Half-a-B

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What’s half a B? A D? Whatever it is, that’s what we have here today, in the shape of the excellent Technic bulldozer by Flickr’s Dyens Creations, who has constructed it only from the parts found within LEGO Technic 42175 Volvo FMX Truck & EC230 Electric Excavator set, specifically the pieces used to build the EC230 excavator.

An array of working functions feature, and the bulldozer can still fit onto the Volvo FMX’s trailer, for which the pieces – and those of the truck pulling it – remain unused. There’s lots more of Dyen’s half-a-B-Model to see at his ‘LEGO 42175 – Heavy Duty Excavator’ album, and you can swap your digging for dozing via the link in the text above.

The Last True Lotus

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This TLCB Writer, living in Lotus’ home-market, can’t remember the last time he saw an Elise. Or an Exige. Or an Evora.

He can however, remember the last time he saw Lotus’ new five-meter-long, 2.6-ton ‘hyper SUV’. Because it was yesterday. In fact, because of the previously alluded to SUV arms race that takes place around TLCB Towers, they’re seen with alarming regularity. This is of course good news for the future of Lotus, and – simultaneously – bad news for the future of Lotus. Because if a Lotus is a Lotus in name only, then arguably the company is already dead.

Happily though, there’s one last hurrah before all Lotuses become near-three-ton Chinese-built electric behemoths; the fantastic Emira.

Launched in 2022, the Emira is Lotus’ final combustion-engined car, powered by either an AMG-sourced turbocharged 4-cylinder, or a Toyota-sourced supercharged V6, and available with a manual gearbox.

It’s the latter we have here today, in the form of newcomer Combustible ice‘s superb Technic recreation of the British sports car. The transverse mid-mounted V6 is present, as is a six-speed gearbox, all-wheel suspension, working steering, and opening doors, front trunk and engine cover, along with a stunning replication of the Emira’s pretty bodywork.

It’s one of the standout Technic Supercars of 2024 and there’s lots more to see, including technical renders and images of the chassis, at the Eurobricks discussion forum. Click the link above for a look at the last real Lotus…

Coupris Kineema

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This whimsical machine is a Coupris Kineema, a fictional motor carriage from ‘Disco Elysium’, just one of the countless video games we, um… haven’t played.

A cursory Google indicates that mahjqa’s Town-style recreation is a fabulous interpretation of the ‘real’ thing, and you can find it, along with free building instructions, at mahjqa’s ‘Coupe Kineema’ album on Flickr. Click the link above to take a look, and here to see what makes the builder tick.

My Other Car’s a G-Wagen

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In the vehicular arms-race raging around TLCB Towers, a normal SUV is no longer enough. Range Rovers, new Defenders, and G-Wagens (all in black of course) appear to be the minimum entry requirements, and thus we’re convinced it won’t be long before little Isabella is picked up from her private school in an actual tank. Painted black.

Or one of these…

The Hummer H1 was the ‘civilian’ version of the military HMMWV ‘Humvee’, designed to appeal to those convinced that civil war will start any day now, and they must protect themselves, and their family.

Constructed solely from the parts from the official LEGO Technic 42177 Mercedes-Benz G 500 set, Eric Trax’s brilliant Hummer H1 B-Model captures the outrageousness of the real deal wonderfully in brick form.

Using around 2,500 pieces (86%) of the original set, Eric’s H1 features four-wheel-drive with a centre locking differential, a V8 piston engine under an opening hood, HOG steering, a high/low gearbox, independent suspension, plus opening and locking doors and a dropping tailgate.

Presented as beautifully as it’s been made, there’s more to see of Eric’s fantastic 42177 alternate at his ‘Hummer H1 – Lego 42177 Model B’ album on Flickr and via the video below, where you can also find a link to building instructions.

Convert your Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen into a Hummer H1 via the link above, and win the SUV arms race once and for all! Unless Isabella’s Mom gets that tank…

YouTube Video

Acceptable in the ’80s

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A simple, efficient, small, pick-up truck would probably do brilliantly in 2024. But because they don’t cost much less to produce that monstrosities like this, guess what manufacturers choose to make…

Back in the ’80s though, and you could buy a simple, efficient, small, pick-up truck, with Toyota’s being so simple it didn’t even have a name, being called simply the ‘pick-up’.

It did in the rest of the world though, where the ‘Hilux’ gained a legendary reputation. This neat grey Technic recreation of the ’80s icon (pictured in front of some equally grey ’80s wallpaper – buy some white card paave!) comes from previous bloggee paave, and features four-wheel-drive linked to a 4-cylinder engine and a high/low gearbox, leaf-spring suspension, working steering, plus opening (and locking) doors, hood and tailgate.

There’s more of paave’s ’85 Toyota Hilux to see at the Eurobricks forum, where a link to building instructions can also be found. Build yourself a simple, efficient, small, pick-up truck in 2024 – even if it is from the ’80s – via the link above!

*Today’s (fantastic) title song.

Golden Warrior

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The ‘Golden Warriors’ might sound like a Japanese kid’s cartoon or an army in ‘Game of Thrones’, but they are in fact a U.S Navy strike fighter squadron based out of Virginia.

Flying the F/A-18A since 1986, the VFA-87 ‘Golden Warriors’ were deployed in Operation Desert Storm, Bosnia, and the second Iraq War, before switching to the upgraded F/A-18E Super Hornet in 2015, in which they shot down the first manned aircraft since 1999 (a Syrian Su-22), in the skies over Syria.

It’s the upgraded F/A-18E Super Hornet we have here, courtesy of TLCB Master MOCer Ralph Savelsberg (aka Mad Physicist), whose phenomenal recreation of the U.S Navy fighter is pictured on a slice of the carrier deck from which the aircraft operates.

Folding wing-tips, detailed armaments, and retractable landing gear all feature, and you can find all of the superb imagery at Ralph’s ‘F/A-18E Super Hornet’ album.

Crapper

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We like merging words here at TLCB, but – much like a bulldog and a shih-tzu – we’re not sure merging ‘crane’ and ‘tipper’ has worked particularly well…

No matter, because the creational cause of the linguistic faux-pas is rather excellent, being both a crane and tipper truck, and a beautifully engineered one at that.

Constructed by previous bloggee Thirdwigg (aka Wigboldy), this neat all-mechanical Technic crane-tipper combo features functioning steering, working support legs, a 6-cylinder engine under a tilting cab, a two-way tipper, and a three-stage extending and rotating crane grab.

It’s all brilliantly packaged and highly playable, and there’s more to see of Thirdwigg’s model on Flickr. Click the link above for a cracker of a crapper.

Training Day

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We’re a car blog here at the, um… Lego Car Blog, but we do like other forms of brick-built transport too. Cue today’s array of vintage railway-based machinery, all of which come from Franz of Flickr, who has created them beautifully to fit with LEGO’s traditional 6-wide tracks.

Whilst LEGO’s own trains and rolling stock were 6-wide too, Franz has added an extra stud to allow for enhanced realism, with his lovely steam and SLB E11 locomotives also fitted with Power Functions motorisation.

Flatbed wagons (complete with vehicular cargo) and a tanker car accompany the power units, with all superbly presented at Franz’s photostream. Take a look via the link above, where you can find the four fantastic creations pictured here and much more besides.

Monster MAZ

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This astonishing vehicle is a MAZ 543, an enormous Soviet 8×8 truck developed in the 1960s as a strategic missile carrier. Powered by a near 40-litre tank engine, the 543 could weigh up to 41 tons loaded, featured eight-wheel-drive, four wheel steering, planetary hubs, and an on-board tyre inflation system.

The single-cab ‘M’ variant followed in 1976, with the amazing creation pictured here representing part of the ‘A222 Bereg’ coastal defence force, which consisted of around half-a-dozen artillery units, a couple of support vehicles, and a central command centre (which is this one), all based on MAZ 543 M platforms.

Samuel Nerpas’ incredible Technic recreation of the MAZ 543 M-based central command centre recreates the enormity of the real ‘A222 Bereg’ coastal defence force vehicles brilliantly, and is packed with working functionality.

Six Power Functions L-Motors drive all eight wheels, a Servo steers the first four, two M Motors power pneumatic compressors that operate the stabiliser legs and engine compartment blinds, whilst three more lift a rotating radar antenna and observation equipment through an opening roof hatch.

It’s a terrific example of Technic engineering, and you can take a closer look at this gargantuan creation via Samuel’s Flickr photostream and at the Eurobricks discussion forum, where a full build description and several videos of the model in action can be found.

Team America: World Police

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If you subscribe to ‘Guns n’ Ammo’, election conspiracy theories, and the NRA, this post is for you!

The U.S military’s High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (or ‘Humvee’ more colloquially) has been in service since the mid-’80s, operating in a quite staggering number of conflicts, wars, counter-terrorism and anti-drug operations.

The invasion of Panama, the Gulf War, the Somalian Civil War, the Invasion of Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, the Philippines, Iraq again, and – currently – the Yemeni, Israeli, and Ukrainian conflicts, have all involved Humvees, with over sixty nations (plus independent militaries, armed groups, and even dickbags Islamic State) on the operators list.

It could be argued that few vehicles have had as much of an impact on the world as the Humvee, and this splendid ‘M1025’ variant captures the immense U.S. military export brilliantly in brick form.

Constructed by previous bloggee Jakeof_ there’s more of the build to see at his ‘M1025 HMMWV’ album on Flickr, where it’s photographed and presented beautifully. Shout ‘Freedom!!’ whilst clicking the link above, plus you can click here for a bonus civilian Hummer, which really is driven solely by ‘Guns n’ Ammo’ reading, election conspiracy theorising, NRA members.

C7 Corvette | Picture Special

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Retired dentists; this one’s for you!

The seventh-generation (C7) Chevrolet Corvette was the last to feature a front-mounted engine, with the latest eighth-generation Corvette finally adopting the mid-engined layout used by its European rivals.

But despite its layout disadvantage, the C7 Corvette was actually rather good, performing on par with many much more expensive supercars, and winning Le Mans’ GT category.

This fantastic Model Team recreation of the C7 ‘Vette comes from previous bloggee Rolands Kirpis, and includes a beautifully detailed interior, V8 LS1 engine and drivetrain, plus an opening hood, doors and rear hatch.

Presented beautifully, over a dozen superb images are available to view at Rolands’ ‘Chevrolet Corvette C7’ album on Flickr, and you can join the other retired dentists at a Florida golf course via the link above.

Building Bridges

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Slightly less Russian military hardware will be unleashed on Ukraine of late, what with the latter’s decision to bring the conflict of Russia’s warmongering president to his own soil.

At least two Russian bridges, used to transport weaponry amongst other things, have been destroyed by Ukraine in recent weeks, making the scene above a little less common than it was a fortnight ago.

Said scene comes from previous bloggee Nathan Hake, whose MAZ-537 and gorgeous bridge-based diorama was built for a recent Lego show.

Fantastic attention to detail, presentation, and construction techniques are evident in abundance, with the MAZ packed with working functionality too, featuring remote control all-wheel-drive, steering, and trailer hitch lock, whilst the trailer also includes motorised legs and ramps.

There’s more to see at Nathan’s photostream and you can head to a bridge somewhere in Eastern Europe via the link above.

I’m Lovin’ It

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Created in 2003 by a German marketing agency to revitalise a stagnant McDonald’s, the Justin Timberlake voiced “I’m Lovin’ It”* campaign has been the brand’s tagline for over two decades. As have animal welfare violations, immediate-landfill plastic toys, and french fries with nineteen ingredients.

Cue previous bloggee Arian Janessens‘ excellent McDonald’s-liveried DAF FAR 85.360 truck and drawbar trailer, which would no doubt be loaded with the meat from miserable chickens, pointless plastic toys, and nineteen different fries ingredients if it were real.

Superb brickwork, top-notch presentation, and opening doors and ramps all feature, and you can place your order for Type 2 diabetes and heart disease via the link above.

*You may be able to tell but we are not, in fact, lovin’ it.

My Other Car’s a Ford

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We suspect that most Ford owners, given the option, would swap their car for a Lamborghini. Unless the Ford was a GT maybe. However if you own LEGO’s Technic 42154 Ford GT, you can make the probable trade-down to a Lamborghini in the form of this excellent Huracan RWD B-Model.

Built only from the parts from the 42154 Ford GT set, newcomer Marvelous Bricks has equipped his Huracan alternate with a working V10 engine and steering, plus opening doors and engine cover.

Building instructions are available and there’s more to see on Eurobricks; take a look via the link above and turn your Ford into a Lamborghini. Now if only someone could do the same thing with a 1998 Fiesta…

Heady Stuff

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A multitude of working functions is normally reserved for Technic sets. Except this one. Rarely do Town/City models feature much more than opening doors and a smiling mini-figure.

Not today though, as previous bloggee Reddish Blue‘s John Deere X9 1100 combine harvester features as many – if not more – working features than many Technic sets ten times the size.

Suggested by a reader, Reddish’s combine packs in a height-and-tilt-adjustable feeder (via HOG controls) driven by the front wheels and selectable via a mechanical switch, a hinged header with rotating cutterbars, HOG rear-wheel-steering and oscillating suspension, an adjustable unloading auger, and an adjustable chopper tile angle. And we don’t even know what that last one means.

There’s also a front track option, rotating ladder, opening sides and cabin, and a smiling mini-figure. This is a Town/City creation after all.

There much more to see, including a link to building instructions, at Reddish Blue’s ‘John Deere X9 1100 with HDF35 header’ album, and you can head there via the link above.