You’re stuck inside, we’re stuck inside, build us a B-Model to win an awesome prize! Two more TLCB readers have done just that, building alternates from the Technic 42098 Car Transporter and Creator 10242 Mini Cooper respectively. First up (above) is cleansupgood‘s pick-up truck, shown here in digital form but also built for real. Opening doors, a dropping tailgate, a working V8 engine and functioning steering all feature and you can see more of Clean’s 42098 B-Model via Bricksafe at the link above.
This post’s second entry comes from newcomer Jan Geurts, who has repurposed the Creator 10242 Mini Cooper set to build another British classic, the MG Midget. Jan’s 10242 B-Model includes opening doors, an opening hood (with a detailed engine underneath), and an opening trunk complete with an external luggage rack. There’s more to see on Flickr via the link above, and if you’d like to enter your own B-Model into TLCB Lock-Down Competition you can read the contest details here.
TLCB’s Lock-down B-Model Competition is go! The first of several entries to share today, this is Clemens Schneider‘s spectacular bucket wheel excavator, built solely from the parts found within the 42097 Crawler Crane set. With a rotating superstructure, working tracks, a hand-operated boom winch and bucket wheel mechanism, Clemens’ B-Model has as much going on as the set from which its parts are sourced. Best of all, there are instructions available too, so if you wish to convert your own 42097 set you can! Head to Clemens’ photostream via the link above for all the details, and if you’re stuck in lock-down with a LEGO set available, build us a B-Model like Clemens and you could win an SBrick pack!
Eurobricks’ ‘Small Car Competition’ has generated some superb creations. Each measuring no more than fifteen studs wide and forty-one studs long, entries must be able to fit on the 42098 Technic Car Transporter set, yet many are still packed with Technic functionality.
This is one of our favourites, Zsolt Nagy’s ‘Red Sky’ supercar, complete with a transparent cockpit dome, working steering, a V8 engine driven by the rear wheels, and – amazingly – front and rear suspension!
You can see how Zsolt has done it at both Eurobricks and Flickr, and we’ll update you on some of the brilliant entries that we’ve received so far for TLCB’s own B-Model competition tomorrow!
The Space Race was an incredible time. Not only were the two world Superpowers spending millions on things to blow one another up and poison the earth for a hundred-thousand years, they were also spending millions sending things into space. Probably so they could use it to blow one another up and poison the earth for a hundred-thousand years, but still – it was pretty cool.
It was the U.S. that got to the moon first (and is still the only nation to have done so)*, but it was actually the Soviet Union that won pretty much every other race, sending the first satellite into space, the first man, the first woman, and conducting the first EVA (extra-vehicular activity); or spacewalk to us non-astronaut types.
Of course getting there was only half the battle, as getting home again (unless you were a Soviet dog) was just as tricky. To that end the Soviets developed this in the 1970s; the remarkable Zil 4906. They may have won the Race for Space but the Americans had a much better Naming Department.
The ZIL 4906’s boring title hid its remarkable ability, being a 6×6 amphibious off-road crane designed to fit aboard a transport plane and recover the Soyuz astronaut capsules from the vast Russian wilderness.
Powered by a standard Zil 150bhp V8 the 4906’s weren’t fast, but they could go literally anywhere, with six-wheel-drive, four-wheel-steering, and two propellors with rudders for water recoveries.
This amazing Technic recreation of one of the Soviet Union’s coolest designs comes from previous bloggee Samolot, who has replicated the 4906’s incredible drivetrain brilliantly in Lego form. Two Control+ XL Motors power all six wheels, with a separate driveshaft for each side. This allows a gearbox to transfer power to the propellors when in water, whilst the L Motor that steers the front and rear axles also turns the two rudders.
A second L Motor controls the differential locks, whilst a fourth powers a compressor that builds pressure for the pneumatic crane, which the real Zil 4906 used to fish the Soyuz capsules from watery landings. A LEGO Education WeDo motor winds the crane winches and all of the above is controlled via bluetooth courtesy of LEGO’s new Powered Up Control+ system.
It’s a remarkable build and one that is definitely worth a closer look, which you can do at Eurobricks – where full build details are available, Bricksafe – which houses a complete image gallery of both Samolot’s Technic Zil 4906 and the real deal, and via the excellent video below.
YouTube Video
*Unless you believe it was filmed in a studio, the Earth is flat, and that climate change is a hoax invented by Al Gore. In which case go back to school.
This is a Ferrari F12, built by Lachlan Cameron (aka LoxLego), a TLCB Master MOCer and pioneer of designing and releasing incredible Technic Supercars for other Lego fans to build at home.
Lachlan has published instructions for dozens of his sensational creations via the Rebrickable platform, where we fully expect this Ferrari F12 to be before long. Our Elves couldn’t wait though, so we have Lachlan’s creation here at TLCB Towers for a full Elven assessment (which usually mean sitting in it, fighting over it, and occasionally trying to eat bits of it). Don’t worry, we’re here too, so we’ll try to write something useful…
Faithfully replicating Ferrari’s V12-engined grand tourer, Lachlan has included a wealth of Technic Supercar functions packaged inside the beautifully accurate exterior. There’s a front/mid-mounted V12 engine of course, with fully independent suspension and working steering, plus the doors, hood and hatchback trunk all open, revealing a brilliantly lifelike interior and engine bay.
Lachlan has also included LEDs to illuminate the front and rear lights, with a battery box hidden neatly inside.
A huge gallery of stunning imagery is available to view at Lachlan’s ‘Ferrari F12’ album on Flickr by clicking here, you can read his interview here at TLCB as part of the Master MOCers Series by clicking here, and you can see all of Lachlan’s amazing models with building instructions available by clicking here, where the F12 should appear in the near future.
LEGO’s huge 42082 Rough Terrain Crane is one the largest Technic sets the company has ever created, with over four thousand pieces. That’s a whole, lot of bricks that can be, in the very best traditions of Lego-building, repurposed.
And that is exactly was previous Master MOCer Nico71 has done with this incredible 4×4 Crane Truck, constructed only from the parts found within the 42082 set. Nico’s B-Model (in fact for Nico this is an ‘E-Model’, as he’s constructed several alternate vehicles (and all of this) from the Rough Terrain Crane set already) deploys the set’s single motor to perform a scarcely believable six separate functions, thanks to a pair of gearboxes that multiply the motor’s outputs.
Before we get onto those though, there are a host of mechanical functions too, including leaf-spring suspension, a V8 engine driven by all four wheels, opening doors, functioning steering, and the boom’s final extension.
The single motor delivers just as much on its own, thanks to those two gearboxes, powering the crane’s two-fold unfurling and rotation, the outriggers, and the truck’s tipper, which can tip both to rear and side of the vehicle depending upon which gear is selected.
It’s a brilliant feat of engineering and one that you can explore for yourself if you own a Technic 42082 Rough Terrain Crane set, as Nico has made instructions for this unbelievable B-Model available via his excellent website. Click this link to head over and take a look at the complete build description, the full gallery of images, and to find a link to the building instructions so you can build this amazing model for yourself.
The current Eurobricks ‘small car’ competition is delivering our Elves some brilliant Technic creations. This is one of their favourites, because… well, it’s an orange Lamborghini with a racing stripe down the middle of it.
More for our benefit, it’s also got some neat working features squeezed inside it, including a miniature V10 engine driven by the rear wheels, functioning steering via a ‘Hand of God’ mechanism, plus opening doors and engine cover.
Nico Lego (aka Levihathan) is the Lamborghini’s maker and you can see more of his contest entry at both Flickr and at the Eurobricks discussion forum.
We receive a lot of requests to promote LEGO Ideas entries (the platform whereby fan designs can become real LEGO sets) here at TLCB, which we must decline every time (so please don’t send us them!). However occasionally our Elves find a creation that’s so well engineered it could be an official LEGO set. This is one of those times, and even though this model is not on LEGO Ideas, if someone told us this was a set due out later this year, we wouldn’t question it.
Built by Krall of Eurobricks and Flickr, this top-quality crane truck looks every inch a Technic set (it fact it’s inspired by the official and much larger 8258 Crane Truck), adopting LEGO’s newer more detailed style and packing it with superb functionality.
Power Functions motors give Krall’s truck remote control drive and four-wheel steering, there’s a tilting cab, and then our favourite feature; a gearbox that enables one hand-operated cog to control three separate functions; the truck’s four outriggers, the crane’s rotation, and the first of its three boom extensions.
A flatbed trailer with working support legs is thrown in too and you can see more of Krall’s superbly store-worthy creation at both Eurobricks and Flickr via the links above.
Following yesterday‘s superb small supercar, here’s another, also built for the ongoing Eurobricks contest. Built by osterum / Matthew Terentev, this one is a beautifully clean sports car complete with working steering (by the wheel and ‘Hand of God’), opening doors (revealing an interior of almost Model Team levels of detail), and a working miniature 6-cylinder engine under the opening engine cover. There’s more of Matthew’s creation to see at the Eurobricks forum and on Flickr, where a link to building instructions can also be found – click the links to make the jump!
Lego Technic Supercars need several things to qualify. Whilst they don’t actually need to be a supercar (as this brilliant FSO Polonez ‘Supercar’ that featured here a few years back proves), they do need a fully working drivetrain, steering, and suspension. This tends to make them rather large and often out of reach for more brick-strapped builders. Cue the current Eurobricks ‘Small Car’ contest, where builders are cramming a myriad of Technic functions into creations that must fit within strict dimensions to qualify.
This is one of our favourites so far, apachaiapachai‘s brilliant Ferrari F355. Capturing the look of the real car beautifully, apachai has also squeezed in a working miniature V8 engine driven by the rear wheels, pop-up headlights, and working steering too. It’s a gearbox and suspension short of being a bona-fide Technic Supercar, but it’s a stupendous build nonetheless. Head to Eurobricks to see more, where we think apachai’s creation will do very well in the contest indeed (and it would make a cracking official LEGO set).
Porsche’s 911 RSR racer is easily the most earsplitting racing car that this TLCB Writer has heard. Aston Martin and Corvette V8s, Formula 1 cars, LMP1 racers, historic V12s… nothing hurts your ears like an RSR. They’re quite a thing to behind then, and LEGO have added their own rather excellent (and significantly quieter) version to the Technic line-up with the 42096 Porsche 911 RSR set.
The real 911 RSR is damaging hearing globally as it races around the world in various international series, including the World Endurance Championship which includes Le Mans, and GT3 racing. Transported by large trailers, we would not want to be inside when an RSR is fires up. Previous bloggee Lucio Switch has decided that his 42096 set deserves a fitting race transporter too, and as such has built this incredible fully remote controlled Technic truck and trailer to match the 42096 Porsche 911 RSR set.
Inside the trailer, which includes a matching livery, are tools and a tyre rack, a parking space for the 911 RSR set, and a six-seat cabin/meeting room for the team. The truck towing the trailer is just as impressive, with a brilliantly detailed six-cylinder engine (above) and interior, working steering, suspension and fifth wheel, and opening doors and hood. It also looks spectacular, as you can see in the beautiful photos here, with Lucio’s stunning presentation and lighting.
Both truck and trailer also feature Power Functions motors, giving the model remote control drive and steering, a two-speed gearbox, motorised support legs and a powered trailer ramp. There are more images of this phenomenal racing transporter available to view at Lucio’s Flickr album entitled simply ‘US Truck’ and at the Eurobricks discussion forum – Click the links to make the jump to see full details, and if you haven’t heard the real Porsche 911 RSR on which the 42096 Technic set is based, max your speakers, click here, and then imagine a noise at least a billion times louder.
Like our Elves, this BuWizz Buggy by Anto is small, nimble, and a little aesthetically challenged. However unlike our Elves it’s also rather clever and it can be controlled via a mobile phone.
A LEGO Buggy Motor and a BuWizz bluetooth battery provide Anto’s buggy with ludicrous power, whilst all-wheel suspension aims to keep that power on the ground.
Anto has released instructions for his design should you wish to have a go yourself and you can find those and further imagery on Eurobricks via the link.
This amazing model is a 1:8 scale replica of Lamborghini’s ultra-limited Centenario hypercar, a V12-engined 760bhp celebration of what would have been their founder’s 100th birthday, sold by invitation only to just forty of the brand’s most discerning (read ‘wealthy’) customers.
Unless you’re one of those forty (let us know if you are!) you’ll probably never even see a Centenario, let alone drive one, but today we can offer you the chance to own one for yourself, as yup – this incredible recreation of Lamborghini’s exclusive hypercar can be built at home from standard LEGO pieces (although the model pictured here is enhanced with some 3D-printed rims and bespoke decals).
It comes from T Lego of Eurobricks, who has replicated not just the Centenario’s wild exterior but has also accurately recreated the engineering within too, and has released instructions so can can create your very own Centenario at home. We suspect this might take the total number built a bit above forty…
The bright blue exterior is superbly accurate and includes an opening hood and engine cover, opening scissor doors (controlled by a HOG mechanism), and a raising rear spoiler (also deployed via HOG).
Inside T Lego’s Centenario he’s created an accurate interior with a working steering wheel controlling the front wheels, and a working 7-speed sequential gearbox, controlled via the centre console. A V12 piston engine is turned via an all-wheel-drive system complete with three differentials, whilst all four wheels also feature clever pushrod inboard suspension, making the model every bit as technically advanced as the real car.
There’s much more of T Lego’s spectacular Technic Supercar to see at the Eurobricks discussion forum via the link above, where you can read full build details, view a video of the model’s features, and find a link to building instructions so you can build your very own.
This is an 1857 Blackburn Agricultural Engine, and steampunky as it may appear, this really was a working* steam-powered traction engine, complete with a boiler and two-cylinder steam engine mounted inside the enormous front wheel.
Recreating this Victorian oddity is Nikolaus Lowe, who has not only replicated the Blackburn’s remarkable appearance, he’s included Power Functions motors so that his version can trundle around too. Only it’s likely geared much higher than the real thing was, as Nikolaus’ model is much too fast for a steam traction engine. This may not be Victorian-authentic, but it sure pleased the Elf that found it…
Sitting atop its find, the aforementioned Elf trundled into the Elves’ cage room and simply flattened those that were milling about on the floor, so evenly and precisely they could have been cookie cut-outs. Thank the Blackburn’s huge heavy drum for that neatness. Pressed Elves do not produce wine as it turns out, just vomit and other bodily fluids, so we’ve got some cleaning up to do. Whilst we get on with that you can check out more of Nikolaus’ amazing machine on Flickr – click the link above to take a look.
*No proof exists today, but there is a photo of an updated version from the 1860s, so we like to think this really did work.
This is not a fast, irritatingly driven yet excellent German sports saloon, but it is an M3. Constructed by Spain’s awesome indigenous heavy duty truck maker Uro, the M3 is the military version of their F3 civilian truck, deployed by Spain’s ‘Military Emergencies Unit’ (UME) in disaster relief within the country and abroad. Which makes it probably the very opposite of its BMW namesake in terms of worthiness.
This superb Technic replica of the Uro M3 in complete UME specification comes from corujoxx of Eurobricks, who is using his time in coronavirus lock-down to pay tribute to his country’s frontline workers, such as those manning its Uro M3s.
A working winch and working suspension feature and there’s more to see of his excellent model at the Eurobricks forum – click the link above to take a look.
