Tag Archives: Lexus

Virtually Toyotas

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It’s a digitally Japanese day here at The Lego Car Blog, as we have four virtual Toyota products to share with you. We don’t often blog digital creations here, but these are a) throughly excellent, and b) we’re as certain as we can be that they can be built for real, what with designer Peter Blackert (aka Lego911) releasing building instructions alongside the imagery, and having literally written the book on how to build Miniland scale vehicles.

Rule-breaking explained, on to Peter’s first pixel-based Toyota, which is the third-generation Celica, depicted here in face-lifted pop-up headlight form. Powered by a huge array of engines (although solely by the 2.4 litre in the US) the A60-generation Celica helped the Toyota brand gain a reputation for attainable sportiness, and you can see more of Peter’s version via the link.

Peter’s second model appearing here captures one of Toyota’s earlier attempts at a sports coupe, the decidedly un-sporty 1971 Crown Coupe. It looked lovely though, and the Crown station wagon is one of the most comfortable cars that this TLCB Writer has ever had the pleasure of journeying in. Jump back to 1971 via the link.

On to the early-’00s, and the single most dreary vehicle Toyota has ever created, the 2002 Toyota Camry. As we’ve highlighted here before however, dreary sells, with the Camry becoming the best-selling car in America in 2002. And 2003. And 2004. And 2005… You get the picture. There’s more to see of this one at Peter’s photostream via the link.

And finally… the Toyota that isn’t a Toyota, but heralded the arrival of the Lexus brand, the phenomenal Lexus LS400. Created to beat the best car in the world at the time (the Mercedes-Benz S-Class), the LS400 did just that, and is still lauded as perhaps the most thoroughly-engineered car ever produced. Peter’s Miniland-scale version captures the pivotal arrival of Lexus beautifully, and there’s more of the model to see at his photostream.

Further images of each design, details of the real cars, and links to building instructions can be found at Peter Blackert’s Flickr account via the links for each car in the text above, plus you can check out our interview with Peter and his published works by clicking the bonus link here.

Super Sunday

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If you’re six (or a TLCB Elf), this post is for you. Yes today we have two of the greatest supercars ever made in LEGO form, and best of all they’re tiny, showing you don’t need to have a million pieces to build a blogworthy replica of your favourite supercar.

The first (above) is Jonathan Elliott‘s beautifully presented Lamborghini Diablo GTR, constructed to almost ridiculous accuracy in Speed Champions scale. Parts facing in every direction hint at the complexities within, and there’s more of the model to see at Jonathan’s photostream.

Today’s second small-scale supercar (below) is one from a later decade, the phenomenal Lexus LFA. Also constructed in Speed Champions scale, Flickr’s Tommy ñ has captured the iconic carbon-fibre supercar superbly in brick form, and you can check it out at his photostream via the link above.

Bar & Grill

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Giant grilles and light bars; the default styling ‘signatures’ of every new car launched today. Of course if every car has them then they’re not signatures at all.

Lexus have adopted these styling defaults as much as anyone, but – to TLCB at least – Lexus’ efforts do look rather good. Especially when compared to certain other premium car makers…

Adopting both the giant grille and light bar is the recently refreshed Lexus IS, which has been recreated brilliantly here by Flickr’s SP_LINEUP. The ingenious building techniques probably mean SP’s model isn’t quite as robustly made as the real thing, but you can’t argue with the visual accuracy.

There’s more to see of SP’s giant grille and light bar (and the Lexus IS F-Sport they’re attached to) at his photostream via the link.

The Best Car Ever!*

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*Well, according to The Straight Pipes at least.

Lexus are a curious car company. They make immensely dull econo-boxes like this, the ugliest car in the entire world, Jeremy Clarkson’s favourite car of all time, and then this; the stunning LC500, described by The Straight Pipes as the best car they’ve ever driven.

That might be going a bit far, but an atmospheric V8 in a car that looks like a concept from 2035 is quite a rare thing, so maybe they have a point.

This superb Model Team version of Lexus’ current flagship comes from previous bloggee Lasse Deleuran (aka gtahelper) who, um… owns one of Lexus’ dull econo-boxes. Still, his real-life Lexus CT200h is the same shade of red as his brilliant LC500 model, so they have at least one thing in common other than the badge.

There’s more of Lasse’s fiendishly complicated and utterly wonderful Lexus LC500 Coupe to see on Brickshelf, and you can take a look via the link in the text above.

The Other Prius

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The Prius isn’t the only compact hybrid car from the early 2010s. Based on the same underpinnings, sister firm Lexus released the CT200h back in 2011, a luxury take on the fuel-efficient self-charging hybrid formula. If ‘luxury’ just means having a slightly nicer interior.

The CT200h was memorable only for using Kylie Minogue to promote it, but it worked for previous bloggee Lasse Deleuran who owns a CT in real life and has chosen to recreate it in Miniland scale complete with his roof box and bike rack.

The little Lexus might be a bland box, but don’t underestimate the complexity of replicating it successfully in Lego form. Lasse’s recreation of his own CT200h is almost unfathomably complicated, capturing the car’s shape to near perfection through a multitude of clever building techniques. Our heads hurt just looking at that front fender.

Everything opens too, revealing that slightly nicer interior and even more monumentally complicated brickwork, from the stepped roof to the ingenious tilt applied to the side windows to ensure the model’s proportions accurately reflect those of the real car.

It’s one of the most thoroughly engineered and brilliantly realistic replicas that we’ve ever featured and there’s more of Lasse’s masterpiece to see at his photostream. Click the link above to join us gazing in awe at a Lexus CT200h, which is a sentence that no-one has ever said before.

Creating Amazing

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The current Lexus tagline might be pure marketing waffle, but it does link nicely to today’s creation. This is Lasse D’s stunning Lexus LFA, a model that first appeared here back in 2017. Built as a commissioned piece for Toyota Motor Europe, Lasse has refined his design (as shown by the white version below) and has now made instructions available, so you can build Japan’s amazing supercar for yourself. Head to Eurobricks via this link to see more images, a video of Lasse’s commissioned project, and to find that all important link to instructions!

School Run Mom

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Lego Lexus RX450H

The Lexus RX450h may sound like it’s named after a photocopier, but it is in fact one of America’s best selling luxury SUVs. Because how else is little Cody supposed to get to school? Still, at least the RX450h is a hybrid, so Cody’s Mom won’t be poisoning the other kids outside the school gates as she wafts up silently in electric mode. Although she might run them over if they don’t hear it coming…

Lego Lexus RX450H

The Lexus RX isn’t really a TLCB sort of car, but nevertheless it looks absolutely stunning in Model Team form thanks to previous bloggee dgustafsson1317 of Flickr. A superbly accurate model, dgustafsson’s creation recreates the big SUV’s rather complex shape beautifully thanks to some ingenious parts usage that is further enhanced by custom badging and wheels.

Lego Lexus RX450H

The model also includes working suspension, drive and steering that are remotely controlled via bluetooth, and LED headlights. There’s a whole lot more to see of dgustafsson’s incredible Lexus RX450h at his Flickr album – click the link above to waft up to school gates. Just don’t run over any kids.

The Best Car in the World (Again)

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Lego Lexus LFA

Lexus LFA’s are like buses. You wait ages for one and then two come along at once. That’s where the similarity stops though.

As per the other LFA post earlier this month a well-known presenter of a well-known motoring TV show (and its anonymous driver) claim that the Lexus LFA is the best car in the world. We wouldn’t go that far, but it is quite a thing. Spun from carbon using one of only two carbon-fibre looms in existence and powered by a sonorous F1-inspired V10 the LFA can lay claim to being one of the most unique supercars ever made.

This superb Model Team replica of Japan’s iconic supercar comes from Noah L (aka Lego Builders) and there’s more to see of the build on both Flickr and MOCpages – click the links for all the images.

Lego Lexus LFA

The Best Car in the World

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Lego Lexus LFA

Or so claimed Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson and the Stig. The Lexus LFA wowed the motoring world when it arrived in 2010. Over a decade in the making and built using one of only two carbon-fibre spinning looms in existence the V10-engined supercar shot Lexus into the automotive premier league.

Just 500 units were manufactured in a two year production run and despite a base price of nearly $400,000 Lexus made a loss on every single one. You’ll need a lot more than $400,000 to get hold of one now though.

But why such high praise? The LFA was built celebrate Toyota’s F1 success which never came, and it wasn’t the fastest, nor the best handling, nor the best looking supercar of its time. One reason; noise. If you’ve never heard an LFA, click here and turn the volume up!

Previous bloggee gtahelper‘s Lego Lexus LFA may not be able to recreate the real LFA’s incredible sound, but in every other regard it’s one of the most remarkably accurate replicas that our Elves have ever brought back to the office. In fact we’re astonished that such a stunning recreation of a pretty tricky car can be made at this scale at all.

A whole gallery of images of gtahelper’s Lexus LFA is available to view on Brickshelf, where there’s even a link to building instructions so that you can create your own. Click the link above to make the jump to check out the best model of the best car in the world.

Lego Lexus LFA

Lex-ish

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Lego Lexus LFA

This Lexus-LFA-like Technic supercar was suggested to us by a reader. As with many recent creations this model includes LEGO’s Power Functions parts to provide remote control drive and steering, plus it adds a working V8, 4-speed gearbox with auto-clutch, and all-wheel-drive to an impressive list of functions. MOCpages’ Rage Hobbit is the builder, and you can see all the photos, including detailed chassis images, via the link above.