Go Wide!

Go Wide

This year has seen a new month added to Lego builders’ calendars on Flickr: SHIPtember. A SHIP is a Seriously Huge Investment in Parts and is typically over 100 studs in length. Builders from all over the world have been posting photos of both WIPs and completed projects, which are generally long and thin. Dover (Drew) has chosen to take a sideways look at the theme, literally, and produced this 101 stud wide Bubble Fighter.

The spacecraft is based on one flown by Matt LeBlanc in the 1998 film of “Lost in Space“. It has a pistol grip handle to hold when swooshing it and rotating wings too. There’s also some nice parts usage, with the Christmas decoration cockpit and especially the real teeth in the markings on the wings. The Elf who discovered this MOC is still a bit upset by the big, pointy fangs. Please don’t be scared to check more photos of this colourful spacecraft by clicking this link to its Flickr page.

Professor Plum

Lego Chevelle SS…in the garage with the wrench. Lino M‘s Cluedo-themed Chevelle SS is one of Flickr’s latest great models. See it at the link.

Chatterbox

Lego Cheerleader

Yesterday one of you guys, the readers who enable this blog to happen, added the 1,000th comment to The Lego Car Blog! So a big thank you from all of us here as we approach the half-a-million views mark. In less exciting news we’ve also deleted almost 15,000 spam comments. Most of these are for fake sunglasses or ‘medz’, but a few are for things far less savoury. It reminds us what a dark place the internet can be, and that hopefully we’re one of the good guys. As always, you can let us know what you think in the usual ways. Onwards to half-a-million!

Can You Dig It?

Komatsu-500w

This massive earthmover is described as a “Super Dozer” on its manufacturers website. The real-life version has a giant, 90 cubic yard blade, enough to carry all of the TLCB Elves and a few of their friends. Jorge Garcia’s Lego version is no less impressive. This yellow Technic monster contains 5 motors, a linear actuator and a plethora of pneumatics to make its functions work. All of this is covered with a realistic version of the D575’s bodywork and travels on some brilliant custom-built tracks, based on a design by mahjqa. You can dig it by clicking this link to the D575’s MOCpages listing.

Prime Time

Lego Optimus Prime TransformersThe Elves are still loving the original Transformers cartoon video they were bought in a moment of unusual generosity by The Lego Car Blog staff, so it’s no surprise they’re on the look out for Transformers-related MOCs. This one comes from Yang Nam on MOCpages, who recreates the original cartoon-spec Optimus Prime in truck-form as a Kenworth K100. See it at Yang’s MOCpage here.

Range Rover Sport

Lego Range Rover SportA very familiar sight in UK roads (usually in the ‘Audi’ position; three feet from your rear bumper on the motorway), the Range Rover Sport has been a huge success for Land Rover. Ralph Savelsberg recreates the modern icon in its popular ‘drug-dealer’ white. You can see the full gallery on Flickr, and you can see it in the brick – along with many of Ralph’s other vehicles – at the Great Western Lego Show this October.

Past Masters

Lotus 99T Ayrton SennaThese astonishing classic Formula 1 cars, uncovered on both MOCpages and Brickshelf, are the work of Lego-builder F1Fan.

The yellow Camel-liveried car above is a 1987 Lotus 99T, powered by Honda’s ferocious 900bhp 1.5 litre turbo and featuring active suspension. In the hands of the legendary Ayrton Senna the 99T recorded six podiums and two race wins during the ’87 season, allowing Team Lotus to finish third overall behind Williams and McLaren (and ahead of Ferrari). Sadly both Team Lotus and Ayrton would die during the 1994 season, perhaps the biggest loss of talent in a single year of Formula 1.

The blue car below is one of the most innovative and recognisable Formula 1 cars of all time, the remarkable six-wheel Tyrrell P34. F1Fan’s version is based on the previous work by RoscoPC, and updates it to replicate the car from the 1976 International Trophy race at Silverstone.

Interestingly both of these classic Formula 1 cars feature technology which is now banned, making them in some respects more advanced than even the championship winning Red Bull of this year. See both beautiful racing cars at F1Fan’s MOCpage or Brickshelf account via the links above.

Tyrrell P34 1976

Crowdsourcing

Lego Nissan GTR, Lego Car, Lego Audi R8

It’s time for some of your suggestions here at The Lego Car Blog. These three creations were brought to us in the Feedback page or in the comments during the last week. We can’t publish all of your suggestions (well we can, but some aren’t quiet good enough, have blurry photos, or aren’t vehicles at all) but we do consider each submission. Congratulations to (from left to right) Alexander Paschoaletto, Peteris Sprogis, and Joel Seow.

Red Giant

Lego Volco TruckThis huge 1:13 scale 1980s Volvo F12 intercooler was discovered by one of the Elves today. Built by Andrea Lattanzio aka Norton 74 you can see the full gallery and accompanying commentary on either MOCpages or Flickr.

That’s What She Said

Lego SpaceshipIt’s so big! And long! It might not fit in. Is it loaded and ready to fire? Ok, we’ll stop. Lego Admiral’s 7ft 6inch (286 studs) ship is part of Flickr’s ‘SHIPtember’ project, where this September builders are producing sci-fi models over 100 studs in length. We don’t really understand sci-fi here at TLCB, so we had to resort to innuendo, but if it’s your thing check out both Lego Admiral’s amazing model and the competition here.

Daffy Truck

Lego DAF TruckThe Elves found this DAF FT 2300 by Flickr’s nkle yesterday, but we were feeling lazy and didn’t blog it, and The Brothers Brick got there first. Cue a riot from our irritating workforce. Sigh. Cartoons have since been switched on (hence the title) and calm has been restored. We’ll give them 15 minutes and then Mr. Air Horn is coming to say hello. Anyway, you can see this brilliant 1980s truck on Flickr at the link above.

No-Nonsense Racer

No-nonsense racer

A recent trip to MOCpages resulted in this rather cool race car made by Davanchi M. Not only has he done a great job on the styling and colours of the car, he also focused on interior and engine details. The chassis underneath the removable body almost looks real and the rollcage really does help if it ends on its roof. See Davanchi’s work by clicking the link above.

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

Lego Albatross

At length did cross an albatross, Thorough the fog it came; As if it had been a Christian soul, We hailed it in God’s name.

It ate the food it ne’er had eat, And round and round it flew. The ice did split with a thunder-fit; The helmsman steered us through!

And a good south wind sprung up behind; The albatross did follow, And every day, for food or play, Came to the mariners’ hollo!

David Robert’s helps us to teach the Elves some poetic culture with his Albatross Flying Wing. See the wonderful photos and accompanying back-story on MOCpages or Flickr.

Matchbox Marvel

Rocket-Launcher-500w

The Elves were delighted to find this Lego version of a 1970’s Matchbox K111 Rocket Launcher on MOCpages. Their tiny, claw-like fingers were soon opening up all of its various hatches and doors to fiddle with the working features, and missiles quickly started flying from the hidden launcher in the back of the truck. It’s all fun and games until some Elf loses an eye, so Andy L’s vehicle was swiftly confiscated.

The TLCB staff appreciated the HoG steering, via the spare tyre on the back and the technical achievement of making the missile launcher pop out of the truck. It also reminded us of childhood days, wearing flares and tank-tops, and trying to fit Lego cars down a Streakloop. You can enjoy the nostalgia and see more of the working features at the K111’s MOCpages listing by clicking the link.

Photography Class 116

Lego TrainThis is the best Lego photo we’ve ever posted. Bricktrix’s Class 116 train stopped the entire office in its tracks (Ahah! A train joke!) in disbelief. See the spectacular photos on Flickr. You probably won’t see a better photo this year.