Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight is one of our very favourite movie trilogies, so wonderfully did it deconstruct the previous camp crusader’s legacy. One of our very favourite Lego builders has now completed a Batman trilogy of his own.
Sariel’s awe-inspiring remote controlled Batwing and Tumbler featured here over the past two years, and he’s finally added the last of Bruce Wayne’s wheels to his collection. Controlled by Lego’s Power Functions RC system, the Batpod is the smallest of Sariel’s three Batmobile’s, but possibly the most complex as a result.
When Christopher Nolan reloaded the tired Batman franchise back in 2005 his critically-acclaimed Dark Knight trilogy created new icons in cinema history. The late Heath Ledger will probably best be remembered for his spectacular performance as the Joker, and Batman’s new (completely real, drivable and road-legal) wheels blew away anything that had been seen before.
To be revealed at Comic-Con this week, LEGO has immortalised both Ledger and the Tumbler in brick form, with the incredible 76023 Ultimate Collector Series Tumbler.
Measuring over 15 inches long and 9 inches wide the Tumbler features 1,869 pieces – including both Batman and Heath-Ledger-Joker mini-figures – as well as the usual UCS fact sheet.
Expect 76023 to retail for around $199 when it reaches stores in September of this year. We can’t wait!
A while ago we received a request from a little girl and her father, one that we’re only too happy to fulfil this Father’s Day! Over to them to explain their ambition…
In honour of Father’s Day, we would like to introduce you to the Dynanic Duo, Sam & his daughter Tziona. A lifelong Batman fan, Sam has made sure that Tziona’s education includes plenty of time for superheros, especially her favourite, Robin. Tziona can name all the different characters that have held the Robin mantle and the characters they become, and the pair went to New York Comic-Con 2012 dressed as Batman and Robin in custom costumes. Superdad Sam went above and beyond to fulfil his daughter’s latest request when he constructed a Batmobile that allows Batman and Robin to ride together, something LEGO has yet to produce. The build was modelled after the iconic 1966 Batmobile designed by George Barris, which featured in the television program starring Adam West and Burt Ward as Batman and Robin.
The entire project took about a month to complete. Tracking down the right pieces was the hardest part; digging through hundreds of pounds LEGO and waiting for parts to arrive in the mail took up most of the time. After completion Sam submitted the build to LEGO Ideas (formally Lego Cuusoo.) The 50th Anniversary Batmobile has been consistently in the Ideas Top Ten and has over 3,000 supporters to date; once it reaches 10K LEGO will consider producing the model as an official set!
The online Lego world is buzzing with the launch of Mr. Xenomurphy’s latest creation: Arkham Asylum. There are multiple photos on MOCpages and a comprehensive account of the building process on Flickr. Following a dearth of cars in recent posts, the Elves have undergone several compulsory sessions of “re-education” in TLCB’s own “institution”. It was therefore with renewed zeal that they ignored the soaring architecture, the gorgeous gothic lettering and the brick-built “Clayface” figure and homed in on the cars parked in the yard and the street.
Calin (_Tiler) is a master of building minifig scale cars. He has contributed two versions of his 1930s Ford Model A: a police car and a delivery van. Both have nicely smooth running boards and mudguards, which have been neatly attached, plus a great variety of angles of panels in their bodywork. You can see the first versions of these vehicles by clicking this link. The 1920s style Batmobile has been provided by Dave Kaleta, who claims that he is Batman on his Flickr profile. This single-seat roadster has the classic long, smooth bonnet but with a pair of bat-like ears on top of the radiator. Spot more bat-details by clicking this bat-link to Flickr or this bat-link to MOCpages.
For today’s post we hand TLCB reigns over to Nils O who, as well as being a previously blogged builder, contacted us to highlight a creation he thought we should publicise. Over to Nils…
The Tumbler Batmobile from Chris Nolan’s “Dark Knight” trilogy is definitely one of the most popular LEGO car models, but there have only been very few attempts to build a Steampunk version of this iconic car. Legopard has picked up the idea of this theme mix. He’s not only built a fantastic wooden Tumbler Batmobile, but also added a matching Batcave. Check out this beauty and more of his fantastic creations on MOCpages and on Flickr.
A big thank you to Nils O for becoming a TLCB Guest Author for the day. You can check out his own work here, and if you too like the idea of writing for TLCB then you can contact us in the usual way, and we might take you up on it.
There is a generation for whom a tumbler will always be something from which to sip a single malt. Clayton Marchetti has posted this 1960’s classic over on MOCpages. The car features a jet engine under its hood, chromed missile launcher tubes and a fire extinguisher (or is it a big cannister of shark-repellent?) in the cabin. This mini-fig scale creation uses conventional, studs-up building techniques but still manages to capture the complicated shaping at the front of the vehicle, which was originally built by the Ghia workshop in the mid-fifties.
Please remember never to offer any passing TLCB Elf a tot of whisky: even if it’s a cold, snowy night and the Elf is looking particularly bedraggled. Alcohol goes straight to their heads and they fall asleep in the dungeons of castle MOCs.
The Elves are still out searching the farthest corners of the internet for amazing LEGO creations, and today one entered the office holding something that got us all very excited. Sariel is one of our favourite Technic builders, squeezing some utterly genius functions into his models, and when he turns his talented hands to a vehicle as iconic as the Tumbler from Nolan’s Batman trology, you know it’s going to be very good.
Last week LEGO celebrated their 80th Birthday, and so, slightly late, The Lego Car Blog Team are delighted to bring you…
The Lego Car Blog 80th Birthday Extravaganza!
Some have described it as a marginally elongated post shamelessly linked to LEGO’s Birthday celebrations in order to increase hits. And they’d be right. So without further ado, we bring you Act One.
Act One: A very special Birthday needs a very special MOC, and the Elves have found just the thing. This incredible creation is Mahjqa’s Bat Wing, pictured alongside his equally incredible Tumbler, and as featured in the Batman finale, The Dark Knight Rises.
The Dark Knight Rises
As always, Mahjqa’s work is stuffed full of witchcraft and wizardry which can only really be explained in a video. Fortunately he’s made one, and it might just be the Lego video of the year. Prepare to pick your jaws up…
If you’d like to see more you can visit Mahjqa’s Flickr photostream for the full gallery, as well as an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at how the video was made.
Act Two: Hitachi, best known as a manufacturer of soulless reasonably priced TVs and DVD players, also do a line of, er… slightly bigger products. This is one of them; their monstrous ZW 310 earthmover.
My other car is a TV
Dfs473 has recreated the 22 tonne wheel-loader in Technic, including its complete array of movements via Power Functions remote control. To see the MOC in detail, including close-up shots of the mechanicals, swing by Dfs’s Flickr page at the aforementioned link.
Act Three: And finally; as The LEGO Group turns 80 years old, we take a look back to their humble beginnings in a carpenter’s shed in Billund. The story of LEGO’s formation is one of hard work, tragedy, perseverance, and one little idea that changed the way children would play forever. LEGO commissioned a film to bring their story to life, and we’re delighted to share this with you today:
Happy 80th Birthday LEGO, and here’s to the next 80 years!
Yes, yes, we know the Tumbler’s been done before; but rarely this well. This one even has working bits and bobs and room for the figs inside its multi – faceted form. Plaudits should go to Marcus Paul over on MOCpages. Find it here http://www.mocpages.com/moc.php/325295
Calin Bors (_Tiler) seems to specialize in refining existing designs – and in refining Batmobiles. After his more functional version of Zeto Vince’s mother of all Tumblers he now took care of kaitimar’s awesome Mini Batmobile, an interpretation of the famous vehicle Bruce Wayne used for his dark escapades in Tim Burton’s Batman movies.
Now look what he has done to this classic – not much, as he says. But enough to be blogged by TLCB. Regardless of the scale – isn’t that the most elegant Batmobile you have ever seen? The elves at the TLCB are stunned!
Before Batman returned to the dark and menacing character we know from 'Begins' and 'The Dark Knight' he was, well, a little camper. Hooray for progress!
…Batman!
The 1980’s Batmobile was a ridiculous thing – overblown, extravagant, and about as far from Batman’s character as you could get. But despite this, it’s still cool when found lurking in the Batcave. Outer Rim Emperor has recreated the famous hide-out down the last detail, including a dinosaur (although I must have missed that bit of the story!). Check it out on MOCpages or Flickr.
Over to Flickr now, where master car builder Lino M has designed Batman’s ride for 2025. It looks like we’re heading for a bit of a time-loop as it’s seriously retro in appearance, but that’s definitely a good thing. What’s not so good is it seems as though Robin, the Scrappy-Doo of the franchise, is making a comeback.
