Interchangeable bodywork is something that every LEGO vehicle is capable of, by virtue of them being, well… LEGO. However it’s particularly cool if you can swap the whole bodywork out in one piece. Even LEGO themselves tried this back in 1996 with their 8244 Technic set, although the results were a bit weird.
Not so Angka Utama’s attempt, which is properly cool. Entitled ‘Backbone’, Angka has designed three different bodies that can be mounted on his chassis design, and with reversible seats and a moveable engine it can switch between being front, rear or mid-engined in seconds. Take a look on either Flickr or MOCpages to see how it’s done!
We’re not sure how much shopping you’d be able to take home, but flying by gyrocopter is surely the coolest way to get to the general store that there is. This beautiful gyrocopter, tuk-tuk, and general store scene from the video game Far Cry 4 comes from Markus Rollbuhler of Flickr, and the details are simply wonderful. Make the trip for yourself via the link above, and we’ll be back tomorrow with another of Markus’ superb vehicle-based dioramas.
We’re not sure why this is a wolf, or how it’s lucky, but as has been well documented on these pages we know nothing about sci-fi and the builder behind this is called ‘spaceruner’, so we’ll defer to their superior space knowledge.
A mini-figure/droid crew, glowing crystal thingy, hefty cargo container, and folding ‘wings’ all feature, and there’s more to see (plus a host of other ace classic space models) at spaceruner’s photostream.
This is a Sandvik Toro 60, a sixty-ton 6×4 mining truck. Named after a bull (and the number sixty), the Toro 60 is unusual in that it doesn’t articulate like many mining trucks. This is so that it can withstand a higher payload, but of course with no central articulation there would be a loss of manoeuvrability, so the Toro 60 deploys a clever steering rear axle to ensure it can still turn around in less space than it takes your Mom.
This marvellous Technic recreation of the Sandvik comes from builder Thesuperkoala, who has replicated the Toro 60’s cunning steering thanks to a Power Funcions Servo motor that operates both the front and rear axles. The two rear axles are driven by a Large Motor and the huge tipping bucket can be raised by a large linear actuator, all of which are controlled by a third-party SBrick, allowing activation via bluetooth.
There’s lots more to see of Thesuperkoala’s fully remote controlled Technic Sandvik Toro 60 at his Flickr album, on Eurobricks, and via his own website, plus you watch the creation in action courtesy of the video below.
Honda Australia are the latest to give it a go, courtesy of LEGO Professional and previous bloggee Ryan McNaught and his team of nine master builders.
320,000 bricks and 1,300 hours later and Honda’s Civic Type R has been perfectly recreated in LEGO bricks, from the badge on the bonnet to the wild floating rear wing, with even the wheels constructed from standard LEGO pieces.
Ryan’s Honda Civic was commissioned to coincide with the launch of the ‘LEGO Masters’ TV series airing later this month, in which teams of builders will compete in various construction challenges in the hope of winning $100,000, and where Ryan is one of the show’s judges.
The life-size Civic will go on tour around Australia over the coming months, and if you’re a little too far from Aus to see the model in person (basically from anywhere that isn’t Australia) click these words to watch a short video of the car courtesy of Honda Australia.
Here at The Lego Car Blog we are not fans of matadors. Whilst they are undoubtedly brave, and whilst we do enjoy a steak, killing a bull (or any animal) gradually for fun is in our eyes a pretty douchebaggy pastime. We know that it may be a few readers’ heritage, but it’s a douchebaggy heritage. Like fox hunting. Or burning a cross on your lawn.
However, we do rather like this matador. A lot. It comes from Spanish tuners Radical, using the Ducati 1198 superbike a base. This spectacular Model Team recreation of Radical’s bonkers bike is the work of TLCB veteran Gerald Cacas, who has merged Technic and System construction to beautiful effect.
There’s much more to see of Gerald’s Radical Ducati Matador at his Flickr’ album. Click the link above to wave the red sheet and dodge the horns.*
This is a Datsun 240Z, or ‘Fairlady’ as it was known in some markets, and it’s surely in contention for the the title of prettiest Japanese car of all time. This Model Team example comes from 5eno of Flickr and there’s more to see at the link.
Flickr’s ‘Lego Speeder Bikes‘ group has been running for a decade! That’s longer than Kickstarter, the iPad, and The Lego Car Blog. Home to the very best floaty/hovery motorcycles, ‘Lego Speeder Bikes’ hold an annual competition to showcase the best of their breed. We loved last year’s contest, and in 2019 the group is celebrating a decade of speedy biking with a ‘Best in Show’ theme, where anything goes. Like anything.
Painting bricks, cutting bricks, custom bricks… it’s all allowed in this year’s competition. Of course too much ‘dicking around’ with your LEGO pieces means that your creation won’t appear here at TLCB, but for the purposes of the ‘Lego Speeder Bikes’ 2019 contest it could score you some neat prizes!
We’re kicking off our coverage with a speeder bike that hasn’t messed with the danish plastic from which it’s built courtesy of newcomer mexxbear 陳大雄 and this very cool looking street scene. There’s more to see of mexxbear’s speeder bike and the town in which it’s speeding via the link above, and you can check out the ‘Lego Speeder Bikes’ group and the 2019 competition by clicking here.
Oh you pretty Chitty Bang Bang
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang we love you.
And in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang what we’ll do.
Near, far, in our motor car Oh!
What a happy time we’ll spend.
Bang Bang Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,
Our fine four fendered friend!
They don’t make movies like they used to. Ian Fleming and Albert Broccoli’s (of James Bond fame) 1968 musical adventure brought irritating singing children, the terrifying child-catcher (we’ve just realised that he may have had a use after all…), and a spectacular flying car to movie theatres all over the world.
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang has since become one of cinema’s all-time great films, and Flickr’s GunnBuilding remembers it beautifully via this lovely mini-figure scale recreation of our fine four fendered friend. Join the adventure via the link above. Just don’t do any singing.
We get asked a few particular questions more than any others here at The Lego Car Blog. ‘Will you blog my [insert creation]?’ (no), ‘Can I have instructions?’ (probably not), and ‘Where can I buy this?’.
As we’re here to publicise people’s own builds, the answer is usually ‘sorry, you can’t’. But not today, because you really can buy this one.
This incredible car is a Pagani Huayra, as featured here a few weeks ago. It was designed by Technic-building legend Jeroen Ottens as a gift to another builder, an amazing man by the name of Grum64.
Mr. Grum was involved in a motorcycle accident aged 19 in which he broke his neck, paralysing him from the chest down. Despite having no hand movement Grum builds with LEGO, using his teeth to construct sets over the course of many weeks which is – to all of us here at TLCB – a simply mind-blowing achievement.
Grum decided that rather than accepting Jeroen’s spectacular model for himself, that they would auction it for charity – in particular the amazing charity Fairy Bricks which provides LEGO sets to sick children in hospital and hospices. In fact Fairy Bricks provide around £5,000-worth of LEGO every single month to brighten the lives of children who may feel a very long way from home.
From April 19th Jeroen’s beautiful Pagani Huayra Technic Supercar will be listed on the auction site catawiki, where you can bid to own this stunning one-off creation (which features an 8-speed sequential gearbox, all-wheel cantilevered suspension, steering, active aero, a V12 engine, custom chrome and much, much more).
Not only that but Pagani have donated two huge Huayra computer blueprint drawings signed by Horacio Pagani himself to the auction, so the winning bid will receive a piece of hypercar history as well as one of the finest Technic Supercars ever built.
You can read full details of the build (and the story behind it) and Jeroen’s website, and you can see our original post of his superb Pagani Huayra by clicking here.
The Catawiki auction for Fairy Bricks commences on April 19th and remains open until April 24th, with 100% of the proceeds going to the Fairy Bricks Charity.
This gorgeous creation comes from TLCB regular Simon Przepiorka, and it’s a 1:24 replica of the Porsche 935 in K3 specification. The 935 was launched in the mid-’70s and raced successfully well into the 1980s, with perhaps its greatest moment being a remarkable Le Mans 24 Hour victory in 1979, where the 935 beat even the prototype racing cars in the pouring rain to take the outright win. Simon’s superb Lego replica captures the 935 K3 brilliantly and there’s more to see on Flickr via the link above.
The staff cars here at The Lego Car Blog are, as revealed way back in 2013, all Austin Allegros. Not so the Wehrmacht, who got themselves a vehicle much cooler.
This a Mercedes-Benz W31 Type G4, a three-axle, straight-8 engined, all-terrain limousine as used by Nazi senior management for parades, inspections, and the annexation of other countries.
Only 57 Mercedes-Benz W31 G4s were produced, all of which were used as staff cars by the Nazi regime as the model was deemed much too expensive for normal military use.
This most excellent recreation of the G4, complete with neat caricature of a certain moustachioed despot, comes from Flickr’s Redfern1950s, who has captured the vehicle brilliantly in his trademark cartoon style. Head to Red’s photostream via the link above to join the parade.
Extreme Ironing, designed to illustrate the futility of unnecessary ironing, is surely one of mankind’s greatest sports. From the depths of the ocean to Mount Everest, this noble activity has achieved some magnificent feats of garment de-creasing since its inception a few decades ago.
But – so far as we know – the sport has yet to reach space (NASA, if you’re reading this…). However previous bloggee Dwarlin Forkbeard aims to right that wrong! Sort of… (this is a link tenuous even for us).
This mighty iron-shaped spaceship is an Iron-class corvette, so called because it looks… well, like a giant floating iron. At least that’s what our cast-iron (hah!) sci-fi knowledge has allowed us determine. There’s probably a steampunk pun in there too somewhere…
Press (hah!) the link above to head into space to smooth out some creases!
The Lego Car Blog Team do not like hornets. They’re like wasps, only they’re even bigger bastards. This though, we do like. It’s an F/A-18E ‘Super Hornet’ carrier-based fighter, and it’s been brilliantly built in brick from by previous bloggee Plane Bricks. There’s an opening cockpit, folding wing-tips, fully working landing gear, and an array of angry-looking weaponry, and there’s a whole lot more to see on Flickr. Click the link above to make the jump.
We’re rounding out the weekend with something rather special. This bewitchingly beautiful Ferrari Testarossa is the work of car-building legend Firas Abu-Jaber, and it is – as you can see here – astonishingly good.
Firas’ spectacularly presented creation is 100% LEGO (those excellent rims are genuine LEGO pieces that have been custom chromed) and includes a superbly detailed engine and interior inside the opening engine cover and doors.
