This neat Oshkosh Jackel M-ATV armoured ambulance comes from previous bloggee JBIronWorks. Only 8-studs wide there’s working steering, an opening rear hatch complete with stretcher, and an assortment of military communications paraphernalia. See more on Flickr via the link above.
This intriguing looking vehicle is an ARGO 6×6 XTV and, just like your Mom at a free buffet, it’ll climb over almost anything to get where it wants to go. The real ARGO is a fully amphibious vehicle, floating with its body above the water and propelled by its six wheels that sit below the waterline. Those six wheels are all driven and are skid-steered thanks to a set of brakes on each side, allowing the ARGO to turn in its own length.
This brilliant little Technic recreation of the ARGO XTV is the work of newcomer Andrew Millson, and whilst his version might not float it steers in exactly the same way as the real thing. In Lego form it would have been far far easier to skid-steer via the use of two motors, one driving the three left wheels and another the three right, but just like the real ARGO Andrew’s model uses a single motor and an ingenious left/right braking system that activates when the handlebars are turned. It’s seriously clever stuff and one of the neatest Technic tricks we’ve seen his year.
There’s more to see of Andrew’s ARGO and the brilliant braking system within it at both Flickr and the Eurobricks forum, and if you’d like to see what Jeremy Clarkson thought of the 8×8 version click here!
Halo. It’s one of the most successful video game franchises of all time, with over 65 million sales worldwide and grossing almost $3.5billion to date. And it’s also the cause of more awful Lego creations than probably any other genre in history. Besides Bionicle of course.
A Halo Warthog is therefore not an unusual creation. The online Lego community is plagued with them. But today’s find is an unusual creation. Because it’s a Halo Warthog… that’s really bloody good.
Built by previous bloggee and TLCB favourite Nico71 this fully remote controlled Technic Halo Warthog is a spectacularly well-engineered creation. Featuring remote control all-wheel-drive complete with diff locks, all-wheel-steering, all-wheel suspension, and a remotely operable gun turret, it’s very probably the Elves’ favourite creation of the year so far. Until it squashed them of course, but they’re used to that by now.
There’s lot’s more to see of this incredible Technic Halo Warthog at Nico71’s Brickshelf gallery – click the link to join the fight.
It’s a bumper crop today at The Lego Car Blog! Previous bloggee de-marco has been very busy of late, building a plethora of 5-wide Town-style vehicles.
Ranging from beautifully constructed classic pick-up trucks above, through a Humvee, an airport luggage tug, and even a Baywatch-esque coastguard vehicle (allowing us to get Pamela Anderson into the tags), de-marco’s small-scale creations are wonderfully life-like replicas of their real-world counterparts.
You can view each of the 5-wide models featured here, plus lots more besides, courtesy of de-marco’s Flickr photostream. We’ll get you started with the Lada Niva pictured at the top of this post, which is our favourite – but then we’re a bit weird like that. Choose your own via the link above!
All vehicles with six evenly-spaced wheels are cool. Create the wheels yourself with a bucket of Technic pins and some grey dishes and your model will be sub-zero cool. Flickr’s David Hensel has done just that, using the Force, ancient magic, or the tears of unicorns to hold them together. Probably all three. There’s more to see of David’s ‘2780 Moon Rover’ and the six remarkable wheels on which it rolls by clicking the link above.
We don’t know what has got into the Elves recently but everything they’re finding is a bit weird. Still, at least this creation has got wheels. And tracks. And a rail gun / rocket launcher / giant laser thingumy / drop-ship landing pad…
Apparently this is a Utility Platform Vehicle (UPV), and it appears that can perform more functions than a Swiss army knife. A spacey Land Rover Defender if you will. Only probably more reliable.
It’s the work of Flickr’s ZCerberus and you can check it out in various configurations by visiting his photostream. Click the link above for all the images.
But not the usual kind. This is a Khagaan Land Carrier, a vehicle from deep within the mind of Lego-engineering genius Mahjqa, and it is, just like your Mom, ludicrously massive. Constructed from an estimated 25,000 parts, measuring well over a meter long, and weighing 9kg, Mahjqa’s creation was a truly huge undertaking, requiring three months to reach completion and a further two for each of the remote controlled vehicles on the deck.
The whole rig is itself remote controlled, driven by four powered caterpillar tracks mounted on rotating bogies, and is also fitted with a remotely operable crane, full LED lighting, plus a powered lift to enable the vehicles carried by the Khagaan to ascend and descend between the carrier deck and the ground beneath it.
There’s a whole lot more to see of Mahjqa’s incredible build at both Flickr and the Eurobricks discussion forum, but the only way to really appreciate the scale and engineering complexity of this remarkable machine is to watch in action.
Fortunately Mahjqa is one of the most talented Lego movie-makers in the business, and he’s produced a genuinely exceptional video showcasing the Khagaan and its support vehicles, plus some behind-the-scenes footage of how the amazing shoot was put together.
Click the links above to join the discussion on Eurobricks and to see the Khagaan’s full image gallery on Flickr, but don’t leave this page without watching the video below first…
YouTube Video
Famously unkillable, Toyota’s Hilux pick-up is now in its eighth generation. This is a fourth gen, pictured here somewhere on Namibia’s Skeleton Coast (probably), and beautifully recreated in Lego form by previous bloggee and Town-scale off-road wizard Pixel Fox. There’s more to see of his excellent 6-wide Hilux on Flickr via the link, where you can also find a wealth of other brilliantly replicated off-roaders.
It’s a dirty double today at The Lego Car Blog! First up (above) is TLCB regular _Tiler‘s wonderful 7-wide lifted 1975 Ford F-250, complete with beautifully chromed bumper and grille pieces and some marvellous Technic balloon tyres.
The second model in today’s double-helping of rough-riding fun comes from previous bloggee de-marco, with this supremely neat 5-wide classic Ford Bronco-esque off-roader, which has been cunningly constructed from bricks placed almost entirely sideways.
There’s more to see of each creation on Flickr – check them out via the links above whilst we congratulate ourselves on making it the whole way through this innuendo-strewn post without referencing your Mom.
Modern Toyota 4×4 vehicles are renowned the world over for their reliability, toughness, and go-anywhere ability. But not so much for their soul. Apart from this one that is – the wonderful Toyota FJ Cruiser.
Launched in 2006 and lasting until 2014 the FJ Cruiser brought a bit of style to Toyota’s 4×4 range, whilst maintaining the legendary durability and off-road ability that the brand was famous for. So why wasn’t it sold in TLCB’s home nation Toyota?!
We’ll have to make do with this then, which is no bad thing. Built by Flickr’s _spacehopper_ this Technic recreation of the FJ Cruiser not only looks brilliant (especially for a Technic model), but it’s also packed with working functions, including remote control drive and steering, working suspension, opening doors and a front-mounted winch.
There’s more of the FJ to see at _spacehopper_’s photostream – click the link above to make the jump to Flickr.
The Austin/Rover/MG Metro does not have a good reputation here in TLCB’s home nation. Now almost extinct, most observers would say that’s a good thing. But this staff writer is feeling brave, and he’s going to make a case for the humble British city car…
Launched in 1980 the Austin – and then Rover/MG – Metro was designed to compliment (but eventually replace) the beloved but ageing Mini. Neat packaging, clever hydro-gas suspension, and modern looks earned British Leyland’s new product the What Car? Car of The Year accolade and buyers bought it in their thousands.
However the Metro was born at a tumultuous time for the British car industry, and the reputation of industrial action, striking workers and piss-poor quality still lingered around almost anything that British Leyland made.
This meant that the Metro was a rare success story, but whilst other good products would arrive in the 1990s cash would become increasingly tight, and the Metro would be forced to carry on for eighteen years. Over that time of course, a good car designed in the late 1970s became no longer a good car at all.
That meant the end of the Metro and – ultimately – the end of Rover too, and the Metro is now almost completely gone from European roads, despite over 2 million being sold.
However, one variant of British Leyland’s little hatchback can still be found. A version from a time when the company was optimistic about its future, and adventurous in its marketing too. The amazing MG Metro 6R4.
Built for the monstrous Group B rally era, and then becoming a dominant force in rallycross, the Metro 6R4 squeezed a 400+bhp Cosworth-derived V6 and a permanent all-wheel drive system into a space-framed version of the Metro shell, and the engine later went on to be developed for the Jaguar XJ200 supercar – which became the fastest production car in the world.
This wonderful fully remote controlled recreation of British Leyland’s most spectacular car comes from newcomer All_About_Lego, and it’s packed with working functions. Alongside the remote control all-wheel drive and steering are working front and rear lights, all-wheel suspension, and opening doors and rear clamshell. The exterior is accurately stickered in the 6R4’s period mid-80s livery, whilst the inside contains a fully detailed (and roll-caged) interior too.
A full gallery of images is available to view on Flickr, you can read more about the build and watch a video of the model in action via the Eurobricks forum by clicking here, and if you’re wondering quite why this writer thinks the MG Metro 6R4 is so cool, click this link…
This stunning looking Mercedes-Benz Zetros 6×6 crane truck is the work of newcomer JRX, and it’s might just be the most technology and feature packed model of the year so far.
Underneath the realistic exterior are fourteen Power Functions motors, fifteen pneumatic cylinders and ten pairs of LED lights. Oh, and a third-party BuWizz brick to provide the power required and control the working functions. Now concentrate, here comes the science part…
All six wheels of JRX’s Zetros are independently suspended and powered by four LEGO Buggy Motors, with the three differential locks activated by a Servo motor and four pneumatic cylinders. These pneumatics are powered by an on-board compressor consisting of a Large motor and four pneumatic pumps, which also drive the crane extension and boom lift via a further five pneumatic cylinders.
A Medium motor and a further three Servo motors power the crane winch, rotation and elevation, whilst another Servo, Medium motor and two more pneumatic cylinders drive the outriggers. One final Medium motor powers the front winch and ten pairs of LEDs light the headlights, tail-lights, floodlights, warning lights and flashing turn signals.
JRX’s Mercedes-Benz Zetros has more squeezed inside it than your Mom’s corset, and just like your Mom there’s a video of it action available to view online. You can watch the Zeros is action via the video below, and you can see all of the photos and read further build information at both JRX’s Flickr photostream and via the Eurobricks discussion forum.
YouTube Video
Round
Like a circle in a spiral
Like a wheel within a wheel
Never ending or beginning
On an ever-spinning reel
Like a snowball down a mountain
Or a carnival balloon
Like a carousel that’s turning
Running rings around the moon
Like a clock whose hands are sweeping
Past the minutes of its face
And the world is like an apple
Whirling silently in space
Like the circles that you find
In the windmills of your mind
A couple of Elves got into a supply closet today and knocked over some ultra-strong floor cleaner, so things have got a bit trippy. We’ll open a few windows so that normal service can resume, but in the meantime you can check out Robert Heim‘s ‘VW Kübelkäfer’ on Flickr via the link above. Oh, and here’s today’s title track…
Never has a vehicle found by one of Elves been more… Elven. Well, maybe if paave‘s Technic Bigfoot monster truck was remote controlled, but weary of past smushings we’re rather thankful that it isn’t.
Based on a 1974 Ford F-250 pick-up truck, the original ‘Bigfoot’ was, like all the best inventions, built by a man in his shed. After a motorsports promotor saw a video of the truck crushing some old cars in a field he asked Bigfoot’s creator, Bob Chandler, if he wouldn’t mind repeating the stunt in front of a paying audience. Bob tentatively agreed and the rest is history, with Ford even sponsoring the truck from the early ’80s.
Paave’s Technic recreation of Bob’s F-250 probably won’t be crushing any cars, but it is just as technically capable, with accurate four-wheel steering, four-wheel drive, and four-link axles with enormous suspension travel. Head over to MOCpages with a warm beer and a footlong hot-dog to see more of paave’s creation.
After a productive day here in TLCB Towers – with several Elves successful and fed – this rumbled into the office. Powered by two Power Functions XL motors, with eight wheel drive, four wheel steering, a straight six engine, a two speed gearbox, and some of the tricksiest suspension we’ve ever seen, pipasseyoyo‘s 8×8 military truck had the potential to undo the peace in a big way.
Fortunately for us, both of the truck’s two speeds are slow, meaning a mass Elven smushing was never on the cards. However the model’s enormous load bed and high torque makes it the perfect vehicle for transporting a collection of whooping Elves around the office. Whilst we do that (we are nice sometimes) you can see more of pipasseyoy’s hugely impressive creation on Brickshelf via the link above, and you can watch it in action with some suitably hardcore music courtesy of the video below.
YouTube Video: