Tag Archives: sci-fi

Clearly Roving

2022’s Febrovery is drawing to a close, in which Lego builders from around the world have united in their creation of other-worldly transports. Today we round out the roverest of months with four intriguing space-based builds, each of which has deployed a few of LEGO’s more unusual pieces in the pursuit of roving brilliance.

First up is Robert Heim‘s ‘Spaceport Fire Rover’, which features so many LEGO pieces of which we know nothing it’s making us doubt we can do this job. The wheels look like cupcake cases and the rotating cockpit appears as if it’s made from a kid’s sand bucket. We have absolutely no idea what sets they’re all from, but you can find out more at Robert’s photostream via the link.

Next we have martin.with.bricks‘ impressive eight-wheeled rover, which actually looks rather like something we could well see in our lifetime. A determined-looking mini-figure sits at the controls inside the same clear buckety-brick cockpit, whilst a minimalist brick-built lunar surface passes beneath the tyres. Centre articulation and an opening rear hatch add to the fun and you can see more of Martin’s rover on Flickr at the link above.

No longer used as the cockpit, but still featuring prominently in the design, Frost‘s colourful ‘Biotron Corp Spaceplant Relocation Rover’ utilises the same transparent buckets, this time for some sort of lunar re-wilding project. A trans-lime half-dome continues the funky cockpitting however, and there’s more to see of Frost’s space-based conservation via the link above.

Today’s final Febrovery creation takes a rather more utilitarian approach, and is very possibly the reason that Frost’s ‘Spaceplant Relocation Rover’ above is required. Andreas Lenander‘s ‘Dome-rover’ is smoothing its way across a lovely brick-built moon-scape, thanks to some genius tracks and a wonderfully pink classic spaceman sealed within a transparent orb. Andreas has used said orb in other cunning ways during Febrovery ’22 too, and there’s more to see of this and his other Febrovery builds at his photostream via the link above.

And that completes our Febrovery 2022 round-up, which took on quite a transparent theme this year. Febrovery will be back in 2023, but until then there is still a whole month to go in TLCB and Bricknerd’s ‘Festival of Mundanity’ competition, in which we’re looking for vehicles that are rather more earth-bound. What better way to move on from other-wordly oddness than a white Toyota Corolla looking for a parking space…

Moon Muscle

Flickr’s Febrovery build-a-thon is drawing to a close. There have been some wonderful entries so far which we have… er, missed completely, seeing as a) we don’t understand sci-fi and b) we’re interested in things far more mundane at the moment…

Had we not blogged this one though, TLCB Elves would’ve started a riot, as it’s really not mundane at all. Frost (aka TFDesigns) owns the mind behind this glorious rover-based muscle car homage, which is fitted with some of the most splendid wheels we’ve ever seen.

Racing stripes and a giant wing complete the Elven excitement, and there’s more to see of his marvellous moon-based muscle car at his photostream. Take a look via the link above, and we’ll be back with some things far more mundane tomorrow…

Floating Fiat

Fiat, like many of motoring’s earliest names, began as much as an aircraft manufacturer as an automotive one. By 1969 though, the aircraft division had been separated from Fiat’s vehicle group, which – as anyone who has owned a 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, or even 2000s Fiat will testify – was probably a very good thing indeed. Fiat electrics at 30,000ft don’t bear thinking about…

Bravely returning Fiat to the clouds however is Brick Spirou, who has modified the official LEGO 10271 Fiat 500 set into something rather more airborne. Four funky repulser engines equip Brick’s Fiat for the skies, whilst the giant engine-lid-mounted rear wing is presumably mounted upside-down for lift rather than downforce.

There’s more of Brick Spirou’s 10271 Fiat 500 hovercar to see on Flickr via the link above, plus you can click here for a bonus LEGO set that has also received the hovercar treatment.

Anything but Mundane

The Festival of Mundanity Competition is beginning to receive some wonderfully dull entries. This flying Porsche 911 Turbo is not one of them. Suggested by a reader and built by BobDeQuatre, this futuristic Porsche is based on the official LEGO 10295 Porsche 911 set, only with a few choice modifications.

These apparently include “two anti-grav generators, and a powerful VV hydrogen repulsor motor, integrated into the old bodywork without disrupting the lines. The interior features very old accessories like the strange levers between the two seats, but also top notch controls”.

Which makes for a vehicle that we really hope becomes a reality one day. Until then you can join us in dreaming at Bob’s ‘Porsche 911 Turbo VV’ Flickr album or at the Eurobricks forum here.

Cybercity Supercruiser

Simultaneously ’80s and futuristic, ‘cyberpunk’, like steampunk, is something of which we know nothing here at TLCB Towers. But we like motorbikes, and this one looks fantastic. A boombox-carrying, aerosol-wielding rider completes the cyberpunk aesthetic, and there’s more to see courtesy of Tino Poutiainen via the link.

Space Karts

It’s race day at the lunar track, and an eclectic mix of characters are watching the kart-based antics of the Classic Space-kids. Flickr’s Frost (aka TFDesigns!) is the builder and – if you’re weird enough – you can join the spectators trackside via the link above.

They Murdered his Family… Now He’s Going to Run Them Ov… Oh.

Mad Max’s post-apocalyptic future is set in… er, 1983. But what if it were set one-hundred years later? Sergio Batista re-imagines George Miller’s vision for a dystopian Australian outback a century after the film is set, and although the original movie tagline is somewhat problematic, Mad Max and hover cars do seem to work rather well! There’s more to see of Sergio’s ‘V8 Hover Interceptor’ (and a host of other hover vehicles) on Flickr via the link.

Cyber Monday

It’s Monday, and it’s cybery here at TLCB for some reason. Perhaps the title would’ve worked about three weeks ago…

On to the models! With much talk in the car world about converting classic cars to EV powertrains, we hope this is the next logical step.

Previous bloggee Sergio Batista has heavily modified the rather lovely 75895 Speed Champions Porsche 911 Turbo set to become something rather more… hoverable. What? – It’s a word!

Sergio’s ‘Porsche 911 2073’ means we only have 52 years to wait, when this TLCB Staffer will be the approximate age that you need to be to become president.

Join us in hope of the hovercar revolution at Sergio’s photostream – click here to float on over and take a closer look!

Today’s second cyberpunk creation also has its roots in an official LEGO set, this time from waaaay back in 1971, when Joe Biden was still cheating in law school and Donald Trump was dodging military service.

LEGO were being far more productive however, releasing the ace 605 Taxi set. All seventeen pieces of it.

Constructed from rather more is Jonathan Elliott‘s 605 Redux, a wonderful cyberpunk homage to the fifty-year-old original. Back in 1971 they probably thought that taxis would look like Jonathan’s in 2021, but instead we got the Prius. Which looks like a melted iron.

Oh well, we can dream of the shape of things to come at Jonathan’s photostream, and you can join us there hailing the taxi of the future via the link above.

Water on Mars

Mars. Our closest neighbour that isn’t orbiting us, and bleak desolate planet where water turns directly from a solid to a vapour, and back again.

Cue BobDeQuatre‘s ‘Dionysus’ armoured water tanker, a nuclear-powered transport, capable of carrying large quantities of water from remote extraction sites back to Mars Corporation outposts. Or something like that.

Bluetooth remote control via an SBrick and a rather snazzy paint-job caught our attention, and there’s more to see of Bob’s water-carrying martian on Flickr via the link.

Time Loop

The DeLorean-based time machine from the ‘Back to the Future’ movie franchise has been built so many times in Lego form it ironically feels like we’re in a time loop.

Still, there’s always time for another, particularly when it looks as good as this one.

Flickr’s Jerry Builds Bricks is the latest creator to have a crack at Doc Brown’s flying DMC-12, producing the rather excellent Lego version pictured here.

Take a look via the link above, or alternatively travel back in time to our post charting the remarkable story of the real car here, which features more cocaine than you might expect…

Black Harvest

We’ve never thought about the villainous Blacktron empire’s more mundane needs before. But even an evil space organisation needs to eat. You can’t go thieving satellites on an empty stomach.

Fortunately Flickr’s Dario Đipić has thought about it, and the result is one of the most alien-looking vehicles we’ve ever published, even though the design is rooted in those in common usage today.

That might be because, despite the wonderful work they do feeding the planet, combine harvesters looks absolutely terrifying, and thus are weirdly suited LEGO’s classic space baddies theme.

Head out into the alien fields via Dario’s photostream, and keep the empire of evil from going hungry.

Cubed

The online Lego Community loves a monthly building bandwagon. We understand very few of them, but today is… no different. We’re still completely ignorant. Anyway, however the name of the tenth month has been butchered, the results are rather nice, if you like stumpy orange erections anyway [insert Donald Trump reference]. This one comes from Simon Lui, its called ‘CUBE-D’, and its operated by one of those little claw-obsessed three-eyed aliens from Toy Story, which is extra delightful. Simon’s photostream holds further details and you can take a look via the link above.

Snow Patrol

‘Hibernia’s icy grip (hah!) on the online Lego Community shows no signs of thawing (hah!). The fictional ice planet has generated all manner of marvellous creations, and the latest comes from Dane Erland, here making their TLCB debut.

Dane’s Hibernia mobile base is reminiscent of an overland camper usually found in far warmer climbs spotting cheetahs and whatnot, and it’s packed with cool (hah!) details, including brick-built suspension, brakes, differentials and driveshafts underneath, and a superb cabin and accommodation/research unit on top.

You can check out Dane’s creation along with a flurry (hah!) of other Hibernia builds at his photostream – click the link above to slide (hah!) on over, whilst this TLCB writer tries to freeze (hah!) thinking about snow-based puns. They. just. Won’t. Stop.

*Today’s (lovely) title song.

Duped

This delightful hover-courier (which looks rather like a floating coal scuttle) has us perplexed here at TLCB, being simultaneously Town and Duplo themed. Towplo? Whatever it is it’s ace, and there’s more to see courtesy of the excellently-named Dwarlin Forkbeard here.

On the National Express

On the National Express there’s a jolly hostess
Selling crisps and tea
She’ll provide you with drinks and theatrical winks
For a sky-high fee
Mini-skirts were in style when she danced down the aisle
Back in ’63
But it’s hard to get by when your arse is the size
Of a small country

We have Flickr’s Vince_Toulouse to thank for allowing this tenuous link to a Divine Comedy song, and his delightfully strange ‘Intercity Express’. Art deco style, an inspired colour choice, and the ingenious repurposing of previously-useless ‘Life on Mars’ air-pump pieces make us want to hop on-board to wherever this is going. We’ll have some crisps and tea, thanks.