Tag Archives: supercar

Land Rover Defender | Picture Special

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We love it when builders gets in contact with us here at TLCB. Firstly it means a few people actually read the ‘inane blather’ (to quote a comment by a reader) that streams from the hovel that is TLCB Towers, and secondly because it sometimes unearths incredible creations.

Case in point is Zeta Racing, who recently messaged us on Facebook. We recommended Flickr as a tool for sharing his creations and bam! – We now have no less than five unbelievable builds to blog.

This is the third, Zeta’s magnificent fully RC Land Rover Defender, and it – like the two builds already featured here – is a work of engineering brilliance.

Based on an earlier design by TLCB Master MOCer Sheepo, Zeta has captured the aesthetic of a moderately modified Defender 110 brilliantly, with a lift kit, snorkel, roof cage, tow bar, and more all represented in Lego form. The doors, hood and tailgate all open, and there’s a superbly detailed interior inside too.

It’s what’s underneath that’s most impressive though, with Zeta’s model equipped with a complete Technic Supercar drivetrain (engine, gearbox, suspension, and steering), and full remotely controlled motorisation.

Power Functions motors drive the four-wheel-drive system (which also turns the accurate inline 4-cylinder engine under the hood) and control the working steering, with superbly accurate suspension allowing the power to be used both on and off-road.

Four IR receivers are hidden in the cabin, allowing control of the aforementioned drive and steering, and also – by our guess – a motorised gearbox and front-mounted winch too.

It’s a stunning build, immediately jumping into the Technic off-roader All-Time Greats list, and there’s a whole lot more of the build to see at Zeta Racing’s Flickr photostream by clicking here. And there are still two further incredible creations to come…

Numero Uno Turbo

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It’s the 1980s and literally everything has got ‘Turbo’ written on it. Aftershave, sunglasses, and – as of 1985 – even Fiat shopping cars. The Fiat Uno Turbo i.e. did actually feature a turbo too, with an IHI unit, complete with intercooler, fitted to its 1.3 litre engine.

Power jumped to 105bhp, which may not sound a lot (and isn’t), but ’80s Italian cars had the structural integrity of a paper bag, and thus were almost comically light. This gave the Uno Turbo a 127mph top speed and a 0-60 time of 7 seconds, which was properly quick for the time. We just don’t want to think about crashing one…

Fortunately Fiat had an answer, creating the Uno Turbo i.e. ‘Antiskid’, which was equipped with a rudimentary form of ABS. It’s this version that Zeta Racing has chosen to recreate – beautifully – in Technic form, adding another stunning ’80s Italian hot hatchback to his catalogue, following the incredible Lancia Delta HF Integrale’s published here yesterday.

Like the Lancias, Zeta’s Uno Turbo replicates the real car with jaw-dropping authenticity, including a full ‘Technic Supercar’ driveline consisting of a transverse 4-cylinder engine, suspension, steering, and gearbox, all motorised via LEGO Power Functions components.

The model also includes a fantastically realistic interior, with folding seats, a tilting sunroof, and some rather ingenious seatbelts that we suspect we’ll see on a lot more Technic creations after this is published. Opening doors, hood and hatchback complete the model, and there’s loads more to see at Zeta Racing’s photostream.

Click the link above to make the jump to Flickr for all the photos, whilst we squash down our hankering to buy one of these tiny tinny Italian deathtraps*…

*It seems that improbably thin Italian steel didn’t survive UK winters very well. Just a dozen Fiat Uno Turbo’s are left on UK roads, and only two ‘Antiskid’ versions. They may have crashed less, but they rusted just us much…

Lancia Delta HF Integrale – Picture Special

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The most remarkable Italian car manufacturer is not Ferrari. Lancia’s story is one of incredible technical innovation, fantastic racing cars, an appalling corrosion scandal, and now – effectively – their death at the hands of a parent company that really should try harder.

However even during Lancia’s painful decline they still produced the best cars in the world. This is one of them, the amazing Delta HF Integrale.

Based on Lancia’s 1980 ‘European Car of the Year’-winning family hatchback, the HF Integrale added turbocharging and all-wheel-drive, and in doing so became the most successful rally car in history. By the time it was retired the HF Integrale had won six consecutive Constructors World Championships (a record that is still unbeaten), fuelling the sales of over forty thousand road-going versions.

These two incredible recreations of the HF Integrale are the work of newcomer Zeta Racing, and they are – without doubt – some of the best Technic Supercars that we have ever published.

Each is spectacularly detailed both inside and out, merging both Technic and System parts to create an almost unbelievable level of realism. Stunning period-correct decals add to the authenticity, yet the exteriors – astonishing though they are – aren’t the most impressive aspect of Zeta Racing’s builds. For that you need to look underneath…

Hidden within each build is some of the most brilliant Technic engineering we’ve seen, with both Deltas qualifying for ‘Technic Supercar’ status, with working steering, gearboxes, highly detailed transversely-mounted inline 4-cylinder engines, and working suspension. But the functionally does not stop there.

Each model is also fully remote controlled thanks to LEGO Power Functions motors, operating the drive, steering, gears, and – if we’ve interpreted the images correctly – equipping Zeta’s creations with working brakes too.

It seems that in Zeta Racing we may have found our favourite new builder of 2020, and if you agree you can take a look at both his white and black Lancia Delta HF Integrales via the links, where you can also add yourself to his current ‘follower’ count of one (which is only us at present).

Zeta Racing has also uploaded several other astonishing Technic Supercars alongside these two incredible HF Integales, mostly of the Italian hatchback variety, which we’ll be publishing here over the coming days. Check back here for more soon, including some you may never have heard of…

Scuderia Stirling

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What? A green Ferrari? Despite TLCB competition winner James Tillson’s previous form, this magnificent Technic Ferrari 250 GTO isn’t built in a  colour that would make the Tifosi throw things at their screens. Because Ferrari really did make a green one, and only one, for the late racing legend Sir Stirling Moss. Which makes it probably the coolest 250 GTO of them all.

Featuring an accurately replicated V12 engine linked to a five-speed gearbox, working steering and suspension, plus opening doors, hood and trunk, James’ Technic 250 GTO is a truly beautiful thing, and – unlike the real car – you don’t have to be Sir Stirling Moss to get your hands on one, as James has made building instructions available.

There’s more to see of this stunning creation at James’s photostream and on Eurobricks, where you can watch a video demonstrating the model’s features and find a link to the instructions so that you can build it for yourself.

Super Stripe

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This stunning Technic Supercar comes from previous bloggee Nico Lego (aka Levihathan), and it might just be our favourite of the year. Which may or may not be because of that wicked-cool stripe. There’s more than just the stripe to like though, as Nico’s creation is packed with old-school Supercar functionality, including working steering, suspension, a mid-mounted transverse V6 engine hooked up to a 5+R gearbox, and an opening engine cover, front ‘trunk’, and cockpit canopy. Plus it has a wicked-cool stripe.

There’s more to see of Nico’s stripe and the Technic Supercar attached to it at his Flickr album, where over thirty high quality images are available to view, detailing the exterior, chassis, working functions, and stripe. Click the link above to make the jump to our favourite stripe Technic Supercar of the year so far.

Wangan Midnight

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If there’s an unmodified R32 Skyline GT-R in existence, we’re yet to see it. And so to today’s creation, which has also cast OEM originality aside in order to create something rather more special. Which does mean it features a few non-LEGO parts, but seeing is the real car upon which it’s based features a few non-Nissan ones, we think it’s alright.

Built by Gray Gear of Eurobricks, this Nissan Skyline GT-R R32 recreates the car from the Wangan Midnight cartoon, including custom wheels, a replica straight six engine refitted with a single-shot turbo, and a few bodywork parts not officially produced by LEGO, seeing as they don’t come in black.

The model also features a working six-speed gearbox, all-wheel-drive, all-wheel independent suspension, functioning steering, plus opening doors, hood and trunk. There’s more to see for all of that at the Eurobricks forum via the link above, whilst we fall deeper into the Wangan Midnight YouTube rabbit hole.

Soviet Station Wagon

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The Soviets may have hated America, but they sure liked its cars. This is the GAZ-24, specifically the 2402 station wagon produced from 1971 all the way up until the mid ’80s, despite looking like something straight out of America in 1963.

Powered by either a 2.5 litre four cylinder or an American-aping 5.5 litre V8, the GAZ-24 was famed for its toughness, and whilst limited numbers were exported, it wasn’t really available to the common Russian man, being reserved only for those with a special permit that allowed its purchase. Because Communism.

Matthew Terentev has got himself a 2402 though, by building this most excellent Technic recreation, complete with accurate leaf-spring rear and independent front suspension, a working inline 4-cylinder engine under the opening hood, ‘Hand of God’ steering and a working steering wheel, plus opening doors and tailgate.

There’s lots more to see of Matthew’s superb Soviet station wagon at his photostream on Flickr – grab your special permit, click the link, and pretend you’re a 1980s Russian pretending they’re a 1960s American.

Paint the Roof Red

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We tend not to publish models that don’t use LEGO bricks here at The Lego Car Blog. After all, the clue is the our name. However modifying LEGO bricks is grey – or in the is case red – area, as proven by Steph Ouell‘s brilliant ‘Raven’ Technic Supercar.

The nerdier Lego fans among you will know that those curvy Technic panels on the roof and fenders aren’t available in red yet (although we’re sure they will be one day), so Steph has resorted to Chinese knock-offs to complete the Raven. And it looks fantastic.

A working V8 engine, 4-speed gearbox, steering, and independent suspension make up the mechanicals and there’s more to see of Steph’s ‘Raven’ Supercar on Flickr via the link.

My Other Supercar’s a Lamborghini

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LEGO’s new 42115 Lamborghini Sian FKP37 adds another monumental Technic set to their line-up of real-world vehicles. Even if we hadn’t heard of the actual car and the real set seems to be getting somewhat mixed reviews, thanks in part to the new colour (or rather colours, as it seems to be in reality).

Cue James Tillson of Flickr, who has dissembled his 42115 Lamborghini Sian so fast we suspect he may not have built it in the first place, and used the pieces to create another epic limited-run hypercar, the 2002-2004, 400 unit, 650bhp Ferrari Enzo.

Ferrari Enzos definitely didn’t come in green (or even the various greens that the 42115 set seems to contain), but apart from the colour anomaly James’s Technic recreation is instantly recognisable as Marenello’s most famous product. A working mid-mounted V12 sits underneath the opening engine cover, with the model also featuring realistic inboard suspension, functioning steering, opening scissor doors, and much more besides.

There’s much more of James’s spectacular 42115 B-Model Ferrari Enzo to see at his photostream by clicking here, and if you’d like to enter your own alternate build into TLCB Lock-Down B-Model Competition you still have a few hours left.

Rally Classic

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A Technic Supercar must contain many things. It must steer, include an engine driven by the wheels, a working gearbox, and suspension. This tends to make them rather large and parts intensive, but not so this one, which features all of that (and more) in a model about 1/4 the size of most of the Supercars we feature here.

Built by 1980SomethingSpaceGuy of Eurobricks, this ‘Vintage Rally Coupe’ packs in so much technical goodness we’re beginning to think that LEGO themselves need to step up their game a bit. A V4 engine up front is driven by the rear wheels via a working gearbox, all four wheels are suspended (with a period-correct combination of independent shocks up front a leaf springs at the rear), the steering wheel turns the front wheels, and the doors, hood and hatchback all open.

In summary, it’s glorious; a proper old school Supercar, just a whole heap smaller. And we absolutely love it. See more at the link above, it’s well worth your click.

When 2 Become 1*

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BMW’s stunning i8 is soon to be retired. A three-cylinder Mini Cooper engine and electric motors delivered kinda super car performance with kinda supermini economy. Except it didn’t really do either of those things. But it did look great.

Also looking great is James Tillson’s Technic version, built from the parts found within the 42056 Porsche 911 GT3 RS and the 42093 Chevrolet Corvette sets. James’ model features working steering and suspension, a three-cylinder engine, gearbox, and the option to add an electric motor to drive the front axle.

Whilst not qualifying for TLCB Lock-Down B-Model Competition as it’s made from two LEGO sets, James has already entered the contest with another build (also derived from 42056), and you can build a qualifying competition entry from two official LEGO sets, provided each set’s RRP was under $25 at launch.

There’s more to see of James’ excellent B-Model at the Eurobricks forum and on Flickr, the former of which where you can also find a video demonstrating the model’s features and a link to building instructions if you’d like to turn your own Porsche 911 GT3 RS and Chevrolet Corvette sets into a BMW i8 too.

*Today’s title song. We’re nothing if not diverse…

Lancia-Italia Fulvia HF Rally Car | Picture Special

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It’s not often that TLCB Team are stunned by a model brought back by one of our smelly little workers. We are of course experienced professionals, experts in Lego creations, and with a wealth of building talent ourselves. Oh, sorry – that’s the Brothers Brick – we’re still as incompetent as ever, but nevertheless it takes a lot to genuinely excite us, so blasé have we become through years of blogging. Today however, we are all spectacularly impressed, thanks to All.About.Lego and his amazing Technic Lancia Fulvia HF rally car.

Built for the current Eurobricks small car contest, this incredible recreation of one of rallying’s all-time-greats not only looks absolutely wonderful (and superbly accurate, despite being the difficulty of being a Technic build), it features more working functionality than models five times its size. So much in fact, that this tiny Lancia really is a Technic ‘Supercar’.

A working V4 engine is driven by the front-wheels (yup, the fronts, as per the real Fulvia and we have no idea how All.About.Lego has managed it), whilst a rear-mounted gearbox (technically a two-speed transaxle) can be controlled via the cabin gearstick.

Working leaf-spring suspension and functioning steering feature too, completing the Technic ‘Supercar’ necessities, plus the model features opening doors, hood and trunk, as well as an accurate period livery complete with superbly replicated decals.

It’s a phenomenal build and one that will start a riot here in TLCB office if it doesn’t win the Eurobricks Small Car Contest. Head to Flickr or the Eurobricks forum to see more of All.About.Lego’s spellbinding creation and LEGO, make this a set please! We’ll buy eight.

Humdrum Supercar

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Technic Supercars are not defined by the type of car they would be in the real world. Most would still be super cars of course, but some… some are little more mundane. Like a Fiat 125p for example. And we love them for this.

This heroically humdrum Technic Supercar is the work of Porsche96, who has created Fiat’s 1960s sedan in unbelievable accuracy. In fact Fiat’s regular 125 was too flashy for Porsche96, who decided to built the 125p version; the Polski-Fiat built under license by FSO in Poland until a scarcely believable 1991.

Porsche96’s recreation of the Polish peoples’ car includes all of the prerequisites to be classified as a Technic Supercar, plus a whole lot more besides. Working steering, a functioning four-cylinder engine and four-speed gearbox, and all-wheel suspension tick all the Supercar boxes, whilst remote control for the drive, steering, and even gearbox (thanks to a suite of Power Functions motors and servos, plus an SBrick and BuWizz battery) goes much further indeed.

There are opening and locking doors, an opening bonnet with a working interior release mechanism, adjustable seats, LED head and tail lights, and also fully removable bodywork.

It all adds up to Porcshe96’s Fiat 125p being one of the most accurately engineered (and brilliantly built) Technic Supercars that we’ve ever featured, even if the real world car is about as far from a super car as it is possible to be. Which somehow makes this model all the cooler.

There’s much more to see including a full build description on Eurobricks, the complete and extensive gallery of images can be found on Bricksafe, and building instructions are available via Rebrickable. Plus you watch this amazing Technic Supercar in action via the brilliant video below.

YouTube Video:

 

Mod My Mazda

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OK, we’ll come right out with it. This incredible 1:8 scale Mazda RX-7 with RE:Amemiya bodykit isn’t strictly, entirely, 100% LEGO. But that’s only because LEGO don’t make all the parts in the right colours. Builder Gray Gear has therefore used a few clone brands to complete his creation, with the white wheel-arches and white pins not part of LEGO’s range. Switch them for orange and black respectively though, and Gray’s Mazda can be built with genuine LEGO parts.

However it seems almost appropriate that Gray Gear’s model uses a few non-genuine pieces as his RX-7 also features an RE:Amemiya bodykit, which isn’t exactly a Mazda factory option…

Underneath that wild exterior Gray has created a working two-rotor engine, replicating the unusual set-up of the real RX-7, which is hooked up to a functioning 6-speed gearbox. Working steering, all-wheel independent suspension, and opening doors and hood also feature, and you can see more of all of the above at the Eurobricks discussion forum where further images and a video displaying the model’s features can be found.

Gray is also considering making instructions available should you wish to create his RX-7 RE:Amemiya for yourself. You’ll have to build it in orange if you want to use purely official LEGO pieces, but we think it’ll look rather excellent if you do! Head to Eurobricks via the link above to take a look and pester Gray for those building steps…

Under the Dome

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Eurobricks’ ‘Small Car Competition’ has generated some superb creations. Each measuring no more than fifteen studs wide and forty-one studs long, entries must be able to fit on the 42098 Technic Car Transporter set, yet many are still packed with Technic functionality.

This is one of our favourites, Zsolt Nagy’s ‘Red Sky’ supercar, complete with a transparent cockpit dome, working steering, a V8 engine driven by the rear wheels, and – amazingly – front and rear suspension!

You can see how Zsolt has done it at both Eurobricks and Flickr, and we’ll update you on some of the brilliant entries that we’ve received so far for TLCB’s own B-Model competition tomorrow!