get to that next meeting asap.

Yes, Audi have become the manufacturer of choice for tailgating muppets everywhere, but there was a time when Audi’s class of driver was altogether different. Coincidentally it was back in the ’80s when Max was being terrorised by the vehicle above, and Audi stood for understated excellence.

It was the car below that really put the brand on the map, and – unfortunately – went a long way in adding Audi to the buying lists of the aforementioned clientele. It is of course the legendary early ’80s quattro with a small ‘q’. This neat Lego version has been built by Ben, and is available to view on Flickr.

Lego Audi quattro

Bricking Bad

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Lego Breaking Bad Pontiac Aztek

Breaking Bad is, according to everyone who’s ever watched it (including this TLCB writer), the best thing that’s ever been on TV ever. The Pontiac Aztek however, is widely considered to be one of the worst vehicles ever made in the history of the automobile ever.

These two hyperboles met when some brilliant automotive casting matched the early 2000s crossover with Breaking Bad’s lead character Walter White, aka Heisenberg (before the show’s success attracted some blatant vehicle product placement).

Whist we thoroughly agree with the first statement above, the second we’re not so sure about. The Aztek was of course a spectacular failure, derided for both its function and aesthetics. But… much of what made the Aztek such a joke back in 2001 is now completely on trend. Spilt headlights, cross-over profile, and coupe-like rear glass are now all common-place in the burgeoning crossover segment, with everyone from Nissan to Mercedes using one or more elements of the Aztek’s design in their latest products.

It’s all too late for Pontiac though, which was closed down by parent company GM shortly after the Aztek ceased production. However, in a strikingly similar repeat of another star-car failure, the Aztek has seen a resurgence in popularity as a used buy, mostly due its starring TV role. It may even become a future classic.

The perfect recreation of Walter White’s battered Pontiac Aztek shown here is the work of serial bloggee Ralph Savelsberg (aka Mad Physicist), and you can see all the photos of his latest TV car at his photostream via the link above.

Lego Pontiac Aztek Heisenberg

Mad Moves

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Lego Mad Max RV Truck

This gloriously nuts Mad Max-esque RV/Truck/Armoured Car, entitled ‘Clan’s Moving House’, was discovered by a delighted TLCB Elf on Flickr today. It’s been built by Luis Baixinho and it looks like the perfect vehicle to make it through any one of the variety of apocalyptic events that the weird guy on the outskirts of town hoarding canned food and ammunition thinks is imminent. Get prepared on Flickr via the link above!

Lego Mad Max Truck

Step-Through

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Lego Scooter

Scooters are not our usual fare at The Lego Car Blog, but as there are far more on the roads worldwide than cars they should probably appear here more often. This neat Model Team scooter has been built by MOCpages’ Zhan James, and there’s more to see here.

RC Rally Raider

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Lego Technic RC Buggy Sheepo

It’s been a while since the last Elf smushing, but today – thanks to Technic legend Sheepo – vehicular violence returned to the halls of TLCB Towers.

Sheepo’s latest build is everything the Elves love in a vehicle, being orange, remote controlled and cartoonishly proportioned. It can also drive down a flight of stairs (literally! – watch the video below), so it had no trouble in running down (and then over) our smelly workforce.

Featuring all-wheel-drive courtesy of four XL motors, servo steering and two third-party SBricks for control Sheepo’s RC buggy is a formidable off-road machine. You can see further details of the build on Eurobricks by clicking here, where you’ll also find a link to free LDD instructions, because Sheepo is awesome.

You can also read more about Sheepo himself in our Interviews section and visit his own website via the Really Useful Links Directory.

YouTube Video:

Schlütty

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Lego Schlüter 1500 TVL Tractor

Not having heard the word ‘Schlüter’ before we thought it was most likely to be a promiscuous spring break German college girl, but it turns out that Schlüter was actually a Bavarian manufacturer of high-powered tractors, founded way back in 1898. The brand survived right up until the reunification of Germany, but sadly went bankrupt in 1993, ending almost 100 years of tractor production.

This lovely Model Team replica of Schlüter’s classic 1500 TVL tractor has been built by previous bloggee Bobofrutx. It features a range of working functions which can be seen in more detail on Flickr – click this link to make the jump.

Lego Tractor 1500 TVL

F-Shorty

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Lego Ferrari F40

This quirky cartoon-like Ferrari F40 was discovered on Flickr today. Yubnub is the builder, and his interesting use for hot dogs continues with his latest build. There’s more to see of his neat miniature from Maranello at the link above.

TLCB Summer Building Competition Round-Up

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TLCB Summer Building Competition

TLCB Summer Building Competition prizes are on their way to the Winners this week, but before we say goodbye to our first building competition our partners at LUGnuts have written an amusing* round-up of the entries submitted via their Flickr group.

Screen Shot 2015-06-12 at 09.36.37

You can check out LUGnuts’ assessment of the brilliant competition entries submitted via Flickr by clicking here.

LUGnuts

*Slightly adult content warning!

Big Cat – Picture Special

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Lego Caterpillar D11t Bulldozer

This incredible replica of Caterpillar’s D11t bulldozer was uncovered on Flickr. The builder is Davy Linden, and his spectacular creation is one of the finest vehicles we’ve posted in 2015.

Lego Caterpillar Bulldozer

Measuring almost a meter long and with brick-built tracks containing around 3,000 individual pieces Davy’s model is one of the largest and most intricate builds in TLCB history. There’s an extensive gallery of high quality images available to view on Flickr – click the link above to join us there.

Lego Cat Bulldozer

Flunder

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Lego Porsche 908/02 LH Flunder

With the news today that the Volkswagen Group has made a spectacular blunder the Elves were duly sent out to find a MOC that we could relate to the story. Unfortunately the Elves are idiots, so this 1970 Porsche 908/02 ‘Flunder’ is as close as they got. Still, it’s only one letter away and to be fair to them here at TLCB Towers they do hear a lot of words beginning with ‘F’…

Anyway, back to Volkswagen. Today’s news that the company have rigged the NOX emissions of their diesel vehicles in order to bypass air quality laws is one heck of a blunder. Actually, it’s not even a blunder. It’s a thoroughly despicable, bordering on evil, business decision to put profit ahead of peoples’ well-being. The NOX levels emitted by the affected Volkswagen Group vehicles are up to 40 times the legal limit, directly damaging the lung tissue of those that breathe it, and causing a variety of respiratory diseases and even biological mutations. Yup, we’re going to stick with ‘evil’.*

So far Porsche, a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group, are unaffected by the scandal – although only because they don’t yet use the group’s 4-cylinder diesel engines.

The glorious 1970 Porsche 908/02 ‘Flunder’ pictured above comes from a time when emissions could legally be quietly ignored, being powered by a three-litre flat-8 engine making just under 400bhp (and it still emitted less NOX than a modern VW diesel). The 908 raced alongside the bigger 917, being favoured on twisty tracks where the 917 was too cumbersome, and the example above raced at Le Mans in 1970 in the hands of Rudi Lins and Helmut Marko.

Previous bloggee Greg 998 is the builder and you can see more of his beautiful 908 on both MOCpages and Flickr.

Lego Porsche 908 Flunder

*TLCB – somewhat unbelievably – predicted this back in March(!). We’re still awaiting a call requesting our services from the investigators at the Environmental Protection Agency. We’re sure it’ll be any day now…

Tally-Ho! (in Space)

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Lego Speeder

This be-goggled hero looks like he’s having a roaring good time. You can see more of his handsome machine courtesy of Flickr’s de-marco.

Fetch the Phantom Jeeves

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Lego Rolls Royce Phantom III

Never was the division of the classes more obvious than when the 1930s social elite were being driven to their next dinner party; safe and warm inside the quilted cocoon of their luxury cabin, sipping spirits from the onboard drinks cabinet and chuckling at the peasants outside. Which is where poor Jeeves was sitting, at the wheel, in the cold, and covered in soot. There are absolutely no parallels with this and TLCB office staff and the Elves at all…

Whilst we feel slightly guilty, and then quickly get over it with a few beers, you can see more of the glorious 1937 Rolls Royce Phantom III Sedanca de Ville pictured above by clicking this link to ER0L’s photostream. Or you can get your butler to do it.