On The Run

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For some reason sci-fi modellers often depict future transport as having legs. This is strange because wheels are obviously more efficient and mechanically simpler to design. Walking vehicles also require advanced stabilisation and control technology. Why would society abandon the wheel? Would it eventually mean the end of The Lego Car Blog? How would the Elves win their Smarties?

Perhaps one area where walking machines might make sense would be in a form of racing, such as BobDeQuatre’s Running Flamingo. As we noted earlier in the week, racing competitions often arbitrarily change their rules, so why not ban wheels? BobDeQuatre has created the World Running League for exactly this sort of motor sport. Click this link to see his other MOC in the series or this link to enjoy the extreme stereo-panning of today’s title track from an appropriately pink group.

Ferrari-Lite

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Lego Toyota MR2

It’s hard to do justice here to just how amazing the second generation Toyota MR2 was when it was launched in 1989. Toyota, like most of the Japanese manufacturers at the time, were on a roll. Even so, the arrival of the ‘W20’ series MR2 was one of the most shocking the automotive community had seen in ages. Looking like a mid-engined Ferrari and – in turbocharged form – going like one too, the effect would be like Hyundai launching a 458 rival today. Of course most people at the time didn’t know it was only humble Toyota with a four-cylinder engine…

Lego Toyota MR2

This brilliant Model Team recreation of the early ’90s Toyota MR2 is the work of serial bloggee Senator Chinchilla, and he’s absolutely nailed it. Featuring opening doors, a well-replicated interior, an opening engine lid and a realistic engine, Senator’s MR2 is packed with quality detailing. There’s more to see at his photostream via the link to Flickr above, and if you can find a good second generation MR2 for sale – buy it. Their values are only going to go one way…

Lego Toyota MR2

Jap Rod

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Lego 1932 Ford Deuce Coupe Takehito Yamato

Japan’s product design may not have a reputation for originality, but the Japanese can take almost anything pioneered by another part of the world and make it better. See the Mazda MX-5 Miata, the Toyota Land Cruiser, the Nissan GT-R, and pretty much every electronic device ever invented.

We can probably add hot rods to that list now too, thanks to this gorgeous 1932 ‘Takehito Yamato’ Ford Deuce Coupe. This Lego recreation of the real-world car comes from Master MOCer and previous bloggee Andrea Lattanzio aka Norton74, and he’s replicated the original vehicle superbly in Lego form, even building a beautiful period-correct workshop in which to house it.

There’s more to see of the Takehito Yamato at Norton74’s photostream – click the link above to head over to somewhere inbetween America and Japan.

Lego 1932 Ford Deuce Coupe Takehito Yamato

Size Isn’t Everything

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Lego Micro-scale Vehicles

At least, that’s what your Mom told this TLCB writer. It’s a philosophy adopted by Flickr’s LEGO 7 too, who has constructed this charming micro-scale scene in which none of the vehicles are more than two studs in width. They’re all instantly identifiable though, with a taxi, police car, excavator, cement truck, ambulance, semi truck, coupe and bus all recreated brilliantly in miniature and placed within a clever modular roadway. There’s lots more to see of all the vehicles plus the neatly designed base at LEGO 7’s photostream – click the link above to check it out.

Life-Size LEGO McLaren 720S at Goodwood

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Lego McLaren 720S Goodwood FoS

McLaren are on a bit of roll at the moment. Since their return to the road car market as a stand-alone manufacturer their growth has been nothing short of exceptional, first creating credible rivals to the established supercar manufacturers and now, with their new 720S, arguably surpassing them.

Powered by the firm’s well-proven twin turbocharged V8 engine, the all-carbon 720S has taken supercar performance into hypercar territory, with a 0-124mph time of less than 8 seconds. The competition amongst the world’s supercar builders is going to get very tasty…

Lego McLaren 720S Goodwood FoS

McLaren launched the 720S at the Goodwood Festival of Speed at the weekend, and in doing so gave visitors the chance to build their very own car. Well, sort of…

Constructed from almost 280,000 LEGO bricks, this life-size replica of the McLaren 720S is the work of certified LEGO Professionals Bright Bricks. Besides being constructed around a metal frame and resting upon real wheels, this incredible 1:1 scale supercar is entirely built from LEGO pieces, and visitors to the Festival of Speed could help to gradually complete the car by adding the final layer of orange bricks to the bodywork.

When complete the finished model actually weighs more than the real car (that’s why the actual 720S is constructed from carbon fibre), and it’s due to go on tour as part of the McLaren 720S launch programme, so you may well get to see it if you’re planning to visit a motoring event this year.

Lego McLaren 720S Goodwood FoS

Until then you can feast your eyes on these pictures of the part-finished 1:1 scale McLaren 720S from the Goodwood Festival of Speed last weekend, including a slightly clickbaity attractive girl (top) and a Goodwood’s own slightly less clickbaity Lord March (centre), plus you can read a review of LEGO’s slightly smaller – but just as orange – McLaren P1 Speed Champions set (courtesy of two of our readers) by clicking here.

Duty Free

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Formula Zero Gravity Lego

On every flight there’s always one. That lady or gentleman who – when booze is marginally cheaper courtesy of airport tax free shopping – decides to optimise this saving. “I’ll just get a few bottles to take home” they say. Sure they will. Those bottles will be empty before they’ve even boarded. Anyway, this post is for them – and to that one guy who tries to smoke in the airplane toilet – as these models are literally encouraging drinking/smoking and flying.

With most countries doing what Formula 1 wouldn’t (because F1 is all about the monies), and banning alcohol and cigarette sponsorship in sport, alcoholic beverage and cigarette companies are no longer seen on the side of Formula 1 cars.

But there are no rules in space…

This is Formula Zero Gravity, an invention by British Lego Group Brickish, and they’re single-handedly bringing morally-dubious sponsorship back to top level racing! Two of motorsport’s greatest liveries have made the return so far (with more to come), with Nick Barrett’s stupendous Martini Racing F0 racer above, and Jeremy Williams’ gorgeous John Player Special F0 racer below.

There’s more to see of Nick’s build at both his MOCpage and photostream, and you can view Jeremy’s courtesy of Flickr here. Enjoy your flight!

Formula Zero Gravity Lego

Independence Day

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Lego Technic RC Nimr Ajban SOV

It’s the fourth of July! Which means America is celebrating the day when Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum implanted a virus in the alien mothership intent on invading Earth. Or something. Anyway, to celebrate here’s probably the most American vehicle we could find, a huge gas-guzzling military off-road behemoth!

Except this huge gas-guzzling military off-road behemoth isn’t American at all. In fact it’s called the Nimr Ajban SOV (a name alone which probably irritates some members of the NRA), and it comes from the United Arab Emirates.

This giant 1:8 scale Technic recreation of Abu Dhabi’s finest military hardware is the work of Samolot, and it’s packed with Technic goodness. Four Power Functions L motors offer direct drive to each wheel, a fifth L motor powers the steering, there’s all-wheel independent suspension, and it sits on massive third party 130mm tyres.

If you’d like to see more of Samolot’s Nimr Ajban head on over to either MOCpages or Eurobricks where the full gallery of images – plus some videos of the model in action – are available to view.

Lego Technic RC Nimr Ajban SOV

Big Blue

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Lego Peterbilt 352 110 Cabover

This enormous block of blue and white is a Peterbilt 352 110 Cabover, an unusual configuration for an American hauler, and it’s the newest build of previous bloggee Andre Pinto. Andre has appeared here at TLCB a few times with his cars and motorcycles, but this is his first truck, and it safe to say he’s nailed it. Featuring opening everything and a tilting cab which reveals a highly detailed engine and chassis, Andre’s Peterbilt is well worth a closer look – do just that via the link to Flickr above.

Lego Peterbilt 352 110 Cabover

Forced Induction

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Lego Renault RS10 Formula 1 Car RoscoPC

This is a 1979 Renault RS10, and it was the first turbocharged car to ever win a Formula 1 race. It’s been faithfully recreated in Lego form by Master MOCer Luca Rusconi aka RoscoPC, whose recently re-uploaded creations have featured heavily here over the past few months. This is Luca’s first entirely new build, allowing him to take advantage of LEGO’s latest parts to brilliant effect.

Powered by a tiny 1.5 litre twin-turbocharged V6 engine the Renault RS10 produced over 500bhp… when it worked. Which to be honest it didn’t all that much, but when it did the RS10 was phenomenally fast. Renault’s single 1979 win with the new turbo engine forced every other front-running F1 team to hastily begin turbo engine development, and if it weren’t for F1’s constantly changing (and pointless) restrictions banning turbocharged engines by the late-’80s (when they were producing as much as 1,400bhp), we doubt any naturally-aspirated engine would have won an F1 championship again. Of course those same pointless restrictions now mandate the use of 1.6 litre turbocharged V6 engines, so the sport has come full circle…

Lego Renault RS10 Formula 1 Car RoscoPC

Renault never won a Formula 1 Championship with the technology they pioneered though (although they did earn some excellent results), but the RS10 can be credited with completely changing the landscape of F1, ushering in the wonderful insanity of the ’80s turbo-era until forced induction was outlawed in 1989.

There’s more to see of this stunning recreation of one of Formula 1’s most game-changing cars at RoscoPC’s Renault RS10 Flickr album – click the link to make some boost.

Lego Renault RS10

Supermarket Special Stage

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Lego Technic Rally Car

The World Rally Championship has a long association with humble hatchbacks. This is probably because of the sport’s grass-roots origins, when cars really were just road-going shopping appliances, and where the tightness of the rural European roads on which the stages were held favoured the small and nimble.

These days the WRC is used primarily as an advertising tool for mass-market products. If a car can deal with a Swedish forest, it’ll probably be alright in the supermarket carpark. The current crop of works WRC cars include the Ford Fiesta, Skoda Fabia, Hyundai i20, Citroen C3, and Toyota Yaris, and they are becoming increasingly (and gloriously) nuts.

Lego Technic Rally Car

Previous bloggee Horcik Designs has decided to construct his very own WRC contender to join in the fun, and it’s a beautifully packaged bit of kit. A three-cylinder piston engine is mounted transversely under the hood, delivering the power to the independently-sprung wheels via a four-speed gearbox. Working steering, opening doors, hood and trunk, and a roll cage all feature too, and the body panels can be easily removed to reveal the internal construction.

A full gallery of images is available at Horcik’s Flickr photostream – click the link above to the make the jump.

Lego Technic Rally Car

What’s in the Box?

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Lego DAF FA 1600 DF

This big red box is a DAF FA 1600 DF from 1975, and it comes from DAF-building specialist Arian Janssens. A big red box it may be, but it’s a beautifully built one, featuring an astonishing level of detail and a myriad of subtle curves, indentations and slopes. The livery belongs to Houtmotcentrale Rijen (apparently), which means that we have absolutely no idea what’s inside it. See if you can work it out at Arian Janssens’ photostream via the link above.

Sci/Sky-Fi Sunday

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Lego Sky-Fi

Full disclosure; we don’t really know the difference between sky-fi and sci-fi. One has propellors and one doesn’t maybe? Anyway, we’re sure the more professional blogs will pick these up soon so you can read a proper description there, in the meantime we’re happy just to say that they’re both rather lovely builds and that you can see more of Sylon-tw‘s ‘F-09 Trident’ (above) and Eric Teo‘s ‘Crimson Dawn’ on Flickr via the links.

Lego Sci-Fi

Shipping Forecast

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Lego Tugger

TLCB Towers is located in an island nation (over 6,000 islands in fact). This means that – if we so wish – we can listen to a uniquely crap bit of radio. The Shipping Forecast can be heard four times a day courtesy of our state broadcaster and the Coastguard & Maritime Agency, updating the sailors in our waters to the incoming weather, sea conditions and currents, and boring everybody else into a gentle coma.

Still, it’s useful stuff if you’re tug boat captain. Fortunately this hi-vis adorned mini-figure is, and the Lego tug boat under his helm is a work of maritime art. Previous bloggee Konajra is the builder behind it, and he’s constructed an absolutely beautiful harbour scene to accompany his stunning ship too.

There’s lots more to see at Konajra’s Flickr photostream – click here for the complete gallery of superb images.

Lego Harbor

Fifty-Six Ford F-500

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Lego 1956 Ford F-500 COE

This gorgeous Town scale 1956 Ford F-500 COE was discovered by one of our Elves on Flickr today. It comes from LegoEng and it might just be the most beautiful truck we’ve seen this year. There’s more to see at LegoEng’s photostream – click the link above to take a look.

Creator London Bus 10258 – Set Preview

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Lego 10258 London Bus Review

London Transport have finally reintroduced double-decker, rear-access buses to their fleet. Missing from the capital’s streets since the iconic Routemaster was phased out in 2005, the new bus – this time a hybrid – is set to become a modern classic. However we will always have fond memories of the original, the wonderful AEC Routemaster that saw service on the streets of London for almost 50 years.

Lego 10258 London Bus Set

LEGO’s newest addition to their stellar Creator vehicle range (which has previously delivered such gems as the 10242 Mini Cooper, 10252 Volkswagen Beetle) pays homage to one of the world’s most infamous and recognisable of vehicles. This is the new-for-2017, 1,686 piece 10258 Creator Expert London Bus set, and we absolutely love it.

Lego 10258 London Bus Set

Beautifully recreated inside and out, the new LEGO Routemaster includes a detailed and accessible interior (complete with an authentic spiral staircase), exterior advertising posters featuring either ’50s or modern-day graphics, plus – uniquely – some of the detritus discarded by passengers, including a newspaper, drinks can, chewing gum (yuk!), umbrella and ticket stub.

Lego 10258 London Bus Set

Several new pieces also make their debut on 10258, including standard-tread tyres, vertical stud pieces, and a selection of new curves and arches in LEGO’s classic red hue.

The new 10258 London Bus set will launch in August 2017, scaled to match the previous vehicles in the Creator range, and we predict LEGO have an instant classic in the making. Just like London’s new double decker bus.
Lego 10258 London Bus Review