Chalk Up Another Kill

March 5, 2018, 12:03 pm

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This marvellous looking APC was discovered by one of our Elves on Flickr today and it comes from previous bloggee Stephan Niehoff. We’re not sure what’s got into the Elves at the moment but everything they’re finding is a bit weird. We’ll try to get back to cars soon, but in the meantime Stephan’s APC is one of the coolest looking vehicles we’ve blogged in ages, and the brilliant dirt realism is nothing more than chalk! No painted pieces or photoshop here. Check it out on Flickr via the link above.

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Three Champions

March 8, 2018, 6:13 am

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It’s a bumper haul today at The Lego Car Blog as we have not one, not two, but three superb models to show you. Newcomer Simon Przepiorka recently uploaded a trio of brilliant Speed Champions-style creations to Flickr and is here making his TLCB debut with all three!

First up is the wonderful Datsun 240Z pictured in the image above in a retina-searing orange and in the first image in a cool white. Measuring just eight studs wide Simon’s gorgeous recreation of one of Japan’s most iconic sports cars not only looks superbly accurate, it features a plethora of opening panels too, including the doors, tailgate and hood – all of which reveal further detailing within.

Simon’s second creation is another icon from Nissan, this excellent R34 Skyline GTR. One of the most accurate Lego R34s we’ve seen in any scale, Simon’s model includes opening doors, trunk and hood, with a detailed interior and the GTR’s beautifully replicated RB26DETT engine neatly constructed in Lego too.

Simon’s third and final Speed Champions model is another classic, this stunning Chevrolet Camaro SS, again complete with opening everything and with a miniature V8 engine under the hood.

All three creations are well worth a closer look and you can do just that at each model’s Flickr album. Click this link for the Datsun 240Z, this one for the Nissan Skyline GTR, and this one for the Chevrolet Camaro SS.

American Classics – Picture Special

March 12, 2018, 5:00 pm

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Ralph Savelsberg, aka Mad Physicist, is one of the most prolific bloggees here at TLCB. One of our Master MOCers and a writer for the The Brothers Brick (everybody boo!), Ralph has been building stunning Miniland scale vehicles for years, and years, and years. His creations number in the hundreds, but until now he’s had no-where to put them. Finally though, a few are getting a home!

This brilliant classic car workshop, inspired by some of the workshop-builders that have appeared here in recent times, contains everything you’d expect to find in a modern repair facility, plus of course, some wonderful classic American cars. Six of the eight vehicles have appeared here at TLCB in some form or another, with the Ford F150 pick-up and a Hudson Hornet making their debuts today (we think!).

Amongst the classics are a Pontiac Bonneville, Ford Fairlane Crown Victoria Skyliner, Buick Riviera, Chevrolet Impala, Chevrolet 3100 Stepside pick-up, and the aforementioned Hudson, all expertly recreated in miniature. There are also two dreadful modern pick-ups; a ’90s Ford F150, and if that wasn’t bad enough there’s the simply awful (but superbly replicated) Dodge Ram too.

We’ll stick with the classics, and there’s more to see of each beautiful ’50s-’60s slice of Americana via the links above to the respective articles here at The Lego Car Blog, and you can see more photos of the complete workshop via Ralph’s Flickr photostream – click here and enjoy!

Jaguar Jigsaw

March 16, 2018, 5:01 pm

≫ Next: Classic Muscle

≪ Previous: American Classics – Picture Special

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Jaguar’s iconic E-Type was described by Enzo Ferrari as the most beautiful car in the world. We’d have to agree (in its early form at least), but that sure does make it a tricky thing to build from rectangular plastic bricks.

Flickr’s Lennart C has given it a go though, and he’s made as good a job of the classic Jaguar’s incredible curves as we’ve seen at this scale. Lennart has deployed some magnificently complicated techniques to create his E-Type Coupe, with the roof in particular boggling our minds here at The Lego Car Blog. It’s a great build underneath too, with the front clamshell opening to reveal a superbly replicated Jaguar straight-6 engine.

There’s more of Lennart’s excellent E-Type to see at his photostream – make the jump to Flickr via the link above to view all the photos.

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Classic Muscle

March 19, 2018, 1:53 am

≫ Next: Post-Apoc-Rod

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Your Dad’s browsing history contains this post’s title, but for very different reasons. Anyhoo, these two lovely classic muscle cars by previous bloggee Jonathan Elliott were discovered on Flickr today and they’re a superb accompaniment to LEGO’s own Speed Champions sets. Jonathan’s grey 1960s Ford Mustang Fastback and red Chevrolet Corvette capture the iconic shapes of their real-world counterparts beautifully, both being instantly recognisable even at this small scale. There’s more to see of each classic muscle car at Jonathan’s photostream – click the link above to take a look.

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Post-Apoc-Rod

March 21, 2018, 7:29 am

≫ Next: Secrets of the Abyss

≪ Previous: Classic Muscle

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If ever there was a car styled by a TLCB Elf, this is it. Flickr’s Mark of Falworth clearly has Elf blood running through him which – whilst undoubtedly concerning for Mark’s friends and family – does mean his mind is capable of some gloriously outlandish oddities. There’s more to see of this one at his photostream via the link above.

Secrets of the Abyss

March 27, 2018, 1:29 am

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This is not a car. But it is a pirate ship being attacked by a gigantic sea monster, and that’s good enough for us. W Navarre owns the mind behind it and there’s more to see of this terrifying encounter on Flickr.

City Station Supplies

March 27, 2018, 1:39 am

≫ Next: Formula Drift

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This beautifully constructed gas station scene was discovered by one of our Elves on Flickr today. It comes from previous bloggee Cesar Soares and it contains very probably the highest occurrence of ‘Nice Parts Usage’ that we’ve ever seen in one build. From layered plates to create overlapping timber walls, mini-figure arms for drainpipes, artist’s palettes for leaves, and Technic chainlink for chairs and crates, Cesar’s build is absolutely packed with ingenious building techniques. See what you can find at Cesar’s photostream – click the link above to make the jump and start spotting!

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Formula Drift

April 5, 2018, 12:56 am

≫ Next: Seventies Supercar Saturday

≪ Previous: City Station Supplies

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1990s Japanese cars are rocketing in value. Now that the generation brought up on Playstation racing games are old enough to afford the cars they drove digitally as kids, demand for twenty-year-old Japanese boxes is at an all-time high. This is one such car, the Nissan 240SX/S13 fastback.

Easily modifiable, the 240SX has become a staple of the drift scene, even though in standard form it was (whisper it) quite a bland box. This brilliant Speed Champions style 240SX fastback in full drift spec comes from Flickr’s Simon Przepiorka, and it features probably the most perfect use for LEGO’s new quarter-tile pieces that we’ve seen yet – it’s almost as if LEGO designed them specifically with the S13’s rear lights in mind.

There’s more to see of Simon’s superb S13 at his Flickr photostream – click this link to get sideways and this one to view the other excellent Speed Champions style cars in his online garage.

Seventies Supercar Saturday

April 7, 2018, 9:33 am

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Iiiin the red corner, from Italy, with V8 muscle and weighing in at 2,315lbs, it’s the Ferrari 308 GTS! Aaaand in the white corner, from Germany, powered by an inline-6 and weighing in at 2,866lbs, it’s the BMW M1!

Both superb Speed Champions supercars are the work of previous bloggee Jonathan Elliott and you can see more of each, and pick your winner, via the links above.

Tiny Tanks

April 7, 2018, 9:39 am

≫ Next: NISMO

≪ Previous: Seventies Supercar Saturday

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You don’t need a million bricks to build something blog worthy! This tiny tank by Flickr’s GolPlaysWithLego uses just handful of parts and yet looks brilliant in its simplicity. Even more so when it’s comically blowing up another tiny tank in an amusing Worms-esque style. See more at the link!

NISMO

April 11, 2018, 8:36 am

≫ Next: Daytona

≪ Previous: Tiny Tanks

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Flickr’s Simon Przepiorka is becoming something of a regular here at the Lego Car Blog with his superb Speed Champions scale replicas. This is his latest, Nissan’s 370Z in NISMO specification. Cunning techniques are in abundance and there’s more to see at Simon’s photostream via the link above.

Daytona

April 11, 2018, 8:41 am

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Today’s second Speed Champions scale creation comes from another TLCB regular. Jonathan Elliott has appeared here numerous times with his fantastic replica classics. His latest creation is this, the glorious Ferrari 365 GTB/4 ‘Daytona’. Capturing the iconic shape perfectly, Jonathan’s 1969 Daytona is certainly a match for LEGO’s own official Ferrari Speed Champions sets. Take a look via Flickr at the link above and ask Jonathan to submit it to LEGO Ideas…

UN-Useful

April 16, 2018, 2:45 am

≫ Next: What a Difference a Stud Makes

≪ Previous: Daytona

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This is the Mil Mi-26 heavy transport helicopter, the most powerful series production helicopter in the world. Built for the previously publicised ‘Brickman Awesome‘ show, Certified LEGO Professional Ryan McNaught (aka The Brickman) and his team spent 52 hours and 8,302 bricks in the construction of the Mi-26.

Completed in UN-livery, Ryan’s build includes opening clamshell cargo doors and a roller conveyer to enable cargo to be parachuted to the ground, meaning his recreation of the mighty Russian helicopter is depicted doing something that its real-world counterpart – being part of the most ineffectual organisation on earth – probably never will. Prove us wrong United Nations…

Anyhoo, there’s more to see of Ryan’s amazing Mil Mi-26 at his Flickr photostream via the link above, and you can see more of Ryan’s models built for the Brickman Awesome show by clicking here.

What a Difference a Stud Makes

April 16, 2018, 4:00 pm

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≪ Previous: UN-Useful

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You might not think there’s much between six and seven (according to TLCB calculator it’s just one in fact), but as your Mom will confirm, one can make all the difference.

Suggested by a reader via the Feedback & Submission Suggestions page, Gerald Cacas’ Speed Champions Ford Fiesta M-Sport WRC is just one stud wider than LEGO’s official – and really rather good – 75885 set (pictured below), but boy does it make use of that extra stud!

Whilst utilising the best bits of the official set, Gerald’s widened version adds in a brilliantly detailed engine bay (under a newly-hinged hood), a rally-spec interior, opening boot-lid, and a chunk more visual detail, including a brick-built windscreen which makes a world of difference from the slightly inappropriate fighter-cockpit of the original.

There’s more to see of Gerald’s expanded Speed Champions Ford Fiesta WRC on Flickr – click here to get a little bit larger.

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Seahorse

April 17, 2018, 1:38 am

≫ Next: Massive Dump

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The early marine biologists of the world were not inventive in the naming department. It seems many marine animals are simply named after a land animal, but with the word ‘sea’ added before, or ‘fish’ added after, even if there are no similarities whatsoever between the two. The humble seahorse is a case in point. With a mass of just a few ounces, no legs, and reproduction via eggs, the seahorse and regular horse are about as far apart on the animal spectrum as you can get. Lazy marine biologists, lazy…

Military engineers however, are far better at naming things. This is a Sikorsky H-34 Seahorse helicopter, and whilst the weird little fish doesn’t have rotor blades, it really does look quite a lot like the H-34. The Seahorse’s strange looks come from the huge 1,500bhp radial engine mounted in the nose, as back in the fifties most helicopters were not powered by the more compact turbine engines that are now fitted to almost all rotorary-wing aircraft.

This enormous power plant meant the cockpit needed to be raised above it in order for the pilots to see, giving the Sikorsky H-34 and the many variants that followed their unusual seahorsey shape.

This particular version of the Sikorsky H-34 is a UH-34D from 1962, deployed by the US Marines in the Vietnam War and recreated beautifully in Lego form in all of its weirdness by Flickr’s Ralph Savelsberg (aka Mad Physicist). Ralph’s superb replica of the famous American helicopter includes a side opening door and some simply awesome detailing, enabled by the range of ingenious building techniques that Ralph is known for.

Head over to Flickr via the link above for all the photos, and you can read our interview with the builder as part of The Lego Car Blog’s Master MOCers series by clicking here.

 

Massive Dump

April 18, 2018, 9:51 am

≫ Next: Toyota 2000GT

≪ Previous: Seahorse

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There’s something massive at TLCB Towers today. No, it’s not your Mom (she left this morning), but this, an absolutely gargantuan Caterpillar 797F mining truck built from 61,399 LEGO bricks! Designed by Certified LEGO Professional Ryan McNaught for the previously featured ‘Brickman Awesome’ show, the Lego 797F utilised Caterpillar’s own 3D modelling tool in its creation and took Ryan and a fellow builder 53 hours to construct. There’s a whole lot more to see of this astonishing build (just look at those brick-built wheels!) at Ryan’s photostream, where you can also see the other models from the Brickman Awesome show, many of which have appeared here. Click the link above to make the jump!

Toyota 2000GT

April 18, 2018, 10:07 am

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Back to cars now, and to one of the most beautiful ever produced. The Toyota 2000GT was built for just three years between 1967 and 1970, with only 351 ever made (plus two very special convertibles). Today 2000GTs are worth over $1million at auction, taking them a little over TLCB’s budget (£4.50 and tube of Smarties in case you’re wondering…), so we’ll have to make do with this one, but that’s OK, because it’s rather lovely. Built by previous bloggee Jonathan Elliott it recreates the iconic Japanese sports car beautifully in Speed Champions scale and there’s more to see on Flickr via the link above.

Future Tanks

April 19, 2018, 2:21 am

≫ Next: Fine Vintage

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War. Sadly it will probably never ever go away. Man always seems to think there are others of his kind not as valuable as himself. Still, the future of warfare does look, well… rather cool, at least if this ‘HT-122 Golem’ tank and opposing ‘Pollaxe’ anti-tank by Flickr’s Sunder_59 are anything to go buy. There’s more to see more of each of Sunder’s military concepts via the links above.

Fine Vintage

April 27, 2018, 10:21 am

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LEGO’s Speed Champions sets have brought some of the most exciting new and classic real-world cars to Lego fans in brick form. From modern McLarens to classic Mustangs, the range covers about 60 years of motoring greats. But what if it went back into the annuls of automotive history just a little further…

These three gorgeous Speed Champions style vintage cars come from Flickr’s Łukasz Libuszewski, who has done a wonderful job recreating their largely-forgeotten shapes in our favourite Danish plastic.

The first (top, in red) is a 1920 Mercer 5 Sporting, built by the American motor car company that manufactured high performance cars from 1909 until the Great Depression put them out of business in 1925 some 5,000 units later.

The second (above, in green) is also a vintage American, but from a company that survived the depression era and is still making cars today. Founded in 1902 Cadillac are one of the oldest car companies in the world and have been owned by General Motors since 1909. The model pictured above dates from 1928 and Łukasz has used some ingenious building techniques to recreate the cycle-wings and carriage-type body typical of the time.

The final of Łukasz’s three vintage builds (above, in brown) comes from the other side of the Atlantic and Italy, where Lancia have been producing cars since 1906. Lancia are now sadly a shadow of their previous greatness and today produce just one car (an ugly Fiat knock-off), making us fear that they’ll be gone altogether before long.

This 1922 Lambda was the polar opposite of their hateful modern offering, a revolutionary design that pioneered independent suspension, the world’s first unitary body, and that produced almost 70bhp from its four-cylinder engine.

The Lambda has been recreated beautifully by Łukasz in the model pictured above and there’s more to see of it the other excellent vintage Speed Champions cars shown here by visiting his photostream – click here to see some of the finest cars of 1920s.