First appearing in 1981’s ‘Donkey Kong’, Mario the dumpy Italian plumber has had quite a life; rescuing princesses, collecting gold, featuring in over 200 video games, and in doing so becoming the single most successful video game franchise of all time.
His highpoint (in our opinion) came in 1992 on the SNES, when he took a break from rescuing princesses in castles to start his own racing series. ‘Mario Kart’ is very probably the greatest racing game ever made, pitting a variety of unlikely characters together in a gloriously whimsical race for glory.
This brilliant depiction of Mario’s finest hour comes from polywen of Flickr, who has created a marvellous cuboid ‘Brickheadz’ style Mario, his go-kart, and a green shell in Lego form. Click the link above to join the race for 150cc Cup!
Christmas Dinner is now just a fleeting memory, the presents are all unwrapped, and it’s cold outside. What you need is a classic video game. Fortunately we have one, thanks to the brilliance of Flickr’s Johan Alexanderson (aka Jalex), who has created a marvellous pixelated Classic Space adventure game that uses many of LEGO’s Classic Space sets and is free to play!
Four-hundred pages of Javascript code renders you the ability to become your favourite Classic Spaceman, embarking on a 2D adventure that includes piloting ships, firing lasers, and exploring unknown worlds, all the while maintaining the trademark Classic Spacemen smile.
Take a look at the trailer for Jalex’s ‘Classic Space Adventure’ via the link above, and then click the link below!
The Lexus RX450h may sound like it’s named after a photocopier, but it is in fact one of America’s best selling luxury SUVs. Because how else is little Cody supposed to get to school? Still, at least the RX450h is a hybrid, so Cody’s Mom won’t be poisoning the other kids outside the school gates as she wafts up silently in electric mode. Although she might run them over if they don’t hear it coming…
The Lexus RX isn’t really a TLCB sort of car, but nevertheless it looks absolutely stunning in Model Team form thanks to previous bloggee dgustafsson1317 of Flickr. A superbly accurate model, dgustafsson’s creation recreates the big SUV’s rather complex shape beautifully thanks to some ingenious parts usage that is further enhanced by custom badging and wheels.
The model also includes working suspension, drive and steering that are remotely controlled via bluetooth, and LED headlights. There’s a whole lot more to see of dgustafsson’s incredible Lexus RX450h at his Flickr album – click the link above to waft up to school gates. Just don’t run over any kids.
The Lego Car Blog Elves have been returned to their cages, the office is mostly back in one piece after the Christmas Party (although the same can’t be said for some of TLCB Staff), and we’re ready to turn the lights out for a while.
We’ll be back after the festivities, until then we wish you all the very happiest of Christmases!
This is a Carro Armato M14/41 tank, as manufactured by Fiat for the Royal Italian Army. That means we’re not sure which side this magnificently moustachioed mini-figure is on as Italy switched during World War 2. However as this tank is painted in the colours of the North Africa Campaign it suggests he’s fighting for Mussolini, a man known to have been ‘a bit of a dick’.
Luckily for TLCB’s home nation and the other Allies that this tank fought against, the M14/41 was absolutely rubbish, being obsolete when new, unreliable, cramped, and catching fire regularly. Which is most unlike a Fiat.
Fortunately these short-comings led to a less than successful military campaign, and likely hastened Italy’s overthrowing of Mussolini, abandonment of fascism, and switch to the Allied cause.
This brilliant mini-figure scale recreation of the Carro Armato M14/41 comes from Albert of Flickr, making his TLCB debut. Ingenious building techniques abound and there’s more to see at Albert’s photostream – click the link above to make the jump.
Mr. Bean, one of Britain’s most beloved TV characters, had quite an adventure in his 9th episode. Taking full advantage of the New Year’s Day sales, Mr. Bean bought himself an armchair, paint, brushes and a new mop. Only one problem; his little 1980s Mini was far too small to contain his copious purchases.
Fortunately Bean is a clever fellow, and thus he managed to construct an elaborate driving mechanism from the very items that caused the problem in the first place! What could go wrong? Find out by clicking here, and you can see more of this superb homage to TV gold courtesy of Flickr’s PixelJunkie by clicking here.
We all know Santa Claus is a pretty cool dude. Magical reindeer, flight, possible time travel, and a philanthropist too, we thought Father Christmas couldn’t get any cooler, but if this image is to be believed, he’s just managed it!
Driving a Mark 4 Toyota Supra is a sure-fire way to earn extra Cool Points, and thanks to Simon Przepiorka of Flickr, Saint Nick’s been pictured behind the wheel of Japan’s most iconic sports car (complete with a red nose, antlers, and a Christmas tree strapped to the roof!).
Head over to Simon’s photostream via the link above to see more of Kris Kringle’s whip, and you can see the Supra’s original posting here at TLCB by clicking here.
With only two days until Christmas most of the Elves here at The Lego Car Blog have returned to the crumbling ruin that is TLCB Towers ready for their enforced ‘break’ over the holidays. This makes the office a noisier and messier place in the build up to their re-caging, and is something we’ve gotten used to over the years, but nothing prepared us for just how much noisier and messier this year would be.
With the office stereo playing Christmas songs loudly on loop we weren’t paying attention to any sounds emitting from the Elves’ cage room or the corridor outside. Mistake.
When we finally did notice that something was amiss, the Elven casualties were higher than anything that had gone before. There were Elves squashed into the carpet, Elves staggering around in circles, and even Elves unconscious on the top of shelves. One Elf though, was probably the happiest we have ever seen an Elf be, and it was at the controls of This.
‘This’ is shadow_elenter‘s ‘Transforming Tank / Howitzer’, a fully remote controlled, eighteen motor and five SBrick behemoth that can do, well… a lot. Take a look via the video below and you’ll understand how the situation here at TLCB Towers unfolded…
With an amazing Howitzer gun capable of deploying remotely and firing a Technic rubber-ended bullet (complete with re-coil), four remotely firing cannons up front, remotely controlled (but non-firing) gatling and anti-aircraft guns, and huge tracks driven by four Power Functions XL Motors, shadow_elenter’s tank is an incredible (if mad) example of the very best Technic engineering.
There’s much more to see of this gloriously unhinged build at the Eurobricks discussion forum via the link above, whilst we undertake a big Christmas tidy up…
It’s the Friday before Christmas here at The Lego Car Blog, and our Elves are starting to get all twitchy. This might be because they’re potentially a (very) distant cousin of those employed by Santa, but more likely it’s because they know that they’ll soon be shut in their cages for the Christmas break.
Whatever it is, they’re a bit off-message when it comes to cars at the moment, but no matter, because the two creations in today’s post are rather excellent.
First up (above) is Oscar Cederwall‘s ‘Vanguard Planetary Defender’, a ‘bulk fighter of the Confederacy Navy, designed to operate from both space carriers and ground bases’. It also features ‘dual tungsten rail-guns’, and whilst we don’t know what those are, we do know that if you press the lever on the back of Oscar’s spaceship some guns really do fire!
Today’s second sci-fi creation (below) forgoes real firing guns for a plethora of brick-built weaponry, which are mounted under the wings of Red Spacecat‘s ‘A-32 RAVEN Light Attack Aircraft’. In fact the rockets and missiles you see here are just a fraction of those that Red Spacecat has built for the RAVEN, which has an array of weaponry so vast it nearly matches an average Texan Republican.
There’s more to see of both builds on Flickr – head skywards via the links in the text above.
Ah, ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’. What started as a fun piratical zombie adventure (even if it stole more than a little from ‘The Mummy’) has since become a great rotting hulk who’s primary purpose seems to be providing a vehicle for Johnny Depp to continue his dodgy impression of Keith Richards.
So too ‘The Flying Dutchman’, a ship that started as a mighty race-built galleon but has since become a great rotting hulk who’s primary purpose…
OK, we really don’t like any of the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ movies after the first two, but to be fair to us, they are complete shit. ‘The Flying Dutchman’ is an interesting visual spectacle though, gradually returning to nature whilst ferrying souls to the underworld or some such nonsense.
The Dutchman’s organic appearance makes it a monumentally tricky ship to recreate from LEGO, but that hasn’t stopped Sebeus I of Flickr, who has taken six years (roughly the same length as the third movie) to construct this spectacular version of the ghostly vessel.
With a complete (and suitably spooky) interior, an ingeniously constructed crew of mini-figure monsters, and with no Johnny Depp in sight, Sebeus’ giant galleon is well worth a closer look. There are dozens of images arable to view at Sebeus’ ‘Flying Dutchman’ Flickr album – click on the link above to take a trip to Davy Jones’ locker.
Suggested by a reader via our Facebook page this is Crowkillers’ latest supercar, the somewhat oddly-named ‘Alucard GT’. Constructed entirely from unmodified LEGO pieces Crowkiller’s newest creation is packed with working functions, including an eight-speed working paddle-shift gearbox, complete with a D-N-R rotary dial.
That amazing transmission is hooked up to a detailed V8 engine up front which drives all four wheels (or the other way around seeing as this is an unpowered LEGO Technic model), there’s all-wheel independent suspension, working steering, and gull-wing doors too. There’s much more to see of Crowkillers’ latest Technic Supercar via the Bricksafe gallery and you can watch a video of the model’s features by clicking here.
Here at TLCB we’re yet to be convinced by any of the multitude of supercar start-ups founded upon the dreams (and little else) of millionaires.
Routinely released in ‘digital concept form’ (i.e. they don’t exist), these affronts to engineering are invariably touted to have somewhere near a zillion horsepower and a 300mph top speed, despite being based upon bits of old Lotus and someone else’s engine, and are usually named by someone with a mental age of four.
Today’s start-up supercar manages a clean sweep of the above, being based on the Lotus Elise or Ariel Atom, using a Honda or Cosworth engine, and bearing the name ‘Rezvani Beast Alpha’. TLCB’s scepticism remains undimmed…
Still, this Technic recreation of the $200K re-bodied Ariel Atom is something to behold. Built by previous bloggee Lachlan Cameron (who also built the cars found in the two links above) this Lego Rezvani Beast Alpha is a properly fine Technic Supercar, featuring remotely controlled steering and drive, working suspension, opening doors, and front and rear LED lights, amongst a host of other functions.
There’s more to see of Lachlan’s Rezvani Beast via both Flickr and the Eurobricks forum – click the links to jump to the complete gallery of images and build specs.
It’s nearly Christmas! So in celebration here are a pair of models that have exactly nothing to do with the festive period. Built by Michael A they’re a 300-ton mining excavator and a dump truck semi. Each is an excellent mini-figure scale build and there’s more to see on Flickr via the link.
LEGO’s own 42078 Mack Anthem set is the flagship of the H1 2018 Technic range. With nearly 2,600 pieces it’s one of the biggest Technic sets ever, but that hasn’t stopped Paliason deciding to go even bigger. This is what he’s built, a simply astonishing Mack Anthem 70″ sleeper truck complete with a Landoll 825E-AG lowboy trailer, upon which is spectacular Sikorsky H19 Chickasaw U.S Air Force rescue helicopter.
Each of the three builds is a work of art in its own right, featuring beautiful custom decals and a variety of functions. The Mack Anthem includes a piston engine underneath a tilting hood, a detailed cab interior inside opening doors, and working steering, whilst the Landoll trailer behind it features a working detachable gooseneck and side extensions.
The amazing Sikorsky H19 rescue helicopter adds a pair of Power Functions motors that turn the main and tail rotors, and features one of the coolest cockpits we’ve ever seen in LEGO form.
There’s much more to see of Paliason’s incredible trio of creations at the Eurobricks discussion forum. Make the jump to Eurobricks by clicking here, and if you’d like to see how LEGO themselves did it way back in 1990 you can read our review of the classic Model Team 5590 Heli-Transport set by clicking here.
Normally amongst the most mundane vehicles on the roads, vans don’t often appear here at The Lego Car Blog. Today though, we have two, and they’re strange ones at that.
First up is an admittedly boring 1980s Chevrolet G-Series panel van, although it has been wonderfully recreated in 6-wide mini-figure scale. However it’s a van which stars in the Netflix sci-fi series ‘Stranger Things’ and it really does do something strange. Click the link to find out what, and you can see more of the superb model pictured above courtesy of Andrea Lattanzio (aka Norton74) by clicking here.
Today’s second van doesn’t do anything out of the ordinary but it was, for America at least, a strange vehicle. This mid-’60s Chevrolet ‘forward control’ van mounted the driver and controls right at the front of the chassis, leaving more space in the back for carrying things. Common in Europe and Asia, this design never really took off in the ‘states, which is a shame as we think Chevrolet’s 1960s efforts looked pretty cool. This one comes from Tim Henderson of Flickr, it’s also built in 6-wide mini-figure scale, and there’s more of it to see at Tim’s photostream by clicking here.
