Yearly Archives: 2016

Last Chance to Win!

TLCB LEGO Set Reviews

The Lego Car Blog Set Review Competition has just a few short weeks remaining! We’ve asked you, our readers, to join us to add even more LEGO sets to the Set Review Library, and those that made the grade have seen their words published here reaching over a million readers annually!

If you’d like to add your own set to our Set Reviews and be in with a chance of winning some awesome prizes then get in touch via the comments – but be quick as the competition closes December 31st!

Still up for grabs are several superb Lego books from the great guys at No Starch Press, including the 5-star rated Tiny Lego Wonders, and the brilliant Manner-Spielzeug Mad Max Interceptor set, making a prize pot worth over $130!

You can read all of the Set Reviews submitted so far, as well as those written by our in-house reviewers, by visiting The Lego Car Blog Set Review Library here, and we’ll announce the winner (based on a combination of views and a judges’ vote) in early 2017.

Lego Set Reviews Prizes

Shooting Santa

Lego KAMAZ 4310

Communism, that bastion of equality and shared ownership, did away with such frivolities as freedom of movement, choice of employment, and creativity. In fact we’re pretty sure that creativity and inventiveness were actively banned, so mind-numbingly dull are all communistical product names.

This gives us a headache when we blog one of them, as there is zero chance of getting the vehicle name into a witty title. So – absent from the post title – here is today’s; the KamAZ-4310 military off-road truck, complete with a ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft auto-cannon mounted in the bed.

Lego KamAZ-4310 and ZU-23-2

Built by the Soviets from the 1960s, the ZU-23-2 is still in production today, and is probably being used by both sides in the ongoing Syrian conflict which shows little sign of abating. Capable of hitting aircraft from 2.5km, or armoured vehicles from around 2km, it’s the perfect weapon for a dark Christmas night… just think of all the presents that you could make off with if you had this combo! It’s kind of a one-time deal though, as Santa probably wouldn’t be around next year for a repeat robbery.

Vova Rychkov is the builder and there’s more to see at his Flickr photostream – click the link to get armed.

Lego Kamaz Truck

Buzz Wagon

Lego Wacky Races Buzz Wagon

And now here they are! The most daredevil group of daffy drivers to ever whirl their wheels in the Wacky Races, competing for the title of worlds wackiest racer! The cars are approaching the starting line… Next is Rufus Ruffcut and Sawtooth in the Buzz Wagon!

Redfern1950s adds yet another cartoon racer to his Wacky Races line-up. There’s more to see of Rufus and Sawtooth at Red’s photostream, and you can check out all of Red’s Wacky Racers builds so far by clicking here.

’48 Ford

Lego Ford F1

This is a 1948 Ford F1, and we know that racing cars were a bit agricultural back then but this is ridiculous.

It’s not really anything to do with the highest tier of motorsport of course, rather it’s the predecessor to America’s best selling truck, the Ford F150. This neat Model Team version has been built by Lego-building legend Firas Abu-Jaber, and unusually for a static display piece it features a few working functions too, including steering, opening doors and hood, and a dropping tailgate.

There’s more to see of Firas’ latest build at his photostream, and you can check out his interview here at The Lego Car Blog by clicking these words.

Lego Ford F1 Truck

Dub Sleigh

Lego VW Transporter Christmas

Santa Claus is a pretty groovy dude. Firstly, the beard. Secondly, he’s into extreme winter sports. And thirdly, the beard again. Seriously, it’s a really good beard.

If Santa didn’t have access to a magical flying sleigh we suspect he’d be riding in something be-fitting his beardy-dude status. Something like this, a classic Volkswagen T2 Transporter. There’s plenty of room for presents and it is, despite the attempts of the smelly hippy community to appropriate it – a seriously cool ride.

This one is the work of TLCB Master MOCer Andrea Lattanzio aka Norton74 and there’s more to see at his photostream. Click here to visit Santa’s Garage.

The Arkansas Chug-A-Bug

Lego Wacky Races Arkansas Chuggabug

And now here they are! The most daredevil group of daffy drivers to ever whirl their wheels in the Wacky Races, competing for the title of worlds wackiest racer! The cars are approaching the starting line… And there’s the Arkansas Chug-A-Bug with Luke & Blubber Bear!

Redfern1950s adds a seventh cartoon racer to his rapidly expanding Wacky Races ensemble! There’s more to see of the Arkansas Chug-A-Bug at Red’s Flickr photostream, and you can check out the six Wacky Racers builds that proceeded this one – as well as couple by other builders – by clicking here.

Ferrari Enzo – Picture Special

Lego Ferrari Enzo

It’s time for one of your suggestions. This stunning Ferrari Enzo comes from previous bloggee Ryan Link of MOCpages, and it is – as you can see – a beautifully accurate recreation of one of Ferrari’s greatest hits.

Lego Ferrari Enzo

Featuring a detailed engine and interior, plus opening butterfly doors and engine lid, Ryan’s model used some mind-bindingly intricate techniques to achieve the famous shape. See how he’s done it via the link to his MOCpage above!

Lego Ferrari Enzo

Wacky Races!

Lego Wacky Races Mean Machine

The Lego Car Blog Elves are easily addicted creatures. Not to any hard substances of course (unless you count when we forget to lock the stationary cupboard and all our glue sticks get eaten), but their various fascinations can become all-consuming. Most of these have been in televisual form, with the Transformers and Mad Max movies being their most recent obsessions, but the winds of favour are fickle and in the last few weeks both the Elves’ previous loves have been supplanted by a deep and almost religious reverence for a 40 year-old cartoon.

Lego Wacky Races Army Surplus Special

Luckily for us we quite like the Elves’ current obsession, which started when Flickr builder Redfern1950s built the Army Surplus Special from the 1970s Hannah-Barbera animated series ‘Wacky Races’ a few weeks ago. Five more Wacky Races creations have since followed, and the Elves have become so fixated on the animated antics of the Wacky Races crew that they can think of little else.

Today therefore, three Elves were borne aloft by their colleagues as heroes of the hunt, as each had returned with a new Wacky Races vehicle to revere. All three are the work of captainsmog of Flickr, and that he’s given them their own album folder suggests that there might be many more to come! There’s more to see of the Captain’s mini-figure scale ‘Mean Machine’, ‘Army Surplus Special’ and ‘Turbo Terrific’ in the aforementioned album via the link above – click the link to make the jump.

Lego Wacky Races Turbo Terrific

Moving Floors

Lego DAF FTG CF 460 Broeders Transport

Arian Janssens is becoming a regular here at The Lego Car Blog with his superb DAF haulage trucks. This is his latest, a CF 460 in Broeders Transport livery, carrying what we think are concrete floor sections. There’s more to see of Arian’s brilliantly detailed DAF at his photostream – click here to check it out.

Porsche 911 SC – Picture Special

Lego Porsche 911 SC

This lovely canary yellow 1980 Porsche 911 SC (Super Carrera) built by Jon Elliott was suggested to us by a reader today. Underneath the wonderfully lifelike bodywork – complete with opening doors, hood and engine lid – there are a few surprising (and very un-Model Team) technical touches too.

Lego Porsche 911 SC

Working steering, rear suspension and a boxer piston engine are included, all hiding seamlessly inside the accurate body shell. There are lots more images to see at Jon’s Flickr photostream and MOCpages account – click the links to check out the full 911 SC gallery.

Lego Porsche 911 SC

Black Phantom

Lego Rolls Royce Phantom

Aircraft, a creepy opera character, and a ghostly spectre all wear the Phantom name, but this is our favourite; the near 6-meter long, 6.75 litre V12-engined Rolls Royce. Launched in 2003 the Phantom is only just due for replacement, but even those that are now 13 years old still command a high price tag. TLCB regular Ralph Savelsberg has built one that’s far more attainable though, and you can see more of his instantly recognisable recreation at his photostream via the link above.

Sukhoi Su-35

Lego Sukhoi Su-35

This superb recreation of Russia’s Sukhoi Su-35 fighter, exquisitely detailed in an usual tundra-camouflage, is the work of previous bloggee Lennart C of Flickr.

The real Su-35 is currently in operation over Syria, where it’ll be wearing an altogether more drab paint job to blend in with the desert beneath it, and unfortunately it’s not exactly been hitting purely military targets.

Russia’s offensive against the dick-bags in Islamic State (a good thing) is sadly masking a greater politicised conflict, and one in which civilians and rebels – themselves fighting ISIS – are dying daily at the hands of Russian airstrikes and President Assad’s trigger-happy forces.

To see how you can help those trapped in the conflict click this link to the UN Refugee Agency’s Syrian Crisis Appeal, and for more details on this magnificent but sobering recreation of one of the causes click the link above to visit Lennart C’s photostream.

Lego Su-35 Fighter

Dashing Through the Snow

Lego Technic Snowmobile Remote Control

It’s getting all wintery here at TLCB Towers. This means a) we barely see any daylight, b) our Elves often need defrosting when they return to the office (but that’s OK, they’re elves), and c) we’ll try to direct a bit more of the advertising revenue that your visits generate to those without a roof over their heads this Christmas (so please keep visiting – no pressure!).

It also means that we’d like to go out and buy something really silly like a snowmobile for the four days a year that it snows here. Luckily Eurobricks’ Kevin Moo has just the creation to scratch that itch, with his brilliant fully remote controlled Technic Ski-Doo.

Powered by two L Motors, with Servo steering, and with both front and rear suspension, Kevin’s snowmobile is pretty capable in powder, and it can be controlled via a Bluetooth device thanks to a third-party SBrick receiver too. There’s more of Kevin’s build to see at the Eurobricks discussion forum – click the link above to make the trip.

Lego Technic Snowmobile Remote Control

Light Speed

Lego Tron Light Cycle Sariel

1982’s computer-themed adventure Tron might be something of a cult film now, but its initial release was such a failure that it stopped makers Disney from releasing another live action movie for a decade. We suspect Lego-building legend Sariel will have no such trouble with the release of his latest build; easily the coolest thing from the movie, the Tron Light Cycle.

One of our Elves was absolutely on it today, and thus we’ve got hold of this so early that we have no idea what it does (there’s not even a description from the builder at the time of posting this). However, if his previous works are anything to go by then Sariel’s newest creation will be packed with functionality as well as looking damn cool.

You can see all of the images at Sariel’s Flickr photostream, where we expect full build details will be released shortly.

Lego Tron Light Cycle Sariel

The Ant Hill Mob

Lego Wacky Races Ant Hill Mob Bullet Proof Bomb

And now here they are! The most daredevil group of daffy drivers to ever whirl their wheels in the Wacky Races, competing for the title of worlds wackiest racer! The cars are approaching the starting line… Right behind is the Ant Hill Mob in their Bullet Proof Bomb!

Lego Wacky Races Bullet Proof Bomb

Redfern1950s is quickly amassing the entire Wacky Races ensemble, with six racers built in the last few weeks! There’s more to see of the Ant Hill Mob’s ‘Bulletproof Bomb’ at Red’s Flickr photostream, and you can check out his five Wacky Racers builds that proceeded this one by clicking here.

Lego Ant Hill Mob Wacky Races Bullet Proof Bomb