Sometimes a vehicle needs a name, and this wonderful Volkswagen T25 Westfalia camper, owned by friend of TLCB Nick Barrett, is one such time.
Entitled ‘Otto’, Nick’s fabulous Westfalia is christened after its previous owner, whose name was inside the manual it came with.
Working steering, suspension, opening/sliding doors, and a rear-mounted piston engine all feature, as does a glorious interior, complete with a fold down bed, table, rotating chairs, kitchen, and crapper.
There’s much more of Otto to see at Nick’s album on Flickr, and you can see what makes him tick in our Master MOCers series by clicking this bonus link.
This fantastic creation is a ZIL 131, a Soviet V8-powered 6×6 off-road truck built from the 1960s right up to 2012, as used by all manner of dodgy dictatorships and communist regimes around the world. And Finland.
It’s also a vehicle that has appeared on this site several times over the years. This one however, is a little different from most…
Fitted to the bed of Samuel Nerpas’ Technic version is an enormous radar system, as was mounted on the real AMU variants of the ZIL 131. Powered by two separate gasoline engines, the P19 radar antenna would raise, unfurl, and rotate, allowing the Soviet Union to deploy radar in even its most inhospitable parts.
Samuel’s incredible recreation of the ZIL 131 AMU includes that P19 radar system, with four Power Functions motors raising and unfolding the antenna, powering a decoupling clutch, and rotating it 360°.
Four more motors drive all six fully-suspended wheels, whilst another powers the steering, and yet another a compressor to deploy the pneumatically-operated stabiliser legs.
There’s loads more to see of Samuel’s astonishing build at both his Flickr photostream and at the Eurobricks forum, where full build details, imagery of the amazing antenna deployed, and videos of the model in action can also be found. Click the links above to get on the radar.
Longstanding readers of this smoking hole in the corner of the internet will know that we’re not overly patriotic towards the United States of America (see here, here, here, here, and here). Firstly this is because we aren’t American, but mostly it’s because blind patriotism is simply believing mass marketing.
Today however, we are very much on the ‘Freedom!’ bandwagon, because this – America’s McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle – is very probably the greatest fighter aircraft ever made.
In operation for nearly fifty years, over 1,000 of the twin-engine all-weather tactical fighters have been produced, in that time scoring over a hundred victories without a single loss in aerial combat. Not one.
Still flying with the USAF, Japanese Air Force, Royal Saudi Air Force, Republic of Korea Air Force, and Israeli Air Force, F-15 Eagles remain one of the primary fighters of the democratic world some five decades after they were first introduced.
This particular variant is an F-15E Strike Eagle, developed in the 1980s for long-range missions, and in production until 1997. Built by previous bloggee [Maks] of Flickr, this spectacular replica of the F-15E recreates the iconic aircraft in incredible detail. Depicted in Desert Storm livery, [Maks]’s creation is complete with detailed landing gear, control surfaces, and weaponry, and features some ingenious building techniques to hold it all together.
There’s lots more of this astonishing model to see at [Maks]’s ‘F-15E Strike Eagle’ album, where nearly a dozen superb images are available to view. Take flight via the link above, whilst – just this once – we chant “USA! USA!”…
The Lego Car Blog isn’t just about hypercars and monster trucks. Nope, we also deal in crummy ’70s French hatchbacks!
This one is a Peugeot 104, first released in 1972 and surviving until 1988, by which point over one-and-a-half-million had been produced.
Fewer than a dozen survive on the roads in TLCB’s home market though, so we doubt we’ll ever see one. Fortunately(?) however, today we can revisit cheap French motoring (that isn’t a Citroen 2CV or Renault 4) courtesy of previous bloggee Levihathan, who has recreated the Peugeot 104 in Technic form.
Working steering, a 4-cylinder piston engine, rear-wheel-drive, front and rear suspension, plus opening doors, hood and hatchback all feature, which ironically classifies the build as a Technic ‘Supercar’, which we love!
You can check out Levihathan’s Technic recreation of France’s peak small car of the ’70s at their ‘Peugeot 104z’ album on Flickr, and we’ll probably be back with a monster truck or something soon.
It’s the late-’80s, and the Lamborghini’s wild V12-engined Countach is some fifteen years old. Marcello Gandini’s superbly clean lines have been hidden beneath a mountain of plastic, the engine is up to 5.2 litres and equipped with four valves per cylinder, and – in the U.S – hideous mandatory low-speed impact bumpers have been glued on.
Precisely nothing has been done to make the car less terrible to drive over the last decade-and-a-half however, and thus the Countach remains very much not a car for the novice driver. Or one high on quaaludes trying to get home from the country club.
Flickr’s ZetoVince is the owner of this fantastic Model Team replica, and there’s more to see of his wonderfully-presented creation at his photostream. Click the link above to try to make it the less-than-a-mile back home from the country club, without a scratch on yourself or the car…
Bored of your handlebar moustache, wearing leather jackets, and chewing a toothpick in an alley? Then it’s time to cease your Camaro ownership and switch to something far smaller, much lighter, and altogether more classy. Yes this superb Volkswagen Golf GTI Mk1 by TLCB Master MOCer Firas Abu-Jaber has been constructed only from the pieces found within the official LEGO Icons 10304 Chevrolet Camaro Z28, yet appears completely unconstrained by the set parts source.
Like the set that donated its parts, Firas’ Golf GTI alternate includes working steering, opening doors, hood, and trunk, plus a detailed interior and engine, and you can take a closer look via Firas’ photostream by clicking these words. Or you can keep growing that moustache.
We often feature vehicles with ginormous engines here at TLCB. Because we’re six. But there is much joy to be had at the other end of the vehicular scale, and nowhere is that more evident than the humble moped. Cheap, slow, and hilarious fun, 50cc is all you need for a good time.
This example is a Polish Romet Pony, produced from 1978 until 1994, with a top speed of just 40km/h, and with an engine smaller than most food blenders. And we love it.
Flickr’s Fuku Saku is the builder, and there’s more to see of this wonderful machine at his ‘Romet Pony M2’ album. Click the link to go for a ride.
It’s the early-’80s, and everything is ‘turbocharged’; sunglasses, baseball caps, pens… plus, in rare cases, cars. This is one of them, the nuts Nissan Skyline KDR30 ‘Super Silhouette’.
First racing in 1982, the KDR30 was built on a tubular steel space-frame, with sort-of-Skyline sedan bodywork placed over the top, hence the moniker.
A 2.1 litre straight-4 engine was mounted upfront, attached to the mother and father of all turbos. The result was nearly 600 flame-splitting horses, powering the KDR30 to multiple race wins in Group 5 from 1982 to 1984. And many a Grand Turismo racer – as that’s how most readers will know this car – into the digital armco.
This spectacular brick-built replica of the Skyline KDR30 ‘Super Silhouette’ is the work of TLCB Master MOCer Nico71, who has recreated the formidable 1982 racer in astonishing detail.
Underneath the wonderfully accurate body – which wears the real car’s racing livery – is a fully remote controlled drivetrain, courtesy of a third-party BuWizz bluetooth battery, an L Motor powering the rear wheels, and a Servo the steering.
A detailed working replica of the 4-cylinder engine, and the massive turbo that accompanied it, can be found up front, with it – as well as the trunk and hood – easily removable.
3D-printed wheels complete the incredible realism, and the car is available to build in both remote control and manual configurations via Nico’s excellent building instructions, which he’s released alongside full details and imagery.
You can find them and the complete specifications at Nico’s website, the full gallery on Brickshelf, and you can watch both the model and the real car in action (the real one spits considerably more flame) via the video below.
It’s been over a decade since Breaking Bad (AKA The Best Thing That’s Ever Been on TV Ever) concluded, yet the seminal show is still inspiring Lego builds. Cue Nick Kleinfelder and this wonderful recreation of the infamous 1986 Fleetwood Bounder RV methlab that starred throughout out the series.
Complete with mini-figure Walter White and Jesse Pinkman, Nick’s cooked up a model of incredible detail, using a complex formula of ingenious building techniques. You can see how Nick’s done it at his photostream, and you can jump to the New Mexico desert via the link above.
Benny the Cab may not have been drawn like Jessica Rabbit, but he still got some glorious lines of dialogue!
The 1988 masterpiece ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit’ remains an icon of cinema, and is fondly remembered by Flickr’s Johan Hendrix, who today makes his TLCB debut having applied his LEGO bricks to the movie’s exceptional pencil-work.
Benny the Cab and Roger Rabbit are wonderfully recreated in brick form, and you can jump into a cartooned 1947 Los Angeles via the link above!
TLCB Elves are rather fond of Lego Ferraris. Particularly red ones. Which means we have a happy contingent today, because here are no less than three of them.
Each is the work of previous bloggee Fabrice Larcheveque, who has captured the Ferrari LaFerrari, 512 BB, and 288 GTO brilliantly in 8-wide Speed Champions scale.
Fabrice’s updated builds are presented beautifully, and there’s more to see of the LaFerrari, 512 BB, 288 GTO, and many more models besides at his Flickr photostream.
Click here to take a look, where you might also find a link or two to building instructions, should you wish to create your very own Lego Ferrari at home. Or three.
Breaking Bad, aka The Best Thing That’s Ever Been On Television, nailed its car choices. Walter White’s Aztek, the Fleetwood RV meth lab, Mike Ehrmantraut’s old sedans, Gus Fring’s understated Volvo… each was perfectly cast.
The final vehicle in the series was this, a 1981 Chevrolet El Camino, its owner recently deceased, used in Jesse Pinkman’s escape and subsequent movie of the same name.
Constructed by previous bloggee Jakub Marcisz, this Model Team recreation of Breaking Bad’s last car includes opening doors and hood, working steering, a detailed interior, and a realistic engine, with lots more to see on Flickr.
Building instructions are available, you can click the link above to take a look, and here to see that final scene.
Russian exports have taken a bit of a hit since the country decided to invade its neighbour. However Russian products used to be exported to rather more countries than you might expect, including TLCB’s home nation. This was one such item, the Fiat-derived Lada Riva.
Launched in the UK in 1983, up to 30,000 Rivas were sold annually by the late ’80s, to customers looking for the cheapest new car available, and of whom 80%’s favourite colour seemed to be beige.
The Riva continued in the UK virtually unchanged for over a decade, before Lada finally withdrew from the market in 1997 as newer Hyundai, Kia, and Proton products outcompeted the Niva at the cheapest end of the new car market.
Today there are very few Nivas left on our roads, but not because they’re unreliable. Rather, the UK’s high maintenance standards and low used car prices meant thousands were re-exported back to Russia, where they were seen as better examples than domestic units.
This one, in the pre-requisite beige, is the work of previous bloggee Legostalgie, who has captured the soviet three-box sedan brilliantly in brick form. There are four opening doors, a detailed interior, a life-like engine under the opening hood, plus an opening trunk, and you can build one for yourself too as instructions are available.
There’s more to see at Legostalgie’s ‘Lada Riva / VAZ-2107’ album on Flickr, and you can jump to Britain in 1988, or Russia anytime since then, via the text above.
How does Santa get around the whole world delivering toys on one night? He doesn’t of course. He’s magic, and it’s probably a year-round job. But if he did have to visit every house in one night without his magic to help him, this is the vehicle he’d need to do it.
Able both to fly and time travel, the DeLorean time machine from ‘Back to the Future – Part II’ is the only car we can think of that could compete with Santa’s sleigh, and to be honest the luggage space is rather more limited, what with it being filled with a flux-capacitor and whatnot.
Suggested by a reader, this awesome Speed Champions recreation of Doc’s DMC-12 is best suited to time-travelling then, so we’ll leave the yuletide present delivery to Father Christmas and his twelve levitating reindeer. Head to barneius‘ photostream to see more of the DeLorean though, including in its BTTF Part I and Part III forms.
From one wild almost-unrestricted racing car to another; this is the Lancia 037, the last rear-wheel-drive car to win the World Rally Championship, and one of the earliest entrants into the insanity that was Group B rallying.
Powered by a mid-mounted supercharged 2.0 engine and built from kevlar and fibreglass fitted around a space-frame, the 037 won half of the events it entered in the 1983 season, enough to take the Championship ahead of the all-wheel-drive Audi quattros.
This excellent Technic recreation of the iconic Group-B racer was discovered by one of our Elves on Eurobricks, where it was posted by newcomer Shuzbut.
With a working mid-mounted engine complete with supercharger, a 5-speed gearbox, all-wheel suspension, steering, a functional hand-brake, sprung pedals, and opening bodywork, it’s quite a debut, and there’s more of this incredible creation to see via the link above.
