Chris Elliott’s ‘1928 Nike Streamliner’ may be a fictional car of few pieces, but it makes for such a cool photo! Proving talent goes way further than unlimited pieces there’s more to see of Chris’ stunning imagery at his photostream – click here to check it out.
Huib van der Hart’s erection is so big it can’t be photographed. Thankfully he has managed to capture it in a more compact state, but even then it’s still absolutely massive. We’re talking about Huib’s unbelievable 1:16 scale Liebherr LTM 1750 mobile crane in BKV livery; all 18 wheels of it.
Huib’s model is – as you can see here – astonishingly well detailed, but that’s only half the build. Underneath that amazing exterior is a full Power Functions remote control drivetrain, with six XL Motors providing drive, seven Servo motors steering all nine axles, and a third-party SBrick providing control via bluetooth. There are also working LED lights throughout plus – of course – this model can get much, much bigger.
There’s a lot more to see of this incredible build at Huib’s Flickr photostream – click the link to make the jump, and ask him if he can try to get it up for a photo.
Founded over a century ago, Hitachi – perhaps most well known for televisions and hi-fis – make pretty much everything. Consumer electronics, ATMs, power stations, computer servers, trains, elevators, air-conditioners, tanks, construction equipment and much more besides. It’s one of the latter we have today, built by Y Akimeshi of Flickr in Hitachi’s signature orange. It’s a ZX75US-5B 7-ton excavator in mini-figure scale, complete with tracks, a rotating superstructure and a very neat brick-built arm. There’s more to see at Akimeshi’s photostream – click the link above if you dig it.
Black Friday is back for another swipe at humanity, when the citizens of the western world are willing to bludgeon each other to death with the very same discounted electronics that they’re trying to buy. As usual we are not participating, so there will be no Black Friday deal links published here at The Lego Car Blog. Keep your soul – visit Creations for Charity, Tearfund, Red Cross, or the Super Secret link instead. See you on the other side.
It’s only one sleep until very probably our least favourite day of the year. Yes Black Friday is on the horizon once again, when the customers of Walmart will likely knife one another over a half-price toastie maker. TLCB’s home nation, copying everything that America does, seems to have gone equally nuts this year, and if you think the British are more civilised and will queue quietly for a discounted television, you are very much mistaken.
As has become customary, we won’t be partaking in the madness, but if you do choose to join the mindless zombie hoards you could do worse than pick a vehicle like this to assist you. It’s called a ‘wheel dozer’, being half wheel-loader, half bull-dozer, and it would be perfect for getting to the front of the Black Friday riots.
This excellent remote controlled Technic version comes from Superkoala and features 4×4 drive, articulated steering, pendular suspension, an inline-6 piston engine, and a hefty raising/lowering front blade. It also includes third-party BuWizz brick providing bluetooth control and – more handily – up to eight times the power of LEGO’s own Power Functions set-up. This means it should have no problem pushing rival shoppers out of the way or, in our case, TLCB Elves on whom we’ve been ‘testing’ it.
Whilst we avoid the ridiculous greed, fights, and soul-destroying consumerism of Black Friday by seeing how many Elves we can push simultaneously into the cleaning cupboard, you can see more of Superkoala’s superb Technic wheel dozer at both Flickr and the Eurobricks forum, plus you can watch the model in action via the video below.
YouTube Video
Toyota’s new Supra is nearly (finally) here, but it’s got a lot to live up. Launched in 1993, the fourth generation A80 Supra was almost wildly futuristic back in the mid-’90s, and came with a naturally aspirated straight-six or a Porsche-beating twin-turbo. The 2JZ engine as it was known, became a tuner’s dream, being easily modifiable to make up to (and over) 1,000bhp.
Unfortunately for Toyota it’s these highly modified Supras that people remember, not the excellent – but slightly fat – cruisers that left the factory, giving the new one an impossible task. Still, to our eyes the new Supra does look rather good, and even if it’s not there are plenty of A80’s around.
Oddly considering its status, the fourth generation Supra is a car that’s rarely recreated in LEGO form. Previous bloggee Simon Przepiorka has rectified this with a superb Speed Champions scale replica of the famous ’90s GT car, which – like so many A80 Supras – is a little different from the ones that left the factory. A giant exhaust, bodykit, and a ridiculous rear wing all make appearances, and – whilst we would definitely prefer an original one (Simon?) – there’s much more to see on Flickr. Jump back to the ’90s and make ‘Bwarrrp bwarrrrp!’ noises via the link above.
Ever wondered how LEGO’s early space explorers transported their equipment to new worlds? Flickr’s Tim Goddard has, building this awesome M-Tron hanger-pod to deploy a mech to the surface of an uncolonised planet. Tim’s mech is now ready to do whatever it is an M-Tron mech does, and there’s more to see of his ingenious design via the link above.
*Tenuous link to today’s related track.
It’s that time of year again! No, not the fast approaching scourge of Black Friday, but the time when a crack team of TLCB Elves are dispatched on a dangerous mission to The LEGO Company’s HQ, tasked with uncovering the brand new Technic sets.
Those that make it back (there are guard dogs…) are hailed as heroes – at least for a couple of days until everyone forgets about them again – and we get to bring you LEGO’s new releases in detail. Today we’re delighted to reveal the first new Technic set for 2019, and it’s an absolute cracker!
Continuing LEGO’s brilliant line of officially licensed sets is 42096, Porsche’s mad 911 RSR racer. Noticeably smaller than LEGO’s previous Technic 911 effort, 42096 brings the previous Speed Champions 911 RSR from set 75888 into the Technic range. Aimed at ages 10+ 42096 contains 1,580 pieces (a few of which are new) and features a flat-6 engine, working steering, a detailed cockpit, and a wealth of authentic decals.
42096 is perhaps a bit short on technical functions when compared to past sets of a similar size, and instead continues Technic’s push towards increased visual realism. It’s largely successful too, with the 911 RSR’s difficult shape and unique racing aerodynamic additions pretty well replicated in LEGO form, although the headlights do look a little odd to this writer.
On looks alone 42096 seems to be winner, and with a few working features too it could do rather well. LEGO’s new Technic Porsche 911 RSR set will reach stores early next year and is expected to cost around £120/$140/$170 depending on the market. Until then we’ll continue to bring you LEGO’s new 2019 releases as our Elves return to TLCB Towers with them, and remember that you can read our reviews of the current Technic and past line-ups via the Review Library.
It’s been 5 years since Bricksburg was invaded by Duplo monsters, and things have turned very… Mad Max. Opening in cinemas on February 8th 2019, ‘The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part’ sees Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett and Alison Brie reprising their roles from the first film, with a number of new names joining them for Part 2. Warner Bros has just dropped the full trailer and we can’t wait!
The fridge. Famed for its ability to look after cheese and various meats, and for many also a glorious blank-canvas for those little magnetic letters used to spell out messages, display children’s artwork, or – if you’re in a student house – communicate extreme profanity. However, for all the fridge’s merits, it has been a resolutely LEGO-free appliance. Until now…
We were recently sent some prototype products that could change the fridge forever (and a bit more besides, but we’ll come on to that). They’re called Mbriks, and they are – simply – a magnet inside a brick, compatible with LEGO, Megablocks and the other various LEGO imitators available around the world. And they’re brilliant.
Our four Mbriks arrived in a very professional-looking box, complete with a small instruction booklet and the usual health and safety warnings such as ‘Do not eat’ (sorry Elves). Each ‘Mbrik’ measures two studs by two, but aren’t quite a direct replacement for an equivalent LEGO piece as they are fours plates tall, rather than LEGO’s three.
Inside each brick is (we think) a small bag, which contains a loose and surprisingly powerful magnet. This freedom allows the magnet to orientate itself to face whatever is magnetic, and thus means the ‘Mbrik’ can attach to something whatever direction it is placed. A clever trick, and one that is crucial too, as it allows the complete freedom of design of the model in which it will find itself.
Multiple Mbriks can be used in larger models, and whilst they won’t hold a Technic Bugatti Chiron set (although we assume if you had enough of them they might), they will happily hold a Speed Champions scale car. We think parents (and their kids) will love the ability to attach their creations to the fridge, Mbriks’ magnetic picture frames, the car door, or anything else magnetic! But what about you lot reading this?
Well we think Mbriks have two equally useful alternate uses. Firstly, for photographing creations. We always advocate clean neutral backgrounds (in fact we won’t blog a creation, no matter how good it is, without decent presentation), and Mbriks open up a world of possibility for bespoke backgrounds. As shown in the picture above, any background could be printed and then used in-between the magnetic surface and an ‘Mbrick’ equipped creation, instantly giving the creation a perfect custom setting for taking photos.
Secondly, Mbriks may open up building possibilities for creations themselves. We love LEGO’s old magnet system from M-Tron and the LEGO Trains lines. They’re super-powerful, compact, and have been used to great effect by builders such as Mahjqa. They are however, a bit tricky to work with, featuring no studs at all, and requiring a unique part to attach them.
Not so with Mbriks, which can be built into a creation just like any other 2×2 brick, albeit one that’s a slightly annoying extra plate tall. Now an Mbrik’s clutch power and colour aren’t quite a match for genuine LEGO pieces, so their placement would have to be slightly more considered, but nevertheless the inclusion of Mbriks could offer builders a whole new way to build creations – not to mention builders at LEGO shows who want help with things, well… not falling over.
Whether you’re a parent whose fridge could do with LEGO-ising, a display-builder who’s fed up with things falling over, or a MOCer who’d like to add magnetism to their models, Mbriks offer an interesting solution.
As with many of the third-party products we see in models here at The Lego Car Blog, Mbriks are beginning as a Kickstarter campaign. If you’d like to get your hands on a set of Mbriks you can pledge your support via the link below, and before long they could be featuring in creations here regularly alongside BuWizz, SBrick and others!
Toy cars aren’t made of tin anymore, so they’ll be played with for a few years and then take another 10,000 to degrade. Still, we suppose LEGO’s no different being plastic too. Back from an era when toy cars were made from tin though, Tintin was the Belgian hero of the moment (and perhaps the only one ever if you don’t count Jean-Claude Van Damme).
One of his (Tintin, not Van Damme)’s many vehicles was this neat red Jeep, and being a popular toy at the time it meant children could have a tin Tintin Jeep. Not made from tin (but no less lovely) is this plastic recreation of the classic Willys, which comes from Johnni D of Flickr. Tintin and Snowy are nowhere to be found, but there’s more to see of their ride from ‘The Land of the Black Gold’ at Johnni’s photostream – click the link above to make the jump.
*If you’re from Yorkshire in the UK, today’s title also means ‘It isn’t in the tin’.
Built by Flickr’s Manuel Nascimento this gorgeous Model Team Ford Model A rat rod is surely one of the most beautiful Lego creations of 2018. Packed with incredible detailing, Manuel’s Ford features opening doors, brilliant brick-built wheels, and Power Functions remotely controlled drive, steering and adjustable suspension.
The Power Functions don’t stop there though, as a separate motor turns very possibly the finest V8 engine this site has ever featured. With incredible attention to detail Manuel’s V8 not only turns with a timing a chain, it features real oscillating valves. It’s a thing of beauty to watch in action and you can do just that via the video at the end of this post.
There’s much more of this spellbinding Ford Model A rat rod to see on Flickr, where there are fifteen stunning images available to view in Manuel’s album. Click on the link above to head to Flickr for the full gallery.
YouTube Video
The 2018 Formula 1 season is all but over, so we’re heading back in time to some of the sport’s greatest racing cars. TLCB regular Angka Utama is the builder behind them and he’s done a simply spectacular job of recreating three of F1’s most iconic entries.
First up (above) is the McLaren-Honda MP4/6 in which Ayrton Senna won the 1991 F1 World Championship. Angka’s model captures the real car beautifully, including a neat brick-built miniaturisation of the famous Marlboro livery.
Angka’s second historic F1 car comes from the previous year, when Ferrari’s 641 took second in the F1 Constructors Championship driven by Alain Prost and Nigel Mansell. Like the McLaren above Angka’s model perfectly captures the famous racer’s shape and livery, and also includes some wonderful suspension and brake detail too, thanks to the ingenious use of mini-figure hands and Technic cogs.
Angka’s third and final classic Formula 1 car recreates one of the most advanced cars ever to enter F1. The Williams-Renualt FW14 was launched in 1991 with active suspension, traction control, and a semi-automatic transmission, and by 1992 it was utterly dominant, winning nine out of sixteen races and taking Nigel Mansell to the World Championship.
The model includes the FW14’s famous Canon/Camel livery and the superbly replicated bodywork and suspension of the Ferrari and McLaren too. There’s more to see of each brilliant miniature F1 car at both Angka’a Flickr photostream and via MOCpages – click the links to make the jump and ask Angka to build some more!
We’re kinda get the feeling that here at The Lego Car Blog we’re a regular annoyance to the proper Lego blogs The Brothers Brick and Bricknerd. That might be because we do regularly try to annoy them though. Nevertheless, Bricknerd do have a neat competition running currently, where their nerdy mascot, er… Nerdly*, is making appearances in LEGO form. Here he is tackling Mario Kart’s fearsome Rainbow Road, and he’s still got two balloons left and a blue shell! Flickr’s [Clever Lego Reference] is hoping for the win and you can see more of his nerdy racer at his photostream via the link above.
*We’ve considered doing something similar with our ‘mascots’, the Elves, but you really wouldn’t want that**.
**Still, at least they’re not that bloody lemur.
We’ve featured some amazing remote control off-road vehicles here at The Lego Car Blog over the years. However despite their engineering excellence, they’re often massive, heavy, and very expensive to build. Not so today’s creation, which comes from previous bloggee, published author, and all-round Technic legend Sariel.
Sariel has decided to take the Technic off-roader formula and simplify it, using normal parts, light weight, and an affordable price tag to create his very green Jeep Wrangler Trailcat.
Three Power Functions motors, a battery box and a standard IR receiver provide remote control drive, whilst simple oscillating axle suspension and four-wheel-drive (with no differentials) allow Sariel’s Trailcat to off-road like a much larger model. All in it weights under a kilogram, and such simplicity means that we think it would make a very good LEGO set.
Fortunately Sariel thinks so too, as he’s published his Jeep to the LEGO Ideas platform where it could become an official LEGO set. You can find all the details via Sariel’s website, the Eurobricks forum or via the video below, where there are links to LEGO Ideas and you can add your vote.
YouTube Video