Category Archives: Technic

Crossbreed

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Porsche are now an SUV maker, with a small sideline in sports cars. Lamborghini are the same. And so are Aston Martin, Bentley, and even Lotus. It was inevitable then, that Ferrari would cave too, and build a four-wheel-drive, off-road capable two-ton monstrosity for the terminally wealthy.

Of course Ferrari, like every other sports-SUV-maker, claim the Purosangue (which translates as ‘thoroughbred’*) isn’t actually an SUV at all. Which is of course nonsense. But it is fitted with a naturally-aspirated V12, so it does at least sound like a supercar.

This fantastic Technic recreation of the Ferrari Purosangue has one too, along with an 8-speed sequential gearbox, all-wheel suspension, four opening doors, hood and tailgate, and remote control drive and steering courtesy of a third-party BuWizz bluetooth battery and LEGO Buggy Motors.

New comer brictric is the creator behind it, building instructions are available, and there’s lots more to see of their incredible replica of Ferrari’s ‘not-an-SUV’ at both the Eurobricks forum and Flickr. Take a closer look via the links whilst we await a letter from Ferrari’s lawyers.

*Which is trying just a bit too hard.

My Other Le Mans Car’s a Peugeot

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The Technic 42156 Peugeot 9X8 Le Mans Hybrid Hypercar is a slightly weird, but nevertheless welcome, addition to LEGO’s officially-licensed line-up. First competing in 2022, before a full World Endurance Championship assault in 2023, the 9X8 has been… underwhelming.

A single podium all season and an 8th place at Peugeot’s home event of the 24 Heures de Mans is the best the car has achieved so far, but PeugeotSport are past race winners, so the results may come yet.

Until then though, if you own a 42156 Peugeot 9X8 and fancy swapping it for an endurance racer that’s more… winning, davidragon of Eurobricks has the answer!

Making his TLCB debut, davidragon has used the pieces from the 42156 Peugeot 9X8 to recreate a car from the other end of the World Endurance Classification, but one with rather more success.

The Chevrolet Corvette C8.R is the first mid-engined Corvette racing car, and placed second in the GTE-Pro class at Le Mans in 2021, before winning GTE-Am in 2023, finishing one place ahead of the second Peugeot 9X8 Hypercar that competed some three classes above it. Oof.

Davidragon’s incredible C8.R alternate features opening doors and hood, independent suspension, working steering, and a mid-mounted piston engine, and there’s lots more to see, including a link to building instructions, at the Eurobricks forum.

Click the link above to swap your Peugeot 9X8 for a Corvette C8.R, and improve your chances of winning some silverware.

Orangler

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Here at a high-mid northern latitude, TLCB Team have been waiting for the arrival of spring. It’s getting light into the evenings, plants are waking up, and adventures are easier to find.

Cue today’s creation, this splendidly orange fully remote controlled Jeep Wrangler by previous bloggee gyenesvi. With Powered-Up four-wheel-drive and steering, live-axle suspension, and removable doors, hard-top, roll-bar, and winch, gyenesvi’s Wrangler is just the thing for springtime adventures.

It’s been duly taken on a few too, with some superb on-location shots on the mountain trails outside the city. There’s more of the model to see at the Eurobricks forum and on Bricksafe, where links to building instructions can also be found. Start your off-road adventure in an orange Wrangler via the links above.

Master MOGer

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TLCB Master MOCer Thirdwigg continues to expand his Mercedes-Benz Unimog catalogue. This one is a U5000 short cab tipper, meaning there’s more room to put stuff to tip. A three-way (snigger) tipping bed, working steering, high/low gearbox, rear suspension, piston engine, plus front and rear winches all feature, and you can see more – including a link to building instructions if you’d like to create it yourself – by clicking here.

Daffy Truck

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This ginormous green machine is a DAF XG, the brand’s 2021 replacement for the XF truck that is ubiquitous across Western Europe, and here at TLCB too.

Constructed by MCD in 1:21 scale from around 1,300 pieces, this brilliantly-built replica of the XG – shown here pulling a tipper trailer designed by fellow builder Niklas Kaemer – features working steering, opening doors, and a whole lotta lime.

Building instructions are available and you can find out more at both the Eurobricks discussion forum and MCD’s ‘2021 DAF XG 4×2’ Rebrickable page. Click the links to take a look.

Forever 21

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This splendid creation – pictured in front of some equally splendid wallpaper – is a GAZ-21 Volga, a Soviet large sedan produced from the mid-’50s until 1970.

The most luxurious car available to individual owners within the USSR, the GAZ-21 was styled to resemble ’50s American cars, and even featured a Ford-licensed column-change gearbox, despite the rather frosty relations between the two countries at the time.

Constructed by previous bloggee paave, this Technic recreation of the GAZ-21 remarkably features that column-change gearbox, along with a working 4-cylinder engine, independent front and leaf-spring rear suspension, steering, folding seats, plus opening doors, hood, trunk, and glovebox.

A full parts list and building instructions are available, and you can take a closer look at paave’s brilliant creation via both the Eurobricks forum and his Bricksafe gallery.

Insert Midlife Crisis

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This site may have, on occasion, mocked Corvette and muscle car owners. However here in Europe we’re no better, because once a man reaches a certain age – and/or his hairline passes a certain point – he’s almost legally obliged to buy a Porsche Boxster.

This writer is closer to that point than he’d like to admit, but as he has not the funds for Porsche’s entry-level sports car, this will have to do instead.

Built by TLCB Master MOCer Thirdwigg, this brilliant brick-built Boxster (or 718 as they are now called) features a flat-six engine, working steering, opening doors and front/rear trunks, and it includes a working convertible top, for that authentic wind-in-the-thinning-hair experience.

Constructed in an appropriately midlife crisis colour, building instructions are available, and you can join us wondering if buying a Boxster would make us cool again* by clicking here.

*(It won’t. Ed.)

Steamy Erection

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A long time ago it wasn’t diesel, electricity, or gasoline that powered humanity’s vehicles, but steam. Very heavy, with minimal range and requiring regular impractical refuelling, steam-powered vehicles were nevertheless immensely powerful – far more so than those powered by other fuels – and thus they were the engines of choice for heavy duty applications, even as all other vehicle types moved on.

This is one such steam vehicle, Nikolaus Löwe‘s fabulous Fowler traction engine, here outfitted with a working crane. Connected to the tractor-part via a wonderfully complicated-looking arrangement of ratchets and gears, Nikolaus’ creation harks back to an era of coal, soot, noise, and perhaps a little magic.

Get steamy at Nikolaus’ photostream via the link above, whilst we ponder if today’s electric fuel of choice – being very heavy, with minimal range and requiring regular impractical refuelling, but nevertheless immensely powerful – really marks a century’s worth of progress from when this was trundling down the roads.

Russian Winter

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It’s the day after the conclusion of the Russian Presidential Election, in which the highest voter turn-out in history awarded incumbent Vladimir Putin an amazing 204% of the vote, securing him a record-breaking fifth consecutive term in office.

But as bad as Russia is at elections, it’s as good at off-road trucks.

State-backed Kamaz – previously part-owned by Daimler (before the Ukrainian unpleasantness), and also part-owned by a close personal friend of the newly re-elected president – produce arguably the best off-road trucks in the world, and today’s is awesome even by Kamaz’s lofty standards.

Built by previous bloggee mpj, this spectacularly cool Kamaz 8×8 Arctic Truck is roughly mini-figure* scale replica of the real eight-wheel-drive, centre-articulated behemoth.

Featuring that 8×8 drive system and articulated steering, plus pendular suspension, a tipping bed, and a working folding crane, it’s a fantastic Technic creation, and you can check it out in full at the Eurobricks forum, where an image of the real Kamaz Arctic Truck can also be found.

Click the link above to jump into the Russian Winter, as the country celebrates another six years.

*Yes, the real truck is that big!

Member 32

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As Russians head to the polls for another totally free and fair election, last week NATO welcomed its 32nd member state into the alliance. Recent aggression by its enormous neighbour forced Sweden to end its two century long neutrality, bringing with it some of the world’s most advanced pieces of military equipment to the defence union, including this; the formidable Saab 39E Gripen multi-role fighter.

Built by newcomer Akergarden, this incredible 1:18 scale recreation of the Saab 39E Gripen is fittingly one of the most advanced Technic aircraft we’ve yet featured, with four motors concealed inside powering the removable twin-spool turbofan engine, retractable landing gear, radar, and canopy.

A suite of mechanical functions are included too, with full flight-surface control via the cockpit stick and pedals, comprising of moving ailerons, canards, rudder, airbrake, flaps and slots, plus a working ejector seat, a folding air-refuelling beam, and nose-wheel steering.

It’s a phenomenal feat of engineering and there’s much more to see – including a video of the aircraft in action – at both the Eurobricks forum and Akergarden’s Flickr photostream. Click the links above to take a look at NATO’s newest toys, whilst we wonder who’s going to win the election in the country that necessitated their addition…

MC12

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Maserati might today make a range of boring SUVs (which brand doesn’t?), but back in the mid-’00s they made something rather more special. This is the Maserati MC12.

Based on the chassis and V12 engine of the Ferrari Enzo, just fifty road-going MC12s were produced, the minimum number required for FIA homologation. A further twelve MC12s were built to go racing, which they did very successfully, taking forty race wins and claiming six Teams and Drivers’ GT championships.

This incredible replica of the Maserati MC12 is the work of previous bloggee ArtemyZotov, who has recreated the real car in stunning detail. A working V12 engine, 6-speed sequential gearbox, adjustable suspension, steering, plus opening and removable body panels make Artemy’s MC12 one of the best Technic Supercars of recent times.

Building instructions are available, and you can find a link to these plus full build details at the Eurobricks discussion forum, with the complete image gallery available via Bricksafe; take a look via the links above.

Desert Lion

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France isn’t known for strong animal symbolism, with a chicken usually being selected as the animal of choice.

Peugeot – weirdly – does have a good animal symbol, what with the marque’s badge being a roaring lion. Cue this rather appropriate Peugeot 2008 DKR, first entered into the Dakar Rally in 2015, when it was, um… held nowhere near Dakar, instead taking place in South America. Where there are no lions.

Oh well, the title would’ve made sense if the rally was still held in Senegal.

No matter, because Peugeot’s desert lion was a cunning thing, being two-wheel-drive rather than four, thus allowing it to adhere to Dakar’s ‘Buggy’ regulations which permitted far more leeway in other areas.

Powered by a twin-turbo V6 diesel, and with in-built hydraulic jacks to change inevitable punctures, the 2008 DKR was… rubbish. But the following year Peugeot returned, and – having worked out the 2008 DKR’s reliability issues – won the race outright, with the 2008’s successor winning again in 2017 and 2018.

This spectacular homage to the wild mid-2010s buggy has been constructed by previous bloggee Lipko, who has not only captured the 2008 DKR’s exterior brilliantly, he’s included the mid-mounted V6 diesel engine, in-built jacks, monster suspension, working steering, and a 4-speed sequential gearbox, plus squeezed in two spare wheels, which was apparently the hardest part of the whole build.

A neat livery, full roll-cage, and a superbly-detailed engine bay and interior add even more realism, and you can check out full details and find further photos of Lipko’s model at the Eurobricks forum.

Click the link above to see more, or on the video below to watch the desert lion in action.

YouTube Video

My Other Recycling Truck is a Recycling Truck

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The LEGO Technic 42167 Mack LR Electric Garbage Truck is a thoroughly good addition to the 2024 line-up. Small, cheap(ish), and packed with proper mechanical functions, it’s a welcome return to the roots of Technic.

It’s a set that can also be used to create a properly good B-Model, as proven here by mpj of Brickshelf, who has recycled his Mack LR into this excellent cab-over tipper truck.

Complete with a mechanical crane behind the cab, working steering, and a tipping box, it’s as functional as the set upon which it’s based, and there’s more to see at mpj’s ‘42167 B-Model’ album via the link above.

Ford Vs. Ferrari

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2019’s ‘Ford Vs. Ferrari’ (or ‘Le Mans 66’ in Europe) was an excellent movie. Pitching the all-American (cough-but-actually-British-cough) Ford GT against the might of Ferrari’s racing programme, it brought one of the greatest motorsport battles to the big screen, and a much deserved spotlight to the late Ken Miles.

Despite Enzo Ferrari’s distain for certain American organisations though, the marque has always shown reverence to America in its naming, with models such as the ‘California’, ‘Daytona’, and, er… ‘America’ in its back-catalogue.

The Ferrari 575 ‘SuperAmerica’ went even further (although perhaps the `Super’ bit was referring to itself rather than the country), and has been constructed here brilliantly by TLCB Master MOCer Lachlan Cameron, using 72% of the pieces from the Technic 42154 Ford GT set.

A working V12 engine, independent suspension, functioning steering, a retractable roof, plus opening doors and hood all feature, with the model enhanced by a few non-official stickers, chrome parts, and LED lighting too.

There’s much more to see at Lachlan’s ‘Ferrari 575 SuperAmerica’ album, and you can turn your own Ford into a Ferrari via the link in the text above.

Even More Mogin’

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There are almost as many variants of Mercedes-Benz’s Unimog as there are tasks for them to do. Which is probably the point. Endlessly adaptable, the Unimog is also the perfect choice for Technic builders, as proven by Flickr’s Thirdwigg, who’s back here with another fully-functioning brick-built replica of the heavy-duty tractor.

This one is a U530, complete with a three-way* tipping bed, working steering, a piston engine, under the tilting cab, pendular suspension, plus front, centre and rear selectable PTOs.

There’s a rear pneumatic outlet too, which mean’s Thirdwigg’s model can be fitted with nearly as many pieces of additional equipment as the real thing, with a folding crane, trailer, and snow-plow some of those included in his extensive Flickr gallery.

Building instructions are available (and they’re free!), with much more to see at Thirdwigg’s ‘Unimog U530′ album. Click the link above for even more mogin’.

*Snigger