Tag Archives: Technic

Not a Porsche

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Lego Technic 42056 B-Model Hot Rod

LEGO’s 42056 Porsche 911 GT3 RS set… we’re not really fans here at TLCB, and we’re also definitely not fans of the weird part of the online Lego community that seeks to buy sets like this and leave them unopened in a sealed box somewhere. By extension therefore, we are fans of this. Built exclusively from pieces found within the official Technic Porsche 911 GT3 RS set, Brickshelf’s marthart has not only opened his 42056 box but he’s used the pieces to not build the Porsche too. The hot rod pick-up he’s created from the Porsche’s parts includes a working piston engine, gearbox, independent suspension and adjustable ground clearance, it was suggested to us by a reader, and it can be found in more detail at the link above.

McLaren Monday

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Lego McLaren 675LT Spider

McLaren Automotive are on a roll right now. After two decades away from car building they’ve re-entered the market big time, first with the MP4-12C (easily the worst named supercar in history), and now with a range of super sports cars based around the same carbon fibre tub and twin turbo V8 engine.

This one is the most powerful in the range (excluding the limited run P1 hypercar), the 675 LT, and it’s been recreated in Technic form as a commission piece by previous bloggee Jeroen Ottens. With remote control drive and steering, an electrically deployed rear wing and a working electric convertible roof Jeroen’s build is more than just a static display piece.

There’s more to see at Eurobricks and Flickr, where you can also find a link to a video of the functions in action and where instructions are available so that you can build your own 675 LT Spider too.

Lego McLaren 675LT Spider

Taking a Dump

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Lego Technic Claas Xerion Trailer

LEGO’s 42054 Claas Xerion 5000 tractor is one of the very best sets that we’ve ever reviewed. It’s so good in fact that we can think of little that could be done to improve it. But that’s not to say it can’t be enhanced with a little MOCery. With an adjustable hitch both front and rear that includes a power-take-off, a wealth of attachments can be developed to accompany LEGO’s brilliant set.

Lego Remote Control Tractor Trailer

Which is exactly what MajklSpakjl of Eurobricks has done. Coupling neatly to the rear of the Claas Xerion tractor Majkl has constructed an enormous Krampe HP30 dump trailer, complete with steering axles and working suspension, and utilising the tractor’s rear power-take-off to drive the dumping mechanism remotely. The complete rig functions beautifully and you can watch it in action and see all of the photos at the Eurobricks discussion by clicking the link above.

Lego Technic Krampe HP30 Trailer

Big Bucket

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Lego Technic CAT 6120B Hfs Mining Shovel

Just like your Mom, this fully remote controlled Technic Caterpillar 6120B HFS mining shovel is absolutely massive.

Designed and constructed by Technic-building legend Shineyu, this brick-built behemoth weighs nearly 15kgs, replicating perfectly  in Technic-figure scale the largest hydraulic mining shovel ever made.

Lego Technic Caterpillar 6120B Mining Shovel RC

With nine Power Functions motors driving the Caterpillar’s tracks, turntable, shovel action and bucket opening there’s some serious engineering at play, and without a single non-LEGO piece being used anywhere in the build Shinyu‘s creation really shows how far LEGO-building can be taken.

An extensive gallery of images is available to view, and just like your Mom there’s an easily accessible video of the 6120B in action too. Click the link above to jump to the Eurobricks discussion forum for the full story.

Lego Technic Caterpillar 6120B Mining Shovel RC

42054 Technic Claas Xerion 5000 Review

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Lego Technic 42054 Claas Xerion Review

It’s time for another official LEGO set review here at The Lego Car Blog, and it’s a big one. Welcome to the Claas Xerion 5000 Trac VC.

This TLCB staff member has wanted to get his hands on LEGO’s 42054 Claas Xerion set ever since he first saw it. A large lime-green tractor now sits next to him as he types, so has it met expectations?…

42054 sits, a little surprisingly, in the middle of the current Technic range. A little while ago it would have probably been the Technic flagship, but so huge are the current models getting that the Claas is less than half the price of the Volvo L350F and Porsche 911 GT3 RS. However at almost 2,000 pieces 42054 actually features a few hundred more than the big Volvo.

Many of these are new too, with brand new (awesome) tyres, and a wealth of new bushes and pin connectors making their debut in this set. LEGO have employed a few interesting techniques in building with these, as some of these parts are used purely as a construction aid (think an unseen bracket on a car bodyshell that serves no purpose once the car is built, but allows a robot to align a laser or something during manufacturing), and all are coloured in a way that aims to assist with the build process (as opposed to the colour being chosen to best suit the finished model’s aesthetics).

If that makes you concerned about how authentic the Claas looks, don’t be. 42054 is one of the finest looking Technic sets ever produced, and it continues the trend of featuring almost Model Team levels of detailing, with Technic lift-arm holes concealed by smooth plates, lights, mirrors, and some very well chosen stickers.

The downside of the aforementioned colour choices is that black and dark grey parts can look almost identical in the instruction booklet, and when you first come across one of the new pieces you may spend ages looking for it amongst a sea of 2,000 bricks, scanning for black, when it is in fact nestling in a pile of grey. Not that this reviewer did that of course. He’s far too experienced to make that mistake.

Lego 42054 Review Claas Xerion

Colours aside the instructions are clearly laid out, and feature some huge sub-assemblies. Which brings us neatly on to a new phenomenon that the Claas Xerion demonstrates wonderfully; Density of Engineering.

Yes, we have just made that phrase up, but 42054 features some of the most compressed and tightly-packed mechanics of any LEGO set. Ever.

It’s the first set where the design has genuinely amazed us in its complexity – it’s so far above our building ability that we could never hope to better it. Some of this engineering brilliance fulfils relatively simple tasks, for example when the motor isn’t in use the battery box is automatically switched off (a thoughtful piece of design), whilst other elements, such as the three-mode steering, are mind-bendingly fantastic. Continue reading →

Christmas Orange

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Lego Technic Scorpion Supercar Crowkillers

We’re not really sure why you always get an orange at the bottom of your Christmas stocking. This TLCB writer usually gives his to the Elves, who – having been caged over Christmas – are usually pretty hungry and devour the fruit – skin, pith and all.

Technic car building legend and TLCB Master MOCer Paul Boratko (aka Crowkillers) has returned with his Christmas orange, and it’s far more exciting than a loose piece of citrusy fruit. Even if you’re an Elf.

Featuring a 4-speed sequential gearbox, working steering, a mid-mounted V8 engine, all-wheel drive and all-wheel suspension, Crowkiller’s ‘Scorpion’ is a proper mechanical Technic supercar, and we love it.

There’s a huge gallery of the build available to view on Brickshelf, which includes detailed chassis imagery as well as further photos of the complete car. Click the link above to start peeling!

Lego Technic Scorpion Supercar Crowkilers

Thief in the Night

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Lego Technic Trike

Full disclosure; this magnificently menacing model was not found by our Elven workforce. We stole it. From Bricknerd. We’re ashamed, and remorseful, but not enough to stop us from blogging it. The Elves are in trouble though.

It’s a shame they didn’t find this Technic trike too, as they would have absolutely loved it. It’s been built by Flickr’s ianying616, making his TLCB debut, and it’s a spectacular thing to behold. It’s also packing some quality Technic engineering, with working steering, suspension and engine.

A huge gallery of superb images is available to view on Flickr; you can check out all of the trike’s details via the link above.

Lego Technic Trike

It’s Christmaaaaaas!

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Lego Santa Sleigh Mech

Presents are being wrapped, Santa is checking his list twice, and we’re about to spend the next few days getting drunk. So as we wind things down here for our usual Christmas break we have one last creation to share, Sariel‘s slightly terrifying mechanised-reindeer propelled sleigh. Watch it in action via the link above, have a very Merry Christmas, and we’ll see you all soon!

Christmas wishes

TLCB Team 

Get Hard

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Lego Technic Nissan D21 Hardbody

We’re not quite sure why Nissan’s late ’80s – early ’90s compact pick-up truck was called the ‘Hardbody’. All cars have a hard body. Well, apart from whatever this is. It’s also meant that today’s blog post titles are both a bit ambiguous in nature, so we’ll move on quickly and get to the technical stuff…

Built by previous bloggee Filsawgood of Flickr, this neat Technic Nissan D21 Hardbody is one of our favourite trucks of the year. It’s also one of our favourite trucks in real life, being the total antithesis of the hateful Dodge Ram and its ilk.

Filsawgood’s recreation of the little Nissan looks the part thanks to a few well designed Model Team style details, and it’s packing some decent Technic functionality underneath too, including remote control drive and steering and all-wheel suspension. There’s lots more to see at Filsawgood’s photostream – click the link above to get hard.

Lego Technic Nissan D21 Hardbody

Surface Rider

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Lego Sci-Fi Off-Road

This gloriously retro sci-fi off-road racer comes from TLCB newcomer Faber Madragore, and it’s everything we could wish for in a Classic Space vehicle. Old-school solid Technic tyres? Check. Working suspension? Check. Magnificently ’80s styling? Check. And it’s yellow! In fact we like it so much we think we ought to run a competition next year to encourage more builds like this. While we mull that over you can check out Faber’s wonderful ‘Surface Rider’ creation at his photostream – click the link above to make the jump.

Lego Surface Rider Lunar Buggy

Porsche 911 SC – Picture Special

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Lego Porsche 911 SC

This lovely canary yellow 1980 Porsche 911 SC (Super Carrera) built by Jon Elliott was suggested to us by a reader today. Underneath the wonderfully lifelike bodywork – complete with opening doors, hood and engine lid – there are a few surprising (and very un-Model Team) technical touches too.

Lego Porsche 911 SC

Working steering, rear suspension and a boxer piston engine are included, all hiding seamlessly inside the accurate body shell. There are lots more images to see at Jon’s Flickr photostream and MOCpages account – click the links to check out the full 911 SC gallery.

Lego Porsche 911 SC

Dashing Through the Snow

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Lego Technic Snowmobile Remote Control

It’s getting all wintery here at TLCB Towers. This means a) we barely see any daylight, b) our Elves often need defrosting when they return to the office (but that’s OK, they’re elves), and c) we’ll try to direct a bit more of the advertising revenue that your visits generate to those without a roof over their heads this Christmas (so please keep visiting – no pressure!).

It also means that we’d like to go out and buy something really silly like a snowmobile for the four days a year that it snows here. Luckily Eurobricks’ Kevin Moo has just the creation to scratch that itch, with his brilliant fully remote controlled Technic Ski-Doo.

Powered by two L Motors, with Servo steering, and with both front and rear suspension, Kevin’s snowmobile is pretty capable in powder, and it can be controlled via a Bluetooth device thanks to a third-party SBrick receiver too. There’s more of Kevin’s build to see at the Eurobricks discussion forum – click the link above to make the trip.

Lego Technic Snowmobile Remote Control

Winter is Coming…

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Lego Technic Snow Plough Gritting Truck RC

Well, it is if you’re reading this in the Northern hemisphere. Plus we heard your Mom likes a good plough*, so today we’ve got one! Built by Damian Plesniak it’s quite a bit of kit too, and it’s absolutely packed with working functionality.

Fully remote controlled, Damian’s MAN truck includes working drive (via an XL Motor), steering (via a Servo), plough* blade raising/lowering, blade rotation and gritter rotation (powered by a Medium Motor each), plus a tilting cabin, opening doors, a working V6 engine and LED lights.

There’s lots more to see at both Flickr and Eurobricks, where you can also find a video showing all of the functions in action.

Lego Technic Snow Plough Gritting Truck RC

No America, it isn’t ‘plow’.

Stack ‘Em High

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Lego Technic Reach Stacker

We like featuring the unsung heroes of the automotive world here at TLCB. Today’s post is one of them, the humble reach stacker, used to retrieve and pile containers in thousands of depots the world over. The chances are that something you’re using or looking at right now was moved by one of these, and that makes it a more important vehicle than the Bugatti Veyron.

This neat Technic version of the humble automotive sherpa comes from previous bloggee Anto of Eurobricks, and it features rear-wheel steering, a lifting and extending arm complete with functioning clamp, and a working piston engine. There’s more to see at the Eurobricks discussion forum, and you can see LEGO’s own soon-to-be released reach stacker set as part of our 2017 Technic Preview by clicking here.

Fury

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Lego M4A2E8 Sherman Tank Fury

2014’s Second World War movie ‘Fury’ was a surprisingly good film. Some big names made up the key cast members, but the real star was the tank around which the story revolved. Named ‘Fury’, the M4A2E8 Sherman was tired and battle-worn even at the start of the story, and was well outclassed by the superior German machinery. But being an American film, the American tank performs some amazing feats, and no doubt will inspire countless builders.

One such builder is previous bloggee Tommy Styrvoky, who has spent three months recreating ‘Fury’ in fully-working form. We’re not quite sure why the tank crew look naked, but other than that Tommy’s tank is visually brilliant. Underneath the model is just as accomplished, with twin Power Functions drive, working suspension, piston engine, remote gun elevation and turret rotation.

There’s lots more to see, including cut-away shots of the tank’s interior and mechanics, at both Flickr and at the Eurobricks forum. Click the link to jump back to Germany in 1945.

Lego Fury Tank RC