Category Archives: Model Team

Urally Good

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We may mock President Putin as regularly as we can create a tenuous link to his dickwittery, but the country he dictates is an amazing one. Spanning from the Atlantic to the Pacific across eleven time zones, responsible for the first animal, satellite, and person in space, and with a history uniting fifteen separate countries into one bloc of… er, communist misery, Russia and the former Soviet Union are a major part of our current world.

They also make probably the best off-road trucks of anyone, which are needed to traverse a vast and wild landscape, with most having their roots in the Military. Founded in 1956, off-road truck-maker Ural shares this history, and still employs 4,000 people today building trucks like this, Vladimir Drozd‘s beautifully presented Ural crane truck.

With a working crane that rotates, elevates, extends, and winches, Vladimir’s Ural functions as good as it looks, and there’s loads more of his superb model to see at his ‘Ural Crane Truck’ album on Flickr. Take a look via the link above, or here for a tenuous link to Putin’s dickwittery.

Typical Porsche Driver

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Porsche – as per Bentley, Rolls-Royce, Aston Martin, Lamborghini and almost every automotive brand – are today mostly an SUV manufacturer. Sigh.

But they haven’t abandoned their roots quite as much as would first appear, as they – like Lamborghini – have off-road vehicles as much a part of their early history as their current line-up.

Many of these were of a military purpose designed for a certain moustachioed maniac, which Porsche don’t seem keen to highlight in their corporate history, but Porsche also built tractors, such as this rather cute Porsche-Diesel Standard 218.

Powered by a two-cylinder 25bhp air-cooled diesel engine, the Standard 218 could be outrun by even the fattest TLCB Writer, but unlike the fattest TLCB Writer it could also lift over half-a-ton on its three-point-hitch.

This lovely Model Team replica of the Porsche-Diesel Standard 218 recreates the tractor (and hitch) beautifully, with superb attention to detail paid in particular to the Porsche’s visible mechanical parts.

TLCB newcomer dimnix is the builder behind it, and there’s more to see of this excellent classic Porsche-Diesel at their Brickshelf gallery. Click the link above to jump back to when an off-road Porsche didn’t mean an aggressively-driven Cayenne.

Big Yellow Taxi*

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NYC taxi cabs seem to be less, well… cabby these days. Toyota RAV4 hybrids and electric Nissan vans have taken over from the classic V8-powered three-box sedans, which is of course excellent news for air quality. And quite probably ride quality. But somehow less… cabby.

Of course we’re talking nonsense, because the old three-box sedans weren’t bespoke taxis like London’s ‘Black Cabs‘ anymore than a RAV4 is, and thus you were just as likely to see them being driven by the elderly in Florida as you were in yellow NYC form.

However even now, if asked to picture a NYC yellow cab, we would still think of a shape (and era) like this.

The Chevrolet Caprice was one of several V8-powered three-box sedans used for taxi duty in New York before their electrified replacements arrived, with this superb brick-built version being a 1989 example.

Constructed by previous bloggee Jakub Marcisz, the model captures the classic cab brilliantly, including four opening doors, hood and trunk, working steering, a detailed engine bay and interior, and some wonderfully authentic NYC Taxi License decals.

There’s much more of this Chevrolet Caprice NYC cab to see at Jakub’s photostream, and you can hail a ride in New York sometime in the 1990s via the link in the text above.

*Today’s title song (a cover version that features (we think) this very Chevrolet Caprice taxi in the video. Points for us!).

Ural-4320 6×6 | Picture Special

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This magnificent model is a Ural-4320 6×6 truck, a Soviet-era general purpose military truck first built in 1977, and still in production today.

Powered by a naturally-aspirated V8 diesel or a V6 turbodiesel, the Ural-4320 is very slow, but able to carry a variety of loads, from troops to rocket launchers, over almost any terrain. Well, unless the Russian Army recruits behind the wheel abandon them and run.

Which is what has occurred in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with over six-hundred Ural-4320s destroyed or abandoned, and around fifty captured a repurposed by the Ukrainian military, according to Dutch open-source intelligence group Oryx. Which is marvellous.

This phenomenal fully remote controlled Model Team recreation of the Ural-4320 comes from Russian builder and previous bloggee Michael217, who has brilliantly captured not just the aesthetics of the real truck, but also much of the driveline too.

A LEGO Buggy motor powers all six wheels, each of which is suspended and fitted with a portal axle, there’s Servo steering (that turns the steering wheel too), a high/low gearbox, opening doors and hood, a detailed engine, and an open load area ready to be fitted with a variety of Russian (or Ukrainian…) equipment.

There’s much more of Michael’s amazing model to see at the Eurobricks discussion forum, you can find the full image gallery at Bricksafe here, and you can watch the truck in action via the video below.

YouTube Video

I Want a Painted Mac*

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The McLaren F1, once the fastest production car in the world, a Le Mans 24 Hours winner, and – if you are very rich indeed – a default choice for the car collection.

3D supercarBricks, whose Le Mans winning McLaren appeared here earlier in the year, has now turned his very talented hands to the road car, building this stunning maroon Model Team version as a commissioned piece.

The spectacular detail is achieved via some ingenious building techniques, plus 3D-printed wheels and maroon spray-paint, which aren’t strictly purist, but we suspect the owner of the real McLaren F1 (and member of the Bin Laden family) is probably used to things being rather more tailored than us peasants.

There’s more of the model to see at 3D’s ‘McLaren F1’ album, and you can make the jump to an air-conditioned garage somewhere in Saudi Arabia via the link in the text above.

*Today’s (butchered) title song.

The Slowest Car in the World

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You might think that the slowest car in the world would be some steam-powered contraption from the late 1800s, or perhaps the thing that moves the space shuttle. But no, if the internet is to believed the slowest car ever is in fact a 200bhp sports car from the late 2010s.

Which just goes to show how the internet’s comments sections are filled with more nonsensical hyperbole than the inside of Donald Trump’s head.

The Subaru BRZ and its Toyota GT86/Scion FRS siblings are throughly brilliant analogue (as much as a modern car can be) rear-wheel-drive sports cars, with low weight, modest power, and – admittedly – the same torque as a smoothie-maker.

Still, that just made getting the most from the sublime chassis even more fun, and we’re pretty sure that when everything is electric, automatic, and festooned with electronic safety interference (which is the reason the car’s second-generation will last just a few short years), the BRZ and GT86 will become highly sought-after classics.

This fantastic Model Team recreation of the slowest-car-in-the-world-according-to-the-internet comes from Flickr’s Mihail Rakovskiy, who has replicated the Subaru BRZ brilliantly. Opening doors, a superbly realistic engine under the raising hood, an opening trunk, and a life-like interior all feature, and there’s lots more to see at Mihail’s ‘Subaru BRZ’ album. Click the link above to make your way very slowly there.

Viva la Revolución

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Pagani somehow seem to have made more ultra-limited special editions than they have cars. And that’s mathematically impossible.

This one is the Zonda Cinque Revolucion, a track-based ultra-limited special edition based on the ultra-limited Zonda Cincque, which is a road-going version of the ultra-limited Zonda R, which was an ultra-limited track version of the Zonda. No, we don’t understand either.

Still, we’re not exactly the target demographic for Zonda ownership here at TLCB, and this Model Team recreation of the ultra-limited version of an ultra-limited version of another ultra-limited version of an ultra-limited hypercar is stunning.

Built by 3D supercarBricks, this incredible replica of the Pagani Zonda Cinque Revolucion captures the insanity of the real deal in jaw-dropping detail, with an engine bay, chassis and interior just as life-like as the wild bodywork.

There’s more to see – including the spectacular under-bodywork detail – at 3D’s photostream; join the revolution (for a very select few) via the link in the text above.

*Today’s punky title song.

My Other Car’s a Land Rover

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Few vehicles are better off-road than a Land Rover Defender. This is perhaps one of them – well, on sand at any rate – a sand rail buggy.

Built using only the parts from the official LEGO Icons 10317 Land Rover Defender 90 set, this excellent 10317 alternate is the work of Brian Michal, and includes suspension, steering, a detailed engine, a tricksy-looking roll cage, and a fatboy motorcycle.

Yup, Brian had enough parts left over after completing his minimalist sand rail that he could throw in a motorbike too! Building instructions are available and there’s more to see of both B-Models at Brian’s ‘10317 Sand Rail and Fatboy’ album.

Picking Cherries

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Here at The Lego Car Blog we cherry-pick the best Lego vehicles from all around the world-wide-web. Well, the places our Elves frequent at any rate. Cue today’s creation, which is cherry-picked cherry picker, if you will, as built by NoEXIST of Eurobricks. Based on an Iveco Eurocargo, the model features a working piston engine, functioning outriggers, ‘HOG’ steering, and a rotating and raising cherry-picking hoist. Building instructions are available and you can pick your very own cherries via the link above, where an equally good Mercedes-Benz Atego truck by the same builder can also be found. Cherries come in pairs after all.

Le Mans ’95

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Mid-’90s endurance racing was – in this writer’s opinion – the peak of Le Mans cool. Purpose-built racers competed on equal terms wildly fast supercars, based on those that could actually be bought by the public (in some years they even had to have space for luggage in the regulations!). This created both spectacular on-track battles and some astonishing road cars, with this being one of them; the Le Mans winning 1995 McLaren F1 GTR.

Designed by Gordon Murray and powered by a BMW M-Power V12, the McLaren F1 was the fastest production car in the world, and remains the fastest naturally-aspirated production car to this day. Twenty-eight ‘GTR’-spec F1s were produced for racing, with the model winning not just Le Mans, but becoming the first non-domestic car to win the All-Japan Grand Touring Car Championship.

This is the Le Mans winning car, which beat rivals from Ferrari, Corvette, Honda, and Porsche, plus a range of purpose-built open-cockpit racers, and took third, fourth and fifth places too. It comes from previous bloggee 3D supercarBricks, who has captured the F1 GTR and its ’95 Le Mans livery beautifully in brick form.

Custom wheels and opening doors, front trunk and engine cover feature, and there’s much more to see at 3D’s photostream. Click the link above to travel as fast as it was possible to go in car in 1995.

Champagne Supernova*

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If you’re seven, or a TLCB Elf, then this post is for you. This is Tim Inman‘s Chevy Nova, only it isn’t quite as per the cars that left the Chevrolet factory in 1963. Inspired by the German DTM racing series, Tim has outfitted his Nova with a wild aero package consisting of flared arches, ground-effect skirts, a front splitter, rear diffuser, and the biggest rear wing we’ve ever seen. There’s more to see of Tim’s Super Nova on Flickr and you can join the rather weird DTM race via the link.

*Today’s glorious title song. Turn it up.

Wood & Canvas

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Natural and/or flappy materials are notoriously difficult to recreate from LEGO. Rigid plastic blocks do not make for easy organic shapes, however Arian Janssens has managed to create realistic looking wood, canvas and rope for his stunning DAF FAS 2600 truck and drawbar trailer.

Arian’s superb truck includes a myriad of intricate detailing, including the load area, where ‘wooden’ sides, a ‘canvas’ cover, and ‘rope’ ties have all been beautifully replicated in brick form.

A dozen top quality images are available to view and you can check them all out at Arian’s ‘DAF FAS 2600’ album via the link above.

Ford Five

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This beautifully presented hot rod was discovered by one of our Elves on Flickr. Built by regular bloggee Jonathan Elliott it’s a Ford 5-Window, so called because it has, er… six windows. No matter, it’s fantastic, and you can check it out via the link.

Shine On

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The Lego Car Blog Elves, as well as liking racing stripes, flame-throwers, and monster trucks, also have a penchant for all things shiny. Cue much excitement when one of their number found this, ianying616‘s ‘Takada Shingen’ motorcycle. Named after “one of the most powerful Sengoku-period daimyos” (we Wikipedia-ed it…), ianying’s creation packs in a whole lot of chrome, and there’s more to see of his exceptionally shiny motorbike at his photostream. Take a look via the link, or alternatively head down a Wikipedia 16th century Japanese rabbit-hole…

My Other Car’s a Land Rover

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LEGO’s excellent new Icons 10317 Land Rover Defender 90 set is a wonderful addition to their officially licensed range. It’s also a fine parts source, with a fantastic 1940s Willys Jeep alternate appearing here only yesterday.

Fast-forward five decades and we arrive at the U.S military’s modern equivalent of that Second World War Jeep, the ‘High-Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle’, or (more catchily) the Humvee.

Like yesterday’s Willys, this brilliant creation is constructed only from the pieces found within the 10317 Land Rover Defender set, and includes working steering, suspension, opening doors, and a few wartime accompaniments, including a hefty machine gun.

Previous bloggee M_longer is the builder, there’s more to see at both Eurobricks and Bricksafe, and building instructions are available too. Switch your 10317 set from rural England to Operation Desert Storm via the links above!