LEGO’s new 8-wide Speed Champions sets are generating a lot of interest in the online Lego community. Firstly because they’re rather good, and secondly because of those windscreen pieces. Suitable for all manner of cars, we’ve seen them pop up (and look perfect for) several real-world replicas as yet unlicensed by LEGO, including a Lamborghini Countach and Maserati Boomerang.
Today we have two more classic supercars that look made for the new part, Jonathan Elliott‘s superb DeTomaso Pantera (above) and RGB900‘s angular Lotus Esprit (below). Each captures their real world counterpart brilliantly and there’s more to see of both builds via the links in the text above.
Keeping the Ford link, previous bloggee Serge S has taken his 10265 set and turned it into something rather more exotic. This is his superb DeTomaso Pantera GT5, a car which – like the Mustang – used a Ford V8, but which wrapped it in a stunning Italian body.
Serge is no stranger to building brilliant B-Models, his 10252 Volkswagen Beetle alternative appearing here last year, and his latest is every bit as good. Using only the pieces available within the 10265 set, Serge’s Pantera is accurate enough that you’d never know the design was parts-constrained, and it includes an opening hood, opening doors, and a detailed interior too.
There’s more to see of Serge’s amazing alternate at his Flickr photostream, where a link to instructions can also be found if you fancy rebuilding your 10265 Mustang into a DeTomaso Pantera GT5 yourself. Take a look by clicking here.
Pantera might a word better associated with an Italian-American sports car or a 1980s heavy metal band*, but it’s also apparently a self-propelled 4500-litre crop sprayer from 130-year-old German agricultural manufacturer Amazone. An unusual choice for a LEGO creation then, but perhaps an inspired one too, as this enormous Model Team replica of the Pantera 4502 by previous bloggee Eric Trax is a work of engineering genius.
Like the real vehicle, Eric’s Pantera is all-wheel-drive, all-wheel-steering (with three steering modes), and includes the crucial adjustable height system that allows these machines to raise themselves above the crops beneath them.
It also of course features the huge folding arms that deploy to spray crops; in Eric’s model extending to an impressive 1.4 meters in width! In all there are seven LEGO Technic motors powering the drive, multi-mode steering, adjustable ground clearance, and both the spraying arm extension and height.
It’s a spectacularly well-engineered build and one that’s well worth a closer look. A large gallery of images is available to view at Eric’s Flickr photostream by clicking here, you can read further details and join the discussion at the Eurobricks forum by clicking here, and you can watch this amazing machine in action via the video below.
Tempting as it is to dip into a Family Guy-like Italian-American stereotype for this post, having rightly got into trouble before, we’ll simply stick to saying that Italian design plus American power is a pretty good combination. Oddly it’s a formula that hasn’t often appeared, but De Tomaso gave it a good go for two decades following the launch of the Pantera in 1971. This neat Model Team example has been built by serial bloggee Senator Chinchilla, and you can see more of his brick-built classic on Flickr by clicking here.
The elf who brought this in was so excited it took us ages to calm him (it?) down. Poor guy was panting… We can see why though; this simply stunning build is full of the kind of detail and function that the very best builders like to put in their cars. Senator Chinchilla is that builder, and MOCpages is your guide. Go now, and amaze yourself.
It took an entire platoon of Elves to carry this one in…. A DeTomaso Pantera by Senator Chinchilla, a builder who’s not afraid to think big. Really big. Weighing in at 7lbs and stuffed with the kind of Technic overkill we love here at The Lego Car Blog, it’s almost big enough for Chancellor Fuzzy Mittens to drive…
