Author Archives: thelegocarblogger

Mitsubishi Memories

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Mitsubishi Motors make precisely nothing that we would ever want to buy, drive, or ride in.

That Mitsubishi’s recent emissions fraud in Japan meant their share price dropped low enough for the Renault-Nissan Alliance to buy them (and then confirm they were pulling the brand out of Europe altogether) only makes us pleased, because there’s less chance of us having to look at the back of one of these.

Which makes it all the sadder that Mitsubishi Motors used to make some rather excellent cars, such as the mid ’90s Galant, the weird FTO, and this, the Lancer Evolution.

With all four wheels driven by a two-litre turbocharged four-cylinder, the Lancer Evo and its Subaru Impreza WRX rival were way ahead of the European and American competition in the ’90s, as demonstrated by Japan’s utter dominance of the World Rally Championship at the time.

Both Subaru and Mitsubishi developed their cars every year or so too, with the latter handily applying roman numerals to the nameplate so it was easy to see who had the latest version.

This particular Lancer is a ‘V’, which appeared for just one year exactly halfway through the Evo’s development. Previous bloggee Fuku Saku has captured the Evo V brilliantly, using some properly clever techniques to recreate the late ’90s performance car icon.

There’s loads more of Fuku’s build to see at his ‘Mitsubishi Lancer Evo V’ album on Flickr; click the link above to make the jump, and remember a time when Mitsubishi made more than just air-conditioning units. And this.

AMG AdVantage

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Aston Martin have always been on the brink of financial ruin. However the late ’00s proved something of a renaissance for the firm. Out from Ford control they created some beautiful and rather good supercars, which – in an unusual turn of events – actually made them some money.

The cars have got even better since then, but sadly the financial woes have returned. Hopes are pinned on the new DBX SUV, which is sad state of affairs but we suppose the Cayenne saved Porsche, and – horrible though it is – selling SUVs allowed the brand to survive and keep making 911s.

Aston Martin have also received some new investment, firstly from Mercedes-Benz AMG, who now supply their engines and electrics, and secondly from Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll.

If that name’s familiar to you it’s because he’s F1 driver Lance Stroll’s father, who ‘coincidentally’   now owns the team his son drives for, Racing Point, previously Force India.

Racing Point will become ‘Aston Martin Racing’ for the 2021 season, which fills us with dread (remember Ford shoving Jaguar into Formula 1 back in the early ’00s?…), but we guess it makes marginally more sense than their pointless current sponsorship of Red Bull Racing, who use Honda engines and have absolutely nothing to do with Aston Martin whatsoever, besides banking a cheque that could be better spent on literally anything else.

Anyway, we hope it works out, because Aston Martin can still build some wonderful cars, such as this; the AMG-powered V8 Vantage.

This excellent Model Team recreation of the 2018 V8 Vantage comes from previous bloggee Alexander Paschoaletto, and he’s captured the real car brilliantly. Opening doors and hood reveal a detailed interior and engine bay respectively, and there’s more of the build to see at Alexander’s ‘Aston Martin V8 Vantage’ album on Flickr.

Click the link above to take a look, and cross your fingers for Aston Martin in 2021…

Shock of the Lightning

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This is an English Electric Lightning, and it is the coolest fighter aircraft ever made.

Firstly, because it’s called the English Electric Lightning and secondly, because it was powered by two Rolls-Royce Avon axial-flow jet engines stacked vertically, one atop the other.

Such immense power a gave the Lightning a top speed in excess of Mach 2, making it the only fighter of the time able to catch Concorde, and it is to this day still the only U.K designed and built interceptor to achieve twice the speed of sound.

It was also capable of an exceptional rate of climb, reaching 33,000ft from take-off in under three minutes, with an operational ceiling well in excess of double that – an important ability given its brief to intercept Russian nuclear bombers during the Cold War.

This brilliant Lego recreation of the English Electric Lighting comes from previous bloggee Dread Pirate Wesley, who has constructed a 1:55 F.3 series aircraft as operated by RAF Squadron 56.

This particular Lightning is a preserved surviving example available to see on display, but if you can’t get to RAF Bruntingthorpe you can check out the next best thing via Wesley’s photostream. Click the link above to get to Mach 2 very quickly indeed.

*Today’s title song.

LEGO Technic 42120 & 42121 | Set Previews

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The crack team of TLCB Elves dispatched over The LEGO Company’s perimeter wall at the end of 2020 had – we thought – all returned. By ‘all’ we actually mean ‘the survivors’, as each year we always lose a couple to German Shepherds with a taste for Elf meat. A simple ‘ceremony’ is held for those that didn’t make it, by which we mean they’re crossed off a list, and then we all get on with our lives.

Today though, we’ve got to get the TipEx out and add two names back onto the list, because a pair of Elves have miraculously returned, weeks after they were thought lost/eaten!

We’re not sure what took them so long, and we probably never will as we don’t understand the jibber-jabber of Elvish, but we’re pleased they’ve made it back, because it means we can share two more new-for-2021 Technic sets!

The first is this rather fetching orange contraption, the 42120 Rescue Hovercraft, or ‘Luftkissenboot fuer Rettungseinsaetze’ in German (it’s a beautiful language).

Aimed at ages 8+, 42120 includes 457 pieces – many of which are orange which is excellent – and features thrust propellors that rotate as the model is pushed along, and working steering that both turns the hidden wheels underneath and swivels the aforementioned fans.

Decals are included a-plenty and there’s a reasonable looking B-Model too. Expect 42120 to cost around $35/£30 when it reaches stores in March of 2021.

The second cause of today’s Elf-list-amendment is another new 8+ set, the excellent looking 42121 Heavy Duty Excavator. A purely mechanical set, 42121 includes around 100 pieces more than 42120, two of which are small linear actuators that operate the excavating movement.

A pair of hand-powered cogs drive these to extend the boom and tip the bucket, and it’s great to see mechanical functions are still (sometimes) alive and well in the Technic range – although there is a risk of these being rather annoying in practice, based on our past experience.

Superstructure rotation and rolling tracks are present too, and 42121 also includes a few extra details like warning cones and some ‘rubble’ for added playability. A slightly odd B-Model completes the set and you can expect it to cost around $45/£40 when it reaches stores later this  year.

We think these two additions to the 2021 Technic line-up are rather good ones, joining a range that looked pretty strong already.

You can take a look at the other 2021 Technic sets revealed here via the Search box (just type ‘Preview’ in it), and you can check out our reviews of past years’ sets via the Review Library.

Take a look whilst we try to convince our Administrator that adding the Elves back onto the list is probably less work than Option B.

Use Your Illusion

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Making something static appear to be in motion is a tricky thing. Of course photo editing means almost anything is possibly digitally, but adding movement purely in brick-form is something we rarely see.

Today though, two builders have absolutely nailed it, by deploying some ingenious techniques to give their creations the appearance of speed.

Taken from the Japanese Manga ‘Dominion’, David Collins‘ ‘Bonaparte’ police tank has arrived on the scene in violent sideways fashion, kicking up a shower of broken asphalt and smoke as it does so. It’s a killer technique and one that would work brilliantly for rally cars, drift cars, and off-road motorbikes, and you can see more of how David has done it via the link.

Today’s second build manages to convey both ponderous movement and agile flight, as MadLEGOman recreates the iconic ‘Battle of Hoth’ scene from ‘The Empire Strikes Back’. An AT-AT is striding through the snow towards the Rebel Alliance base from which this A-Wing has departed, with cable in tow in hope of tripping the attacker.

Mad has cunningly used the cable to both support the A-Wing in-flight and depict the path it’s taken, to brilliant effect. Click the link above to jump to Hoth for more movement illusion.

Dirt Danger

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Is there a more dangerous vehicle than a quad bike? Of course there is, because back in the ’80s you could have one with a wheel missing.

The logic was probably of the bar-stool variety, in that three legs don’t wobble. However when an engine and rider are attached, and one of those legs moves about from side to side, wobbling, followed by crashing, was very much the order of the day.

Still, we would totally have a go, because the fear of tipping over and being pinned to the ground by a ferociously hot lump of clattering metal was half the fun!

Flickr’s Pat Lacroix is helping us reminisce, and you can see more of his superb ’80s ‘Dirt Trike’, complete with rear suspension, steering, and a chain driven engine via the link above. Just have a first aid box ready.

Giant Vibrator

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Get your minds out of the gutter. This is a Vibroseis Tracked Vehicle, designed to send shock waves through the ground to map rock density for the oil and gas industry, and it is – in effect – a giant vibrator.

This intriguing Technic recreation of one of the world’s more unusual vehicles comes from Master MOcer and multiple previous bloggee Nicco71, who has built it using only parts from the 42100 Technic Leibherr R 9800 excavator set.

The three repurposed XL Motors drive both sets of tracks plus the piston engine mounted in the rear section, whilst the set’s four L Motors power the winch, the articulated steering, the vibrator height, and the vibrating action.

There’s loads more to see of this remarkable creation at Nico71’s website by clicking here – where building instructions can also be found so you can use this giant vibrator for yourself at home – plus you can watch it in action in the only safe-for-work vibrator footage on the internet via the video below.

YouTube Video

Front Loaded

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It’s an exciting time to be a TLCB Elf today. One of their number found this; a magnificent Volvo-esque 4×4 wheel loader with full remote control. It comes from FT-creations and it’s packed with functions, all of which can be controlled via bluetooth thanks to a pair of third-party SBricks hidden inside.

An XL Motor drives all four wheels, an L Motor controls the pivoted steering, whilst four more power two on-board compressors that, with the help of two Servo Motors, operate the boom and bucket movements.

It’s all exceptionally clever and allows FT’s model to function just like the real thing.  Which is to say rather slowly.

Of course that means there’ll be no Elf squashings taking place today and instead several of them are happily riding around in the bucket. However we think the bucket of FT’s front loader might have enough elevation to reach the toilet, so whilst we try that out on the unsuspecting passengers you can see more of FT’s ace build at both Eurobricks and Rebrickable, where building instructions are also available.

Creator Expert 10295 Porsche 911 | Set Preview

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Yes yes yes! LEGO’s partnership with real-world vehicle manufacturers is probably the best thing the company has done since inventing the brick itself, and in no set is this more evident than the brand new 10295 Creator Expert Porsche 911.

Containing a whopping 1,458 pieces and aimed at ages 18+, the 10295 Porsche 911 sets a new high for the Creator Expert series.

Two iconic ’80s versions of the Porsche 911 can be built from 10295; the pretty Targa, or the yuppie-killing Turbo. Each measures over 35cm in length and features working steering, opening doors, engine cover (under which the Turbo features a replica turbocharged flat-6 engine) and front trunk (under which the Targa’s removable roof can be stowed).

An excellent (and very brown) interior contrasts beautifully with the white bodywork, and makes this – in our opinion – probably the finest Creator Expert set yet.

The new Creator Expert 10295 Porsche 911 set will reach stores in March of this year with a recommended retail price of $150/£120, which is rather a lot for a toy, but not a lot at all for a classic Porsche 911. Plus there’s also the 75895 Speed Champions version so you can get your brick-built classic 911 fix for pocket money.

Top job LEGO!

Moustache P.I.

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This TLCB Writer is too young to know anything about Magnum P.I, but it seems to have been mostly about a moustache galavanting around Hawaii in a Ferrari 308. And was therefore probably excellent. Also excellent is this; Laszlo Torma’s Speed Champions Ferrari 308, complete with a pair of mini-figures and an all-important moustache. Building instructions are available and there’s more to see here.

I Only Work In Black…

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Mini-figure Batman is looking particularly moody in this shot, no doubt pondering darkness, no parents, and upgrades to his sound system. KitKat1414 is the builder behind it and there’s more to see of his Tumbler and Dark Knight on Flickr here.

Smarter than the Average Bear

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Yogi Bear looks pissed. We’re not sure what the mini-figure behind the wheel of this Chevrolet K5 Blazer has done but we’re betting he’s hoping that rickety bridge holds up. It’s got a bit of extra weight to carry too, what with the Blazer being loaded with a variety of outdoorsy paraphernalia, and – oddly – a globe, which – unless your journey is really long and the details don’t really matter – seems a pointless thing to bring. Anyway, there’s more to see of Yogi’s revenge courtesy of Andrea Lattanzio on Flickr – click the link to take a look!

Forked from Behind

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This is a Renault Magnum, famous for being the squarest object in the known universe. It comes from Damian Z (aka Thietmaier), and whilst it’s excellent, what’s more interesting is the dropside trailer and trailer-mounted forklift behind it.

Such set-ups are commonplace in Europe, with the forklift sometimes cleverly doubling as the rear lights, number plate holder, and bumper of the trailer.

Damian’s forklift is a Moffett M4, and it’s as beautifully built as both the trailer that it rides upon and the truck that pulls it.

There’s lots more to see of Damian’s superbly presented Magnum/Moffett combination at his ‘Renault Magnum AE’ album on Flickr, where further details (including the rather neat pallets and their patio tile cargo) can be found. Click the link above for a good rear forking.

My Other Car’s a Bugatti

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Bugatti’s Chiron probably shares more than a few parts with the Audi R8, what with both of them coming from the Volkswagen Empire. In fact we wouldn’t be surprised if the Chiron and the R8 share the odd part with a Skoda too, but that’s probably kept quiet…

Michal Wolski (aka Porsche96) has gone considerably further though, building his Audi R8 only from parts found within the 42083 Technic Bugatti Chiron set.

Michal’s alternate is just as features-packed as the donor set too, with all-wheel-suspension, a working V10 engine hooked up to a 4-speed sequential gearbox, steering by both the wheel and ‘Hand of God’, and a functioning convertible roof.

Full build details and a link to building instructions can be found at the Eurobricks forum, whist a complete gallery of images is available to view via both Bricksafe and Flickr. Click the links to take a closer look at Michal’s Bugatti-based R8, and if you’re feeling inspired we’d like to see a Chiron-based Skoda!

Chumdinger

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This gloriously grey steamer comes from Daniel Church of Flickr, whose ‘Chumdinger’ steampunk tugboat plies the dirty waters of a Victorian Thames. And what waters they are too, with Daniel creating the bow waves and paddle churn absolutely beautifully in trans tiles. That’s not a very ‘TLCB’ thing to write, as we’re normally focussed on engines and whatnot, but fortunately the Chumdinger has one of those too, with the pistons pumping and paddle turning brilliantly via a hidden Power Function motor. There’s more to see of Daniel’s superb creation at his photostream – click the link above to head to the past on London’s river.