Tag Archives: Technic

The LEGO Technic line was first released as “Expert Builder” sets in 1977, and LEGO has been producing Technic ever since, including Bionicle and MINDSTORMS. The custom Technic models featured here on The Brothers Brick include some pretty crazy and amazing mechanisms that’ll blow your mind, from self-sorting LEGO to automated Rubik’s Cube solvers.

Functional Febrovery

Febrovery – the annual event where people build space rovers from LEGO. I (Mansur “Waffles” Soeleman) couldn’t say no to building a wheeled space vehicle this month. However, I decided to take a different approach: make it move, make it work, and make it Technical. The result is the Horizon Chariot – a massive, greebly shuttle transporter in a LEGO Classic Space livery. On the outside, it looks like a jumble of layers and pipes, but it’s merely a shell for a complex Technic frame with a working four-wheel drive with a double V8 piston engine, working steering, and soft pendular suspension. My favourite feature turned out to be a working tipping flatbed which launches the small LL-64 Arcade Hopper.

Febrovery - Horizon Chariot and LL-64 Arcade Hopper

The spaceship belonging to the Horizon Chariot was more of a distraction than an afterthought. I wanted to incorporate a NinjaGo arcade pod into the build as the blue airtight section of Classic Space vehicles. I found it was too small for a big vehicle so why not make a smaller vehicle as part of it? That’s how the aptly named LL-64 Arcade Hopper was born. I just couldn’t stop myself from building a spaceship! With swing-down wings and a smooth underside, it’s really a step away from my usually greebly builds, but it turned out to be a beautiful two-seater shuttle.

Check out the Flickr album to see more photos of the rover and the spaceship!

Taking stargazing to the next level

Free from light pollution and smog, this observation deck would be perfect for spotting a planetary conjunction. But there’s certainly a greater spectacle in this vibrant LEGO creation. The Galaxy Cliff Lighthouse by Pete Strege offers an incredible, up-close view of a spiraling galaxy. This Ferris-wheel-like galaxy is motorized, which is quite an engineering feat for its unique shape and scale. Its free-standing tail overarches the entire model, making this build an event of a lifetime.

Galaxy Cliff Lighthouse

Click here to see more views of the Galaxy Cliff Lighthouse

LEGO Technic 42122 Jeep Wrangler: the ultimate 4×4 to fit your wallet [Review]

The most iconic offroader of all time has now joined the LEGO pantheon. The LEGO Technic 42122 Jeep Wrangler is the first time in decades LEGO has licensed the classic brand whose name is nearly synonymous with 4×4. (A few old very old sets bear the Jeep name, but are so rudimentary the resemblance is weak at best.) When I first heard about the new Jeep set, I assumed it would be the American counterpart to last year’s excellent Technic 42110 Land Rover Defender, a massive 2,500-piece set. However, the Jeep has more modest aims, coming in at just 665 pieces. It features functional steering, suspension, and a winch. It will be available starting January 1, 2021, for US $49.99 | CAN $69.99 | UK £44.99.

The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

Click to read the full, hands-on review of the LEGO Technic Jeep Wrangler

The McLaren Senna that Technic supercar fans deserve

Recently, LEGO revealed a new Technic McLaren Senna set, but rather than make it the same 1:8 scale as the Lamborghini, Bugatti, or Porsche, it’s closer to the Corvette ZR1. This might disappoint some folks, like my brother, an avid collector of the Technic supercars. Not me. I don’t buy Technic sets generally and certainly would never drop $350 on one (or even $50, for that matter); that being said, I do love to look at them. That’s where builders like Jordan Langerak come in. Jordan has crafted a great likeness of the car, with huge intakes, the strange windows in the lower part of the doors, and all the rest.

This version blows the pants off the official LEGO set in every way, from size to shaping. It has functional butterfly doors, a 7-speed gearbox, a 4-wheel independent suspension, steering, adjustable wing, and whatever other bells and whistles one would expect from an official set, only it’s a custom creation. It might not be as cool as the tiny, awkwardly proportioned 6-wide Speed Champions Senna (which I do own), but for people who like Technic, it’s pretty neat. Did I mention that this is Jordan’s first custom build? Oh, and there’s a video, too:

LEGO Technic reveals new 42123 McLaren Senna GTR with 830 pieces [News]

The LEGO Group and McLaren Automotive continue their collaboration with yet another building set, 42123 McLaren Senna GTR. The new LEGO Technic model is an 830-piece replica of GTR modification of the world-famous hypercar in the blue and silver livery. The set will hit store shelves on January 1, 2021, with a price of US $49.99 | CAN $69.99 | UK £44.99 | EU €49.99 | AU $89.99.

Judging by the size of the model, the new 42123 McLaren Senna GTR is in the same category with 42109 App-Controlled Top Gear Rally Car . However, since the McLaren has no motors or smart hubs, functionally, it is similar to the last year’s best-seller 42093 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1.

Don’t miss the other new sets for 2021:

See more of the McLaren Senna GTR below.

Click here to continue reading

The LEGO harvester to rule all harvesters

Holy guacamole, Batman, this machinery puts Scarecrow’s to shame! Corn cobs everywhere are shaking in their husks!

Well, this giant LEGO harvester built by Michał “Eric Trax” Skorupka actually has nothing to do with the infamous Gotham criminal, but it sure is impressive. With all the details of the real-life Krone BigX 770, the specs are incredible. With its perfect body-shaping and lack of dirt, it may even look better than the real thing. But it’s not just how it looks on the outside.

Even if you know absolutely nothing about farming equipment, you can appreciate the effort that went into making it move. Inside every expert-level LEGO Technic vehicle is a complex system of motors and gearing that is sure to leave you wondering how they designed it. And this behemoth even puts some of them to shame. It houses 9 motors (one servo, one XL, one L, and six M motors) and is controlled by three Sbricks. It even has lights! Simply put, it’s ridiculously cool.

If you’d like to see more like this, take a look at a couple more of Eric Trax’s other farming equipment builds.

Holden all the cards

LEGO builder Lachlan Cameron has been making a name for himself with a stream of truly magnificent Technic cars. Many of them are adorned with custom chromed parts, as this 1977 Holden Torana A9X is, fitted with copper-colored rims that originally hailed from the Bugatti Chiron and a smattering of other shiny bits for the bumpers and exhaust.

Holden Torana A9X with gold Chrome Bugatti rims by Bubul chrome ????

This car is fully motorized with PowerFunctions and still has a full interior and engine. There’s a lot of excellent shaping work that goes into the general shaping of this Australian sports sedan, particularly the flared fenders.

Holden Torana A9X with gold Chrome Bugatti rims by Bubul chrome ????

LEGO Lab unveils 515153 Mindstorms Porsche set [News]

According to the LEGO Lab news page, a new LEGO Mindstorms set, 515153 Mindstorms Porsche, is in the works. The set is based on 2019’s LEGO Technic 42096 Porsche 911 RSR set. Unlike the original set, which had no motorized functions, the new edition comes with the latest LEGO Mindstorms motors and sensors, which were revealed along with the announcement of the new generation of the system back in June.

Click here to take a closer look

Not the first rodeo for this Bronco

There is a golden rule of vehicles: If it exists in real life, then it exists as someone’s LEGO creation. This medium-sized Technic off-roader by Anton Kablash is a model of a car that does not exist… yet. A recently announced next-generation Ford Bronco, set to release in 2021, is a modern take on a classic SUV. While retaining its iconic boxy shape, the new model has a futuristic take on the front grille and headlights of the original vehicle. Anton captures the design with pinpoint accuracy using mostly Technic parts with a few of the usual plates, slopes, and tiles thrown in between.

Ford Bronco

As with the real vehicle, I am drawn to the simple, minimalist design of this vehicle. The clean lines form a box that is aesthetically pleasing rather than boring. The only curves are where it matters – the wheel arches and the frame around the headlights. My favourite is the hood, which Anton constructed from tiles and curved slopes rather than Technic parts. The windows and roof in black offer a nice contrast from the white body, and I particularly like the inclusion of mounted spotlights.

Underneath a clean white livery with openable doors, hood, and trunk, there are as many functions as a large-scale supercar. The working steering connects to both a steering wheel and a “hand of god” gear on the roof. The rear wheel connects to an inline four-cylinder engine in the front, and all the wheels have high-clearance suspension. On top of it all, the chassis and exterior are separate modules.

LEGO Technic 42112 Concrete Mixer Truck [Review]

The Summer 2020 LEGO Technic wave has had a surprisingly high level of controversy surrounding it. The 42113 Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey got cancelled, and the 42114 6×6 Volvo Articulated Hauler can’t move without being paired with a smart device. That just leaves the 42112 Technic Concrete Mixer Truck to try and put a positive spin on things. This 1163 piece set will be available in North America starting September 1st, and is available now in the UK from the LEGO Shop Online (US $119.99 | CAN $159.99 | UK £89.99). Technic fans have been asking for a concrete mixer for ages… Can this offering satisfy that demand? Or will this set finish off the season’s offerings with some cement shoes?

Click to read the full hands-on review

Your guide to the 113 new LEGO sets now available for August 2020 including the Nintendo NES, Grand Piano, Star Wars and more [News]

August has arrived and that means new LEGO sets! LEGO has launched 108 new sets and items available today. In addition to new sets like the Nintendo NES and Super Mario lineup, Ideas Grand Piano, Star Wars 501st Battle Pack and LEGO Art, fans in the US and Canada can finally celebrate the summer arrival of Harry Potter, Creator 3-in-1, City, and Ninjago waves that you’ve waited so patiently for. Nearly every LEGO theme has some new sets–it can be a lot to process!– so we have your complete guide right here detailing each and every new set and item. [EDIT: It appears that LEGO may have delayed the US & Canada release of some of these sets until September. We’ve asked for clarification.]

LEGO is also offering two free gifts-with-purchases at the start of August. The first is 30385 Super Mushroom Surprise, free with purchases of LEGO Super Mario sets more than US $40 through August 16th or while supplies last.

The second freebie is LEGO is also 40414 Monty Mole & Super Mushroom Expansion with in-store purchases of the 71360 Adventures with Mario Starter Course through August 9th or while supplies last.

See the entire August 2020 wave of new LEGO sets now available

Get on your bike and be on your merry way!

Time goes by, seasons change but this merry bicyclist keeps on keeping on. That’s the premise to this fun new LEGO creation by Bricksom Parsom. I see the chain belt drive and the gears, but what does it do when you turn the crank? I won’t spoil it for you. You just have to watch the video to find out.

Bicycle, Bicycle, BICYCLE!