You don’t need a million pieces and to know The Brothers Brick secret handshake to see your creation blogged. A few dozen, cunningly deployed (sideways in this case), combined with careful presentation is all we need, as proven here by previous bloggee David Roberts and this delightful ‘Off-Road Tow Truck’. Working winches, a lovely Technic crane, and a cheery mini-figure make David’s model reminiscent of LEGO sets gone by (if LEGO built sideways), and there’s more to see on Flickr. Click the link above to jump sideways to David’s photostream.
France isn’t known for strong animal symbolism, with a chicken usually being selected as the animal of choice.
Peugeot – weirdly – does have a good animal symbol, what with the marque’s badge being a roaring lion. Cue this rather appropriate Peugeot 2008 DKR, first entered into the Dakar Rally in 2015, when it was, um… held nowhere near Dakar, instead taking place in South America. Where there are no lions.
Oh well, the title would’ve made sense if the rally was still held in Senegal.
No matter, because Peugeot’s desert lion was a cunning thing, being two-wheel-drive rather than four, thus allowing it to adhere to Dakar’s ‘Buggy’ regulations which permitted far more leeway in other areas.
Powered by a twin-turbo V6 diesel, and with in-built hydraulic jacks to change inevitable punctures, the 2008 DKR was… rubbish. But the following year Peugeot returned, and – having worked out the 2008 DKR’s reliability issues – won the race outright, with the 2008’s successor winning again in 2017 and 2018.
This spectacular homage to the wild mid-2010s buggy has been constructed by previous bloggee Lipko, who has not only captured the 2008 DKR’s exterior brilliantly, he’s included the mid-mounted V6 diesel engine, in-built jacks, monster suspension, working steering, and a 4-speed sequential gearbox, plus squeezed in two spare wheels, which was apparently the hardest part of the whole build.
A neat livery, full roll-cage, and a superbly-detailed engine bay and interior add even more realism, and you can check out full details and find further photos of Lipko’s model at the Eurobricks forum.
Click the link above to see more, or on the video below to watch the desert lion in action.
Febrovery, the annual building bandwagon in which ground-based science-fiction vehicles take over Flickr, is complete for another year. Which means it’s complete here too, which is good news for TLCB Team – who are uniformly crap at sci-fi – but not before we have one final rover to showcase. And what a rover it is.
Measuring 117 studs in length and riding on eight enormous tyres from the 42054 Claas Xerion 5000 amongst other Technic sets, Scott Wilhelm’s ‘Ridiculously Oversized Vehicular Element Repository’ features remote control drive and steering (via XL and L Power Functions motors), a working cargo crane, five airlock doors, a retractable solar array, a fully fitted interior, and spectacular internal and external LED lighting.
More pictures are due to follow, but until they do you can check out this one at Scott’s photostream via the link above. Until next year, happy roving!
There are almost as many variants of Mercedes-Benz’s Unimog as there are tasks for them to do. Which is probably the point. Endlessly adaptable, the Unimog is also the perfect choice for Technic builders, as proven by Flickr’s Thirdwigg, who’s back here with another fully-functioning brick-built replica of the heavy-duty tractor.
This one is a U530, complete with a three-way* tipping bed, working steering, a piston engine, under the tilting cab, pendular suspension, plus front, centre and rear selectable PTOs.
There’s a rear pneumatic outlet too, which mean’s Thirdwigg’s model can be fitted with nearly as many pieces of additional equipment as the real thing, with a folding crane, trailer, and snow-plow some of those included in his extensive Flickr gallery.
Building instructions are available (and they’re free!), with much more to see at Thirdwigg’s ‘Unimog U530′ album. Click the link above for even more mogin’.
Febrovery is back for another year, when the Online Lego Community comes together to build various planetary roving vehicles in innumurable styles and themes.
This is spaceruner‘s, a small 6×6 single-occupant articulated pick-up, used to transport various spacey items and/or whatever crystals LEGO have determined are part of the plot this week.
Oh, and it also comes with a gigantic 10×10 mobile command centre.
Yes, spaceruner’s entry for this year’s Febrovery includes a rover (and several other small craft) within its enormity. Manned by a crew of eight, with a vast interior, landing pad, crane, plus a wide assortment of tools, vehicles, and other space-related accompaniments, spaceruner’s astonishing Spyrius ‘CX-1 Basilisk’ is one of the most impressive sci-fi creations we’ve ever seen.
A spectacular array of imagery showcases the creation superbly, and there’s more to see of spaceruner’s rover (and the mobile command centre if that’s what you’re into) on Flickr. Click the link above to make the jump.
Ford have decided to stop selling anything that’s not an SUV. Or a Mustang. Which is both a shame and very possibly a mistake. However their renewed SUV-focus has brought about the return of one of the brand’s most famous 4×4 nameplates; the Bronco.
Aimed squarely at the Jeep Wrangler, the new Ford Bronco looks pretty cool, in the blocky-retro way that is in-vogue with car designers at present. It also looks pretty cool when made from actual blocks, as today’s Technic example proves.
Built by newcomer GoldenBrickDesign, and suggested by a reader, this superbly-engineered recreation of the latest Bronco is packed with functionality. There’s remote control all-wheel-drive, steering, winch, sequential gearbox, and locking differentials, removable (and opening) doors and roof, a 4-cylinder piston engine (which is also motorised and can even ‘idle’) under the opening hood, and seriously capable all-wheel-suspension.
It’s a technical tour-de-force and you can check all of that out at GoldenBrickDesign’s ‘Ford Bronco Everglades’ Bricksafe album and via Youtube, where a link to building instructions can also be found.
It almost makes us think the Bronco makes up for losing the Fiesta and Focus. Click the links above to take a look.
Humanity still enjoys a good war every now and then. And, because it’s been five minutes since the last conflict in the Middle East, a new one is pulling more and more nations, factions and regions towards it.
Of course for those caught within its gravity the conflict is a necessity, a fight for justice, freedom, and the will of God. Whichever side they are on.
The Second World War was perhaps a clearer fight between, perhaps not Good, but certainly against Evil. The Nazis’ ideology, with all of its death, pain and dehumanisation, was eventually defeated, and – whilst countless nations made enormous sacrifices – had the U.S remained neutral an Allied victory would have been all-but-impossible.
Hitler never sought to invade the Unites States, yet over 16 million Americans served during the conflict, of which 300,000 never returned home, and financing the war cost almost 40% of America’s GDP by 1945.
Capturing one tiny moment amongst the thousands in which the U.S contributed, previous bloggee Nicholas Goodman is here depicting the U.S push across Europe in the summer of 1944. A Willys Jeep, Sherman tank, and custom mini-figures pause to regroup, all carefully and accurately recreated in brick-form.
There’s more of Nicholas’ beautiful wartime builds to see on Flickr; take a look via the link above, and you can click here to see one way you can help today, as war spirals out of control once again.
Built by FanisLego, 825 of the original set’s 1,677 pieces have been repurposed to create this lovely early Ford Bronco, complete with steering (ish), opening hood, doors and tailgate, a detailed engine, and superbly accessible interior.
Building instructions are available and you can convert your own 10290 Pickup set into the first iteration of Ford’s recently re-born icon at Bricksafe via the link above.
Following Master MOCer Thirdwigg’s recent appearance here with his superb Mercedes-Benz Unimog U4000, he recently uploaded a few other variants, which is fitting as the Unimog is available in a bewildering choice of applications, each of which can be equipped with an even wider array of attachments, tools and machinery.
This one is a U5000 off-road fire truck, constructed via an excellent combination of Model Team and Technic techniques, and features a tilting cab, piston engine, working steering and suspension, and a fully equipped four door cabin with fire-fighting equipment behind.
Building instructions are available and there’s much more to see at Thirdwigg’s photostream, plus you can find out how he builds his amazing models such as this one at his Master MOCers page via the link above.
We love the Mercedes-Benz Unimog here at The Lego Car Blog. Designed as a multi-purpose tractor for both civilian industry and the military, the Unimog is simple, highly adaptable, and incredibly capable off-road. Which means it’s only a matter of time before AMG create a black-on-black luxury version for the terminally-insecure to enhance their Instagram clout.
Until then though, we’ll continue to enjoy the Unimog as the workhorse it’s meant to be, with this example being a most-workhorsey U4000 tipper.
Constructed by our latest Master MOCer Thirdwigg, this excellent Technic U4000 is a fully mechanical miniaturisation of the Mercedes-Benz multi-purpose tractor, and includes a working piston engine under the tilting cab, a multi-way tipper that cleverly raises via spinning the fuel tanks, a high/low gearbox, functional suspension, steering, front and rear winches, plus opening doors and hood.
It’s all beautifully engineered and there’s lots more of it to see on Flickr, where a link to building instructions can also be found, plus you can find more variants of this U4000 at Thirdwigg’s Bricksafe page, where – as per any good Unimog – the model can be adapted to suit a number of jobs, including pulling a trailer, being outfitted as a camper, and even equipped as a fire truck.
Take a look via the links above, plus you can find out how Thirdwigg creates his models such as this one via his Master MOCers page, which is available alongside the other talented builders that have proceeded him by clicking here.
Despite what you’d think looking at the cars around TLCB Towers, you really don’t need a Range Rover to drive to the gym. Which is why we love the Suzuki Jimny. Small, light, and vastly more capable off-road than SUVs with five times the power, it’s the antidote to the AMG G-63, BMW XM, and every new Defender that will never ever get a wheel dirty. Yama Jason is the builder behind this one, outfitting his Jimny with a host of off-road goodies and picturing it where you’ll never see an Audi Q7. Join him away from the pavement via the link above.
The Lego Car Blog Elves are winding down for Christmas. They don’t need to of course – they’re Elves, basically designed to work during the festive period. And they don’t have rights.
However, we (TLCB Team) do shut up shop for the holidays, and thus we set the cat-flap to operate in-only, so as they return to TLCB Towers in the run up to Christmas they can’t get back out again.
Which means there are rather a lot of them in the office right now. This is a) very annoying, and b) means that if one of their number returns with a remote controlled creation, there is going to be considerable Elven carnage.
And so it proved today, as this mighty Tatra 813 8×8 Kolos thundered into the cage room where a number of Elves had gathered to watch terrible Hallmark Christmas movies, and were promptly squashed where they sat. Still, that’ll learn them for making poor cinematic choices.
Samuel Nerpas is the owner of the machine responsible, which is packed with multiple motors, eight-wheel-drive, twin-axle-steering, and incredible suspension, and there’s more of this amazing model to see at his photostream.
Take a look via the link above, whilst we tidy up the mess and get ready to turn the lights out…
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.
The war in Ukraine drags on, as tiny-penised Putin continues his folly to return the region back to the days of the Soviet Union.
Those days, marked with oppression, fear, and the eradication of freedom of movement, religion and speech, also included some fine engineering. Most of this was of course of the nuclear-weapon or space-race type, but the Soviet Union created some excellent off-road vehicles too. This is one of them, the GAZ-66.
Produced from the mid-’60s until ’99 – and still in use today in a variety of despotic authoritarian regimes including North Korea, Iran, and Syria – the GAZ-66 was a 4×4 military truck available in a bewildering array of configurations.
This one is a ‘K66V’, fitted with a box body behind the cab. Built by Samuel Nerpas (aka Tatrovak), this brilliantly engineered Technic version is remotely controlled via a BuWizz bluetooth battery powering four drive motors, servo steering, and two sets of LED lights.
Planetary hubs, all-wheel-suspension, and all-wheel-drive ensure Samuel’s GAZ-66 is suitably capable off-road, and the model also includes a tilting cab, opening doors, and a removable superstructure.
However if you own a 8865 set (and a set of pliers to take it apart), you could turn it into this neat Dakar-esque off-road buggy by newcomer Tomas Rak, pictured here alongside the original.
Built only from the parts found within the 8865 set (including those impossible-to-remove ‘interference’ pins), Tomas’ alternate includes working steering, suspension, a two-cylinder piston engine, and a body that – whilst no less minimalist – suits its real-world source rather well.
There’s more to see on Flickr, where a link to building instructions can also be found; click the link to take a look and get ready to test your finger strength.
