Classic thrills for classic spacemen, courtesy of Miro Dudas.
Join the queue for admission on Flickr.
Classic Space Coaster
Leave a reply
Cialis
Ah, Hummer… the loudest way you can proclaim ‘ I have a tiny little penis!’ to the whole world. But whatever our feelings on the over-hyped, poorly built, pointlessly machismo waste of tin that is anything with a Hummer badge on it, this Technic H2 is rather nice…
MOCpages’ Artemy Zotov is the builder and he’s included some decent mechanical functionality. We often publicise fancy RC vehicles here at TLCB, but sometimes it’s nice to feature a creation with good old-fashioned mechanics. This one has a working V8 engine, hand-of-God steering, opening doors and hood, and a removable rear deck. There’s more to see at the link above.
More Downsizing
Earlier today we featured America’s attempt at downsizing, which is definite step in the right direction, but is still – let’s face it – bloody massive. Europe are making things much smaller.
Leading the way are BMW, whose latest supercar is powered by a tiny three-cylinder 1.5 litre turbo engine. And some electric motors. Big electric motors.
The striking looking i8 uses a combination of these power sources to deliver incredible performance and incredible fuel economy, deciding how much of each source is best to use at any given time. Clever stuff, although sometimes we don’t think the humble Toyota Prius gets enough credit…
TLCB Master MOCer Sheepo has decided to recreate this technical tour-de-force in Lego Technic, and his stunning replica i8 is very nearly as advanced as the real car. Power Functions RC drive and steering are included, as are an electrically operated retractable roof and opening scissor doors, plus the BMW’s dinky three-cylinder engine.
And then it’s gets really interesting. Sheepo has recreated (sort of) the BMW’s ingenious Hybrid system, with an electrically powered front axel, plus two more motors on the rear axel that are activated on the selection of Sport Mode, to give the car all-wheel-drive. The gearbox mounted in the middle equalises these motors to ensure smooth drive to each wheel, as well as upping the drive ratio when Sport Mode is engaged.
You can see how it all works at Sheepo’s website here (at the time of writing the i8 is yet to be published on the usual image-sharing platforms), or via the excellent video below.
YouTube Video:
Massive Erection
This absolutely enormous Liebherr LTM 1750-9.1 crane was suggested to us via the Feedback page, and it comes from Flickr builder and TLCB newcomer Dawid Szmandra.
Dawid’s stunning replica of the LTM utilises LEGO’s Power Functions system for a wide range of different movements, including drive, steering, boom elevation, extension, rotation, winching, and deployment of the outriggers and stabiliser feet – there are eleven motors in all! It’s a good thing then that the Elves didn’t find this before we did or there would have been much havoc in the office today.
You can see all of the (excellent) images at Dawid’s Flickr photostream via the link above, but to see what his Lego Liebherr LTM 1750-9.1 can really do you’ve got to watch the video below – if you think it looks big in the image above you ain’t seen nothing yet!
YouTube Video:
Downsizing
America. Bigger is better. Guns, meals (and waistlines) and – of course – cars. But what if there’s another way?
It was actually America, remarkably, that put the first turbo-charged production car on the market, way back in the 1960s. Turbo-charging was then promptly forgotten about, and the U.S auto makers went back to their tried and tested method of humungous and spectacularly inefficient V8s.
But the world has moved on, and with European and Japanese manufacturers making huge power from small capacity forced-induction engines, and saving weight, fuel and cost too, it’s finally time for America to get with the programme.
All of the Big Three are now championing turbo-power, using technology from their European divisions to bring smaller-capacity engines to the U.S market. Arguably the most successful so far have been Ford, with their excellent Ecoboost engine range. Unfortunately though, there are still customers in America who live in 1974, and they don’t trust this brave new direction one bit, so how does Ford prove to them that smaller equals better? A 600+bhp Ecoboost supercar ought to do it…
Only a handful of people even within Ford knew that the 2017 GT was being developed, so it came as a total surprise to the motoring press when the GT was revealed in concept form at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show. Powered by the 3.5 litre Ecoboost V6 that Ford would like to see replace the V8 across the range, the GT’s engine is around half the size of its American competitors. And it’s twice as good.
MOCpages’ Rage Hobbit thought so too, and he’s built a stunning Technic replica of the Ford GT before the real car has even gone on sale. Rage’s Lego recreation includes the mid-mounted V6 – hooked up to an eight speed remotely operated gearbox, remote controlled drive and steering, a motorised rear wing, double wishbone independent suspension and opening butterfly doors.
There are more images and full details of the build available at Rage Hobbit’s MOCpages account – click the link above to make the jump.
Busted
The Elves don’t much like buses. They did manage to get on one once but we now have a court injunction so it’s safe to say that it didn’t go well.
Anyway, we – TLCB Staff – do quite like buses, and this Credo Econell 12 from Gabor Horvath of MOCpages looks excellent to us.
Underneath the remarkably life-like exterior is a plethora of electric functionality, including RC drive and steering and Power Functions controlled opening doors.
There’s lots more to see, including a video, at Gabor’s MOCpages account – click the link above to hop on board.
Outlawz
The Elves are little grumpy today as this find comes from one of you. Suggested via the Feedback page is previous bloggee piratecox‘s mean-looking ‘Outlaw’ Datsin 240Z. Complete with a roll-cage, big rims, flared arches and a front mounted intercooler(?) it’s been built and photographed superbly, and you can see more at the link above.
‘Misstress’ Picture Special
This bewitchingly beautiful Technic supercar was discovered by one of our Elves on Flickr. It’s been built by previous bloggee Jeroen Ottens and – as you can see – it’s a work of art. The beauty of ‘Misstress’ is more than skin deep too; underneath the deliciously curvaceous bodywork is a mid-mounted V10 engine, working steering and fully independent double-wishbone suspension.
There’s a large gallery of superb images available to view at Jeroen’s Flickr photostream. Click on his name in the text above to see all of the photographs.
Star Port
Following his classic spaceship collaboration publicised here earlier in the week, builder Simon Liu has now completed the epic spaceport in which the classic spacecraft feature. Simon’s huge Moonbase services travellers from far and wide (just like your Mom), and there’s a vast amount of clever detailing and cunning building techniques used throughout the build.
There’s lots more to see on Flickr at Simon’s photostream – you can book yourself a trip to the moon by clicking on these magic words. We’ll see you there.
Ol’ Red
You may think the current trend for building smooth, studless creations requires LEGO’s newer smoother pieces, but TLCB favourite _Tiler proves that you get the look whilst going very old-school indeed.
_Tyler’s beautiful hot rod utilises a Fabuland roof (one of LEGO’s weirder past themes) combined with classic Town grey/white tyres, and they look absolutely resplendent here. You can see _Tiler’s latest build on Flickr – click the link above to step back in time.
TLCB Summer Building Competition is Open!
After much teasing we’re delighted to announce that The Lego Car Blog’s first building competition commences today!
Build the Elves a Vehicle!
Someone (possibly these guys) tipped off the animal welfare officers that there may have been mistreatment of animals here at TLCB Towers. How that’s possible with fictional mythical creatures we don’t know, but the short of it is we need to prove that we look after the little sods that make up our unpaid workforce. And so… The Lego Car Blog Elves are about to get their Christmas and Birthdays all rolled into one!
To get us off the hook with the authorities we need you to build the Elves their perfect vehicle. Those of you who’ve been visiting this site for a while will know what they like, but for those of you that haven’t, think racing stripes, Transformers, guns, remote control, huge engines, or all of the above. There may also be bonus points available for incorporating an Elf or two into your entry.
How to Enter
We’ve teamed up with the wonderful guys over at LUGNuts and Headturnerz on Flickr to enable you to upload your entries via their discussion threads. Alternatively you can enter right here at TLCB by commenting with a link to your entry.
You may enter as many creations as you like, and the winners will be chosen based upon the designs that best meet the brief and our usual Submission Guidelines. We recommend using the Search function to discover more about what the Elves like, and a few hints may be dropped throughout the duration of the competition.
Prizes!
You can never read too much, and the awesome guys over at No Starch Press – purveyors of a large range of brilliant Lego books, have provided some excellent prizes for you to win!
The first place winner will have top choice of one of the three superb books pictured above. The second place runner up can choose between the remaining two books and the winner will also get their mitts on the remaining publication.
Legal Stuff
- TLCB Summer Building Competition runs from July 1st to August 31st 2015 GMT, and no late entries will be considered.
- All entries must be your own work and be built and photographed during the two month competition.
- If you’re under the age of 18 you must get parental permission before entering the competition, as winners will need to provide TLCB with their contact details.
- LUGNuts, Head Turnerz, TLCB, and No Starch Press are not responsible for any additional tariffs, taxes, customs, bus tokens, or traffic tickets your country may impose on you when claiming your prizes.
Good luck to all our readers, and don’t forget you can join the discussion, ask questions, submit complaints etc. via the comments here at TLCB or via our Flickr partners.
Submit Your Entry!
…via one or more of the following;
LUGNuts
Headturnerz
TLCB
240 Winks
This lovely Datsun 240Z was discovered by one of our Elves on Flickr. TLCB regular Senator Chinchilla is the builder and you can see more of his classic Japanese sports car here.
Only Fools and Horses
White Knight
It’s time once more for some TLCB history. This is a Russian T34-85 tank, the most-produced tank of the Second World War and the second most-produced tank of all time. Whilst America’s contribution to the outcome of WW2 cannot be underestimated, it was not America, nor the British, that first rolled into Germany to end the conflict. It was the Russians, who made the biggest sacrifice of anyone – with more casualties than the US, UK, France, Japan and Germany combined – that got there first, thanks largely to this vehicle.
Over 84,000 T34s were built, and they remained in service within the Soviet Union until the late 1960s. Which makes this tank’s role in humanity a muddled one. It is possibly the vehicle with the single biggest contribution to the liberation of people, helping to end the Nazi oppression of millions, only to be re-purposed post-war as a tool of the Communist regime to oppress millions itself. How awful it must have been to escape the tyranny of Nazism in Eastern Europe to then be shackled by Communism a few short years later.
Still, much as we dislike megalomaniacal, nationalistic, homophobic, war-mongering Russian presidents (and we may not just be talking about Stalin here), Russia’s sacrifice for peoples’ freedom is perhaps the most remarkable and incredible of any country in all of history. Without the T34 tank Russia’s story, and the story of the World, may have been very different.
The Lego T34-85 featured here is the work of previous bloggee LegoMarat. It has four motors (controlled by the third-party SBrick, allowing operation via mobile device) which power the tracks, turret rotation and gun elevation, plus an authentic working recreation of the T34’s clever suspension system. There’s lots more to see on Flickr – click the link above to make the jump.
Spaceship! (x12)
The Lego Movie‘s Benny is sure gonna like this post…
Flickr’s Simon Liu recently held an Open Day at his moonbase build, and this is what turned up: Twelve different classic spaceships from a variety of the net’s best sci-fi builders. Each is a a work of Classic Space brilliance and you can see them all at Simon’s photostream here. Spaceship!