Toyota Eagle MKIII IMSA – Picture Special

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Lego Toyota Eagle MkIII IMSA GTP ’93

This TLCB writer is not familiar with the 1990s IMSA Championship. He was watching the brilliant BTCC at the time, being a) 7, and b) the wrong side of an ocean. However by all accounts it looked like an awesome race series. Prototypes were run by privateer and manufacturer teams with variety of engines, including BMW, Chevrolet, Ford, Jaguar, Mazda, Nissan, Porsche, and Toyota, and they were exceedingly fast machines.

Lego Toyota Eagle MkIII IMSA GTP ’93

This is one such car, the 1991-’93 Toyota Eagle MKIII, powered by a tiny yet mighty 2.1litre 4-cylinder turbocharged engine, it won 21 of the 27 races it entered, utterly dominating the series.

Such dominance and a financial crisis led to the the end of the IMSA GT Championship in the mid-’90s, but not before Dan Gurney’s Toyota team racked up two Championships.

Lego Toyota Egale MKIII Engine

This incredible replica of the Toyota Eagle MKIII is the work of previous bloggee PROTOTYP. and he’s recreated the championship-winning racing car brilliantly. Built from around 1,000 pieces the engine, suspension, and chassis have all been accurately constructed, whilst the bodywork includes some superbly authentic decals to create the famous livery.

Lego Toyota Eagle MkIII IMSA GTP ’93

There’s a whole lot more to see, including some stunning photographs of the chassis, suspension and engine detailing, at PROTOTYP.’s Flickr photostream and via the Eurobricks discussion.

Blue Wonder

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Lego Mercedes-Benz Blue Wonder

Race transporters used to be much more interesting than a DAF with a huge box trailer on the back…

This is the Mercdes-Benz ‘Blue Wonder’, built in the mid-1950s to transport the team’s racing cars (plus a few customer cars too). Based on a lengthened Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing chassis, and powered by the same engine, the Blue Wonder was billed as the fastest transporter in the world.

Sadly the original vehicle was scrapped in ’67, although Mercedes have since built a replica, and so has previous bloggee pixeljunkie of Flickr, whose Mercedes-Benz W196 Formula 1 car appeared here earlier in the week and now resides on the deck of the truck.

There’s more to see of Pixel’s fantastic model at his photostream – click the link above to transport yourself back to 1955.

Brown ’77

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Lego Ford Granada Mk1

After berating old fat Fords yesterday, here’s, er… an old fat Ford. And we absolutely love it. This is a Ford Granada, a hugely successful car for Ford of Europe in the 1970s and ’80s. Built in Germany and the UK the Granada sold in the hundreds of thousands in a bewildering variety of engines, trim levels and body styles across three generations.

However as Granadas got older (and rustier) they, like all things, became near worthless. This meant they found a new calling on the banger track, where they were (and still are) highly prized for their speed and strength, and thus have been obliterated in terrifyingly vast numbers. When the handful left are worth a fortune in a few years time we’ll look back and wonder how we let it happen…

Here’s one Granada that won’t end its days on the track, a gloriously brown Mark 1 estate complete with a seventies beige interior and a roof-rack for family holidays to the seaside. It’s the work of Mateusz Waldowski of Flickr and there’s much more to see of this superb creation at his photostream via the link above.

Lego Ford Granada Mk1

Taxi!

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Lego New York Taxi

This TLCB writer was not impressed by the Ford Crown Victoria taxi he experienced in New York. Bumpy, not actually that big inside, and probably getting around 8mpg, it seemed a bizarre choice for the congested and awful roads of NYC.

More recently most New York cabs are Toyota hybrids, which seem a far more sensible choice, but we’d still pick this over both the Crown Vic and an anonymous modern appliance.

Based on no one particular classic cab but taking design cues from all of them, Flickr’s Redfern1950s has created a stunning looking ’50s taxi complete with suicide doors, bench seating, and a huge trunk for some old-timey suitcases.

Stick your hand out and hope this picks you up rather than a ratty old Crown Vic via the link above.

Lego Classic Taxi

M-Space

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Lego MOTH Spaceship

We’re not really sure of the backstory of this ‘MOTH’ spaceship by Flickr’s Oscar Cederwall. It has something to do with lunar motorsport (which you can read via the link above), but what we do know is that BMW’s M-Sport racing colours look awesome even in space. Race to the moon (possibly) via the link above.

Lego MOTH Spaceship

Silver Arrow

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Lego Mercedes-Benz W196

Mercedes-Benz have been the dominant team in Formula 1 since the introduction of the latest ultra-high-tech but also ultra-restrictive technical regulations. Jump back over sixty years and it was again Mercedes-Benz dominating the sport in time when – perhaps surprisingly – the technical regulations were also massively restrictive.

Limiting engines to just 2.5 litres naturally-aspirated or 0.75 (yes, under a litre!) supercharged, Mercedes-Benz decided to drop their supercharging for the ’54 season and built a 2.5 litre Straight-8 with a world-first direct injection for their new W196 racing car.

The resultant design took Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss to nine wins out of twelve race entries and back-to-back world championships. In 1955 the W196 won every single race bar Monaco.

The W196’s dominance was cut short however, when one of Mercedes-Benz’s 300 SLR endurance racers powered by the same engine crashed at the ’55 Le Mans 24 Hour race, cartwheeling through the crowd killing 84 and injuring another 180. It was the deadliest moment in sporting history, yet the race didn’t even stop. Mercedes-Benz pulled out of all motorsport activity, and didn’t return for another thirty-four years.

This gorgeous Lego recreation of the championship-winning Mercedes-Benz W196 from ’54-’55 comes from Flickr’s Pixel Junkie, part of a wider classic racing build featured here previously, and there’s more to see of his stunning silver model via the link above.

FarmVille

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Lego Combine Harvester Tractor

No! Not that hateful game that annoyed everyone on Facebook for about 5 years. Don’t worry, we’re not inviting you to grow carrots or whatever bullcrap that pointless procrastination aid was peddling. Instead we have these two excellent farming machines to show you, both of which come from Kreso007 of Flickr. On the left is a Massey Ferguson 7345 combine harvester whilst on the right is a John Deere 9460RT, and there’s more to see of each by clicking here.

TLCB Recommends!

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Lego Cheerleader Red

Here at The Lego Car Blog we receive all sorts of requests for endorsements. Frankly this is as surprising to us as it probably is to you, because we’re idiots, but nevertheless somehow we’ve found ourselves in a position of power. POWER!!

We may have got a little over-excited at this realisation but don’t worry, we were brought back down to earth when we asked our intern to pose for the picture above, with the result being a new entry into the Mis-Conduct Box and a picture of a mini-figure instead.

Back to the task in hand, and it’s probably time to assemble some of our recommendations into one handy guide. So here they are, TLCB Recommends….

Third-Party Bluetooth Control | SBrick & BuWizz

We’ve tested two third-party LEGO-compatible bluetooth products here at The Lego Car Blog, and we’re pleased to say that both earn a recommendation.

Best for programming: SBrick

SBrick ReviewReviewed here earlier in the year the SBrick controller provides Lego models with bluetooth capability, allowing control via a mobile phone, gamepad, or other device. This has clear advantages over LEGO’s own IR control, being unaffected by bright sunlight, and allowing the receiver to be completely hidden inside a model.

Where the SBrick really scores though is the superb programmable app, allowing the bespoke set-up of a model that surpasses even LEGO’s own Mindstorms robotics sets. We tried the SBrick with the LEGO Technic 42030 Volvo L350F set and were amazed by how easy it was to set up, and how beautifully controllable the Volvo became. It’s a new dimension in Lego robotics.

Best for power: BuWizz

Lego BuWizz ReviewLike the SBrick above, the BuWizz offers all the benefits of bluetooth control, but with the added bonus of a built in battery that can provide up to eight times the power of LEGO’s Power Functions system. The BuWizz brick can be programmed too, although we found this far more limited than the SBrick’s abilities, but really this product is all about power.

The BuWizz bluetooth battery genuinely transforms what Lego models can be capable of, and whilst we suspect far more axles, gears and pins will break a result, their owners will be having riotously good fun in the process! Read our review of the BuWizz brick by clicking here and see how fast your model can go.

Books | No Starch Press

No Starch PressWe’ve reviewed loads of Lego-themed books over the years and most are really very good. Our favourite publishers are the guys at No Starch Press who have brought several top-quality building books to print, including some authored by builders who have featured on these very pages.

You can find all of the books we’ve reviewed via the Review Library, and you can check out NSP’s current range via the link above.

LEGO Set Reviews | Brick Insights

Brick InsightsOur ever-expanding Set Review Library has become (and this is a rare thing at TLCB) something that we’re quite proud of. With one hundred sets, third-party products and books reviewed to date, a few of which were written by you – our readers – it’s as good a place as any to find out whether that eBay seller really can charge that much.

However our reviews are only written by us lot here at TLCB Towers (plus a few from you) and, as mentioned previously, we are idiots. Better then to trust an amalgamation of many reviews before you make a purchase decision, and the brilliant Brick Insights does just that. Pulling review information from multiple sources (of which we’re one) you can quickly see all the reviews for a particular set, the average, highest and lowest scores and much more.

You can read our overview of Brick Insights by clicking here and you can check out the site itself via the link above. Don’t buy another set without it.

Builders | Wait, what?

Lego MicrophoneYup, because we’ve been interviewing the very best Lego vehicle builders on the ‘net in our ‘Master MOCers‘ and ‘Become a Professional‘ interview series.

If you’d like to know how some of the greatest Lego model-makers create their masterpieces, and very probably learn some useless facts about them too, then head over to the Interviews pages via the links above. We’ll be adding more builders to this Hall of Fame very soon too!

Other Stuff | Blogs, Creation Sharing, LUGs and more

We’ve a whole heap of references worth your clicks to be found in the Directory, including the sources our Elves use to find creations, rival blogs, games, Lego User Groups and Friends of TLCB.

Take a look via the link above, and remember that your clicks and page visits here at The Lego Car Blog directly contribute to worthy causes around the world, as our limited advertising revenue is dispersed to those who need it more than we do, and that’s entirely thanks to you.

Skid Marks

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Lego Technic RC Skid Steer Loader BuWizz

Sometimes you don’t need a million-horsepower hypercar as inspiration for a brilliant Technic build. This is a humble skid-steer compact tracked loader, and it is one of the most fun-looking Technic models TLCB Elves have discovered in ages.

Built by Nico71 of Brickshelf this tiny Technic toy is packed with working remote control functions, which – thanks to a third-party BuWizz bluetooth battery/controller – are super-powered too.

Two Medium Motors power the tracks, providing both drive and skid-steering, whilst a further pair of motors linked to linear actuators operate the bucket arm and tilt-mechanism.

Thanks to its small size and the extra power from the BuWizz battery Nico’s loader is a riot to chase Elves down the corridor with, er… we mean rigorously test, so whilst we do that you can see more by clicking the link above, and you can read our review of the BuWizz bluetooth battery that powers it by clicking here.

Lego Technic RC Skid Steer Loader BuWizz

Tracer

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Lego Grumman E-1B Tracer

This may look like a propellor plane and the Starship Enterprise have had a horrendous accident, but it is in fact a Grumman E-1 Tracer early warning aircraft. One of the first carrier-based airborne detection planes the E-1 Tracer operated in the US Navy from 1958 to 1977, and if you think it looks strange here it looks even weirder with its wings folded for carrier storage.

This amazing recreation of the airborne oddity is the work of previous bloggee and TLCB Master MOCer Ralph Savelsberg (aka Mad Physicist) and there’s more to see of his superb E-1 on Flickr by clicking here.

127 Studs

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Lego SHIPtember Spaceship

OK, this is definitely absolutely not a car, but we did make it nearly all the way through the annual Lego bandwagon that is SHIPtember only posting something that was (yay for us!). This spaceship is apparently an ‘Antigona Class Light Frigate’, which – much like your Mom’s sexual history – measures 127 studs long and is widely varied. It’s the work of Chris Perron of Flickr based on concept artwork by Lewis Carrol and there’s more to see at Chris’ photostream via the link above.

Expedition Zetros

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Lego Technic Mercedes-Benz Zetros

This is the Mercedes-Benz Zetros, the brand’s ultra-heavy duty off-road truck. Normally found in use by the military, utilities companies, or carrying weighty things to the middle-of-nowhere, it’s a truck that has a sort-of-adventurous life performing fairly mundane jobs. Not this one though.

Built by Samolot of Eurobricks this Zetros pays homage to a one-off expedition adventure vehicle created a few years ago which looks like something from The Wild Thornberrys and is possibly the coolest way ever to cross a continent.

YouTube Video

Based on the chassis found within the official LEGO Technic 8110 Mercedes-Benz Unimog set, Samolot’s Zetros forgoes the now-commonplace remote control drive and steering for a host of mechanical and powered functions.

A single Medium Motor and gearbox drive three powered features; the winch, lowering rear tail-lift platform, and the side ladder, plus there’s a piston engine up front, working all-wheel-drive and all-wheel-suspension (as per the Unimog set) and a very nice-looking cab interior.

Lego Technic Mercedes-Benz Zetros Expedition

There’s more to see of Samalot’s superb Zetros Expedition at the Eurobricks discussion forum – click here to join the adventure!

Trusty Rusty

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Lego Lightship

The Royal Yacht Skytanic is steaming through the skies en-route to Belleville. Soon she will reach the Northern Floating Icefield and the welcome sight of ‘Trusty Rusty’, the twenty-year old floating lightship and its accompanying beacons, stationed to guide air travellers through the perilous sykcicles.

The four-man crew of Trusty Rusty spend over a year on board at a time, facing huge winds and temperatures that drop below -40° in order to keep the sky traffic traversing the route safe.

Flickr’s Markus Ronge has photographed the old lightship beautifully and you can see more of his stunning imagery via Flickr, plus you can remind yourself of the Skytanic’s grand departure from the Maersk Pier and the other boats from the ‘Full Steam’ universe previously featured by clicking here.

Lego Lightship

Starman

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Lego Tesla Roadster in Space

There’s a starman waiting in the sky
He’d like to come and meet us
But he thinks he’d blow our minds

We’ve flirted with the annual Lego bandwagon that is SHIPtember before, but this year we’ve found an entry we can really get behind.

This is a Tesla Roadster. Specifically it’s the actual Tesla Roadster owned by Paypal founder, Tony Stark inspiration, and pot enthusiast Elon Musk.

Earlier this year the Muskinator decided to launch his company’s first car, the Roadster, into space using his other company, SpaceX’s, Falcon Heavy Rocket. The little Elise-based electric sports car reached speeds of over 120,000km/h and is currently orbiting with an aphelion of 248,890,000km piloted by a mannequin named ‘Starman’.

Lego Tesla Roadster in Space

Thanks to the vacuum of space, Starman’s Roadster will continue to orbit indefinitely too, racking up considerably more miles than the 244 the car was capable of on one charge back on earth.

This huge 100-stud long homage to Elon’s ingenuous marketing project comes from TLCB newcomer Adrian Drake aka Brickfrenzy, who has built not only the ’08 Roadster but also Starman at the wheel too.

There much more to see of Adrian’s space-bound Tesla at his photostream via the link above, and you can watch the real Tesla Roadster live in orbit thanks to the wonders of YouTube by clicking here!

Lego Tesla Roadster in Space

The Skytanic

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Lego Skytanic Steampunk Ship

She’s finally ready! Departing Maersk Pier on her maiden voyage to Belleville, the Royal Yacht ‘Skytanic’ is the largest, fastest, and most luxurious skyliner ever built. Five stories of cabins, restaurants and bars, the world’s first on-board heated pool, and – of course – the Royal Pavilion, there is surely no finer way than the Skytanic to sail the skies.

Lego Skytanic Steampunk Ship

Masterminded by Flickr’s Markus Ronge, the Skytanic is deemed to be indestructible. The favoured ship of the Royal family, super-rich industrialists, and the highest of society, she’s sure to have a long and illustrious career navigating the clouds between Ninjago and Belleville. Take a look at all of the glorious photographs from the Skytanic’s maiden launch at Markus’s photostream, whilst we await her successful arrival in Belleville in a few weeks time.

Lego Skytanic Steampunk Ship