Tag Archives: power functions

Get Low*

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Built (mostly) from the LEGO 10271 Fiat 500 set, Flickr’s Orion Pax has decided to use his primrose yellow pieces for something far more American.

This is a 1960s Chevrolet Impala convertible, complete with custom chrome bricks, and no less than four Power Functions motors. However they don’t do what you might expect…

Instead of the driving the wheels, Orion’s Impala deploys each motor for fully adjustable suspension, with each wheel able to do its own thing independent of the rest. Servos bounce the front wheels up and down, whilst the rears are adjustable thanks to a pair of motor-driven linear actuators.

It’s an ingeniously simple piece of engineering, and one we’d love to see fitted to a MOC of an old Citroen. Because we’re so un-street here at TLCB that we find old Citroens more interesting than pimped American barges.

Until then you can check out Orion’s brilliant Chevy lowrider album on Flickr by clicking here, which includes a video of the remotely controlled suspension in action.

*Today’s title song. Obviously.

Windy Rear

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Yes we’ve opened this post with a fart joke. Named after a hot wind, Volkswagen’s Scirocco took the successful Golf GTI recipe and coupe-d it, creating a quick and light front-wheel-drive two-door.

Like the Golf GTI on which it was based, the Scirocco was an excellent car, but it would be even more excellent if it were rear-wheel-drive (ah, now the title makes sense! Ed.). Cue Danifill of Eurobricks, who has built this rather neat looking Volkswagen Scirocco MKII, fitted remote control drive and steering via bluetooth (thanks to a BuWizz battery), and sent the power to the rear wheels.

Of course that is an easier way to build an RC Lego car, but it also means Danifill’s Scirocco can drift! There’s more to see at the Eurobricks forum here, where you can watch a video of Danifill’s RWD Scirocco getting far more sideways than the real car ever could.

Rambo Lambo

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The Urus is not Lamborghini’s first SUV. But it is their ugliest, which is something we suppose. No, back in the late 1980s, the maddest of all the car manufacturers decided to do something even madder than usual, and built a military-grade, V12 engined off-roader.

Nicknamed the ‘Rambo Lambo’ (younger readers, ask your parents), the LM002 featured the 5.2 litre engine from the Countach up front, although if you liked to literally burn money you could order the LM002 with Lamborghini’s 7.2 litre engine that had – up until that point – been reserved for Class 1 offshore powerboats.

A tubular frame with riveted aluminium panels, all wheel drive, 169 litre fuel tank, and specially developed Pirelli run-flat tyres designed specifically for use on hot sand where also included, which gives a clue as to who Lamborghini was pitching the LM002 at.

However even if you’e not an oil sheik, you can still own a Lamborghini LM002, courtesy of previous bloggee filsawgood and this spectacular fully RC Technic recreation.

Powered by four L Motors with Servo steering, filsawgood’s incredible Technic replica of Lamborgini’s wildest car can be controlled via bluetooth thanks to a third-party BuWizz bluetooth battery, which can also up the power to the motors by a factor of eight versus LEGO’s own Power Functions battery.

All-wheel-drive with planetary hubs, independent suspension, opening doors and hood, a brilliantly detailed interior, and a V12 piston engine all feature, and there’s more to see of filsawgood’s astonishing Lamborghini LM002 on Flickr via the link above, where yes – a link to instructions can also be found!

Medium ‘Mog Magnificence

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LEGO’s 8110 Technic Mercedes-Benz Unimog set earned a stellar 9/10 review here at The Lego Car Blog. With working steering, suspension, engine, all-wheel-drive with portal axles, Power Functions motors, and pneumatics, it’s one of the finest sets in Technic history. However, as is often the way, you guys can do even better.

This is MajklSpajkl’s Mercedes-Benz Unimog U400, and it’s around half the size of the official 8110 set. And yet, even more incredible functions are squeezed inside.

Like the official LEGO set, MajkleSpajkl’s Unimog features all-wheel-drive with portal axles and three differentials, in this case linked to both a four-cylinder piston engine and an XL Motor that provides the model with drive. A Servo controls the steering, simultaneously turning the steering wheel, whilst a Medium Motor drives both the front and rear power take-offs.

A further L Motor powers a pneumatic compressor for the attachment functions, and can also tilt the rear bed (if fitted) in three directions. We write ‘if fitted’, because as per the real Unimog, MajklSpajkl’s creation can be equipped with a variety of attachments, with a tilting bed, front winch, rear-mounted crane, double-auger gritter, and snow plough variously pictured here.

Both the crane and snow plough movements are controlled via pneumatics, pressurised via the on-board compressor, whilst the PTOs provide motorised drive to the crane’s rotating turntable and outriggers, and the gritter’s rotating dispenser respectively. Not only that, but the cab doors open, the cab itself can tilt, and there’s a front mounted winch option, again motorised via a PTO.

All the above are controlled via a BuWizz Bluetooth battery, allowing the U400 to be operated via mobile phone, and there’s lots more to see of MajklSpajkl’s incredible (and beautifully presented) creation at the Eurobricks forum. Click here to take a closer look at one of the best Technic models of 2020.

What the Frack?

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This is a Tatra T815-7 10×10. Plus a few other things.

Built in collaboration across five companies and two continents, this remarkable machine is a mobile fracking rig, capable of extracting shale gas from deep inside the earth. The base is a Tatra T815-7 10×10 off-road truck, powered – in this case – by a six thousand horsepower diesel engine mounted behind the cab.

The reason for all that power is what is you can see at the rear of the vehicle, a GD-2500 Quintiplex well-pump constructed by American pump specialists Gardner Denver – itself rated at 2,500bhp – used to propel a mixture of water, sand and chemicals into the well to force the shale gas to the surface.

The engine powering this pump comes from German company MTU, whose designs are more normally associated with ships than land-based vehicles, with a Czech Talosa auxiliary gearbox allowing the twelve cylinder diesel to drive both the pump and the truck itself.

Cylinder deactivation drops the power for driving the truck, so you don’t have 6,000bhp to play with (although that does sound like it would be fun), with this ‘one engine’ solution and the vehicle superstructure created by engineering company M.G. Bryan Equipment.

It’s an amazing real-world vehicle, recreated here in LEGO form (and to an equally amazing standard) by Pavol Vanek aka Paliason. Measuring a metre long and weighing 8kg, Pavol’s brick-built replica of the M.G. Bryan ‘Percheron’ Tatra T815-7 is a huge creation, and it features a host of impressively engineered features underneath the superbly well executed Model Team exterior.

A complete 10×10 chassis, with nine differentials, full suspension, and steering on the first, second, fourth and fifth axles accurately replicates the real truck, with the steering alone driven by four linear actuators and an XL Motor.

A working twelve-cylinder piston engine sits behind the cab, LEDs illuminate the head and taillights, and there are opening doors and control panel covers.

It’s a phenomenal recreation of a unique real-world vehicle, and there’s loads more of Pavol’s astonishing model to see at both Flickr and the Eurobricks discussion forum. Click here to visit Pavol’s ‘M.G. Bryan ‘Percheron’ – Tatra T815-7 10×10′ album on Flickr, and here to visit Eurobricks where full details of the model, the real truck, and how it is used to frack for shale gas, can be found.

Hook & Tipper

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The Elven experiments are continuing here at TLCB Towers, as we move on from hoisting Elves via a remote control forklift to seeing how many can fit inside the container of Vladimir Drozd‘s excellent Scania P440 hook-lift truck.

They are – so far – willing participants, but they’re yet to discover that Vladimir’s model uses a motor-driven liner actuator to tip the container, not that we’re about to use it to tumble them into a washing-up bowl of soapy water…

Four wheel steering, working suspension, a functioning hook-lift, and a drawbar trailer are also included, and you can see more of all of that on Flickr via the link above, whilst we surprise-bath an undetermined number of Elves.

The Colour of Money

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Since when did fast Mercedes become so obnoxious? Even the badges shout loudly (and inaccurately), with C’63’ referring to an engine size Mercedes-Benz no longer makes. They couldn’t make the number smaller (and truer) though, because well… then it would be smaller.

Fast Mercedes also tend to be painted in stupid colours these days, with unnecessarily large exhausts, showy ‘aero’, and blingy wheels, conveying the taste of the nouveau riche douchbages that think they’re the coolest thing ever.

This is Lachlan Cameron’s C63 AMG, complete with a stupid colour, unnecessarily large exhausts, showy ‘aero’, and blingy wheels, and we think it’s the coolest thing ever.

Resplendent in lime green, Lachlan’s C63 captures the real car brilliantly, and features the complete set of Technic Supercar functions underneath, including a working V8 engine, suspension, LED lights, remote control drive and steering, and much more besides.

There’s more of Lachlan’s impressive build to see at his ‘Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG’ album on Flickr. Join us and the other nouveau riche douchebags there via the link above!

A Good Forking

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It’s not all super cars and drag racers here at The Lego Car Blog. Mostly, but not all.

This is Shimon‘s remote control Technic forklift, and it’s excellent. A suite of Power Functions motors deliver drive, steering, lift raising/lowering, and tilt, with the latter two clutched to ensure smooth operation.

Half a kilogram can be lifted, which equates to about four TLCB Elves by our experiments, and there’s more of the model to see on Eurobricks. Get forked via the link above.

Buggy Blues

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It’s been a while since the last mass Elven smushing here at The Lego Car Blog Towers. The Elves are wising up to the dangers of being out in the open for too long, a suspiciously unguarded Smartie, or attending the scene of a recent smushing to point and laugh, all of which carry the risk of a remotely operated Lego creation bursting out and running you over.

Today though, none of the above mattered; because two Buggy motors, monster suspension, and a BuWizz bluetooth battery are enough to outrun even the wiliest of Elves.

JLiu15’s LEGO Studio is the builder behind this beautifully presented ‘Azure Racer XL’, and it’s one of the most capable Elf-squashing machines that we have ever seen. And one of the fastest. Good as LEGO’s own new remote controlled 42124 Off-Road Buggy set looks we doubt it will be anywhere near as quick as this.

The trail of flattened Elves in the halls of TLCB Towers is evidence of the Azure Racer’s pace, and there’s much more of the build to see at JLui15’s ‘Azure Racer XL’ album on Flickr. Click the link above to see all of the excellent imagery, whilst we reward a deliriously happy Elf with a meal token, and get a spatular to pry its squashed brethren out of the carpet.

One Man Went to Mow

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Keko007‘s lawn mower is bigger than yours. Fitted to the back of an excellent New Holland T7.230 tractor, Keko’s mower can fold out via some handy knobs, and it can really mow, thanks to a mostly-concealed Power Functions system. Head to the meadow via the link above and start mowing.

I Don’t Want to Live on this Planet Anymore

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Half of America believes the other half is lying, a deadly disease is confining us to our homes, and we’re at the tipping point of irreversible and catastrophic climate change (unless you’re in the half of America that thinks this is a lie). Sometimes we just want to give up and escape into the wilderness.

Flickr’s Thesuperkoala is aiding this fantasy today, courtesy of this thoroughly excellent off-road expedition truck, complete with everything needed to leave society behind. Koala’s creation is also fitted with superb working suspension and a full Power Functions remote control drivetrain, including steering, all-wheel-drive, and a high/low gearbox, enabling it to travel far off the beaten track.

It’s just what we need in 2020, and you can join us in imagining we’re a long way from everything at Thesuperkoala’s ‘4×4 Road and Expedition’ album on Flickr, where both this model and an equally good crane/flatbed version are available to view.

Brick Built Bimmer

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Gosh do we hate the BMW X3. Not a much as the X7, which numerically we hate just over twice as much, but still. However, our thoughts on BMW’s affront to ‘compact’ SUV styling are – like pretty much everything we write – moot, because the X3 has been a phenomenal success for the German brand.

Now seventeen years and three generations in, around two million X3s have been produced, and today we can add one more to that number, courtesy of Jeroen Ottens and the brilliant Technic recreation you can see here.

Powered by two L Motors with a Medium Motor delivering the steering, Jeroen’s X3 can be controlled via bluetooth thanks to a third-party SBrick, which has also been programmed to operate the LED head and tail lights (including indicators), and the Servo controlled drive-mode select, which can send all the power to the rear wheels, 25% front and 75% rear, or 50/50 all-wheel-drive via a centre differential.

It’s an ingenious piece of engineering and there’s more to see on both Flickr and at Jeroen’s website, where building instructions are also available. Click the links to check it out.

Skid Marks

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The Lego Car Blog Elves, as has been well documented on these pages, love to commit acts of extreme violence on one another. We’re not really sure why, but as we suspect a trip inside the Elven mind to uncover the reasons for this evolutionary oddity would raise more questions than answers, we’re content to let it be.

Today’s source of mythical mischief comes courtesy of JLiu15 of Flickr, who has recreated this neat remotely controlled tracked loader. A suite of Power Functions motors provide the drive, skid-steering, and linear-actuator-driven bucket elevation and tipping, which the Elf at the controls used first to first scoop up its fellow workers that weren’t paying attention, then drop them onto the floor to run them over.

We now have some Elven skid marks to clear up, so whilst we do that you can head to JLui15’s ‘Tracked Loader’ album to see more, before we return later on today with a very different sort of skidding vehicle…

White House Extraction

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With the U.S Presidential Election recounts being rejected or – more amusingly – undertaken and still delivering the same result, rumour has it that a vehicle like this has been spotted on its way to the White House ready to extract America’s incumbent Commander in Chief.

Seeing as he spends most of his time either Tweeting or playing golf we’re not sure why he’s so bothered, as he can definitely continue to do those exciting pastimes once retired, but it seems that hoisting Trump out through the Oval Office roof might be the only way to remove him.

Much to our entertainment we can re-enact this upcoming squatter removal fantasy here in TLCB Towers, despite being thousands of miles from Washington DC, thanks to Dawid Szmandra and this fully remote controlled Liebherr LTM 1250-5.1 mobile crane.

No less than seven Power Functions motors are hidden inside Dawid’s model, providing a huge array of remotely controlled functionality. Along with working drive, all five axles can steer; turning both in unison or in opposite directions front to rear, allowing it to both ‘crab’ and steer conventionally, whilst the enormous crane boom can rotate, elevate, and extend.

Combined with a working winch this meant we could lower the hook into various Elves’ cage and pluck the unsuspecting inhabitants out through the top, in much the same manner as we hope the U.S authorities will do on January 20th. They probably won’t drive an enraged dangling Trump to the toilet and drop him in it though…

Whilst we dream of that unlikely eventuality via a tenuous Elven simile you can check out more of Dawid’s superb Liebherr LTM 1250-5.1 crane at his Flickr album and on YouTube, where a link to building instructions is available too.

Best in Show

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After the violent events that occurred here in TLCB Office yesterday we’ve been nervously awaiting the next remotely controlled Lego creation that the Elves would find. Fortunately for all concerned (except the Elf that found it), this Daniel Best steam traction engine by Flickr’s Nikolaus Löwe managed to do no damage whatsoever.

Despite its BuWizz battery, Nikolaus’s creation is heroically slow, and therefore accurately represents the real contraption from the early 1900s which had a top speed of… 4mph.

However such glacial velocity allowed us to view the magnificently recreated pistons and rods that Nikolaus has faithfully recreated, which all do their things thanks to well concealed Power Functions motors. The Elf at the controls was less impressed, and after watching its find trundle across the floor squashing precisely no-one, ran off in disgust.

It’ll be back for its meal token reward soon enough, but if you like this build as much as we do there’s more to see on Flickr. Click the link above to head very slowly across America in 1905.