Here’s a suitably imposing railway station, styled to fit with the LEGO modular buildings range. bricksandtiles has done an excellent job with this model, capturing a grand European feel with the broad steps and the impressively-ornate tan brickwork. The flowing curves and domes of the roof are particularly well done, capping off the impressive height of the building in style.
See more photos of this elegant architectural creation
The B series bombers are certainty some of my favorite airplanes ever created. I can’t help but think of them as battleships of the sky, with the ability to drop tons of bombs while laying down machine gun fire in all directions from a multitude of manned turrets. Nelsoma84 has brought one of these planes to life in LEGO form: the Consolidated B-24 Liberator. Although the B-17 usually steals the show, as we’ve seen before with a B-17 from PlaneBricks and a chrome Flying Fortress by Orion Pax, the B-24 was actually the most-produced bomber and American military aircraft in history. This particular model is based on one of the B-24’s based in Benghazi, Libya, which explains the tan coloring.
These bombers were used in 2,400-mile round-trip bombing raids on oil refineries in Ploesti, Romania which supplied 30-50% of the Third Reich’s fuel. The model has excellent shaping all around, from the tips of the wings to the signature glass nose, and has room inside for pilots and gunners. Custom stickers complete the model’s look and add an additional level of detail.
If you find yourself driving through German farmland, you just might find one these Fendt 500 tractors working the fields. Stefan brings us a faithful looking brick-built version, complete with the iconic green and black livery. He has also gone above and beyond to build a series of implements for the tractor, such as forest blade for the front….
See all of the great attachments for this tiny tractor
A blend of agility and speed unmatched across the Twelve Worlds — well, at least that’s what Jeremy Williams says of his latest LEGO starfighter: the Xylian Interceptor. The overall shaping of this spaceship is wonderful, and the crystal-clear photography allows you to appreciate all the building techniques that went into it — don’t miss the complex arrangement of hinges, slopes, and curves that form the tips of the crescent body. I love the way the cockpit spheres are clamped in place, managing to look both realistic and futuristic at the same time. Jeremy’s trademark greeble skills are on display all over this model, particularly in the junction between cockpit and crescent, and the engine housing. Put a well-built model together with a strikingly simply colour scheme and smart presentation, and you’ve got a great little LEGO sci-fi creation.
Resurrected from its ocean grave after an apocalyptic event in the year 2199, Japan’s famous WWII battleship became an unlikely spaceship in the classic anime Star Blazers. Builder marchetti36 has masterfully recreated it in microscale, giving it a nifty display base and a fleet of smaller craft.
Despite the relatively small scale, there are lots of great touches of detail. One of the best is the design for the space battleship’s bridge, which consist of trans-neon green 1×1 plates turned sideways and set on an angle.
Built from constraction elements–better known as Bionicle and Hero Factory–these detailed figures make excellent use of the system’s posable joints to picture this duel with a true sense of movement. Mid-swing, the Predator appears to have the upper hand for the moment, but never discount the Alien with its menacing tail. The green background builder cid hsiao has posed them on lends an eerie sense of unease to the scene, making this truly seem like a battle between otherworldly creatures.
I imagine being a fisherman in the middle ages was a modest but good life–if you count out living out in the open, ready to be raided. Jako of Nerogue solves this problem for his fishermen with the fortifications around the village he built. This facilitates both a picturesque and also practical feeling about this whole diorama.
I love how the diorama really makes sense. The village is confined by the wooden walls, and nothing is left outside… Or maybe it was just all pillaged. Sadly there are not many pictures showing the fortification’s interior, but the outside is impressive enough on its own. The mixing of dark tan with exotic greens is very realistic and pleasant to look at, and the grass also hides some cleverly used clip pieces to simulate taller blades of grass. The whole diorama is brought together with a few splashes of brighter colours, like the regular green bushes and a bit of water in the back.
Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, the summers never got that hot. But that didn’t stop every kid in the neighborhood from chasing down the popsicle truck, clutching their allowance whenever that twinkling version of Daisy, Daisy was heard piped out of an old loudspeaker. Sven Franic has captured this vibe perfectly in this wonderfully detailed popsicle truck built using aqua, which is impressive, and the perfect color choice for this model.
The addition of a table and chairs, and a bright, colorful awning really completes the scene.
We recently covered a bunch of new sets announced for many LEGO themes during the Fall 2018 preview event in New York, and there were 13 new sets from the Friends theme, including the advent calendar. I got my hands on early copies of 12 of those sets for review. I divided them into three groups. There were 5 sets focused on customizable go-cart racing, 4 sets centered on Heartlake City businesses and lastly, two sets of bedrooms, and the Friendship Box.
Okay, I’m just going to get this out of the way right off the bat. The Friends theme is not exactly popular with many adult LEGO fans and collectors, but when it comes to parts in both pastel and bright colors, particularly for drafts, they are a pretty great source, and these sets are no exception. There are even some rollercoaster tracks in a few of these sets which we will get to later. I wanted to get some insights from my 9-year-old daughter, but aside from the Friendship Box, she didn’t have much to say about them, preferring the American Girl Mega-Construx sets for their larger and far more customizable mini-dolls.
Note that some of these sets won’t be available in the US and Canada until August 1st. Click the links to the LEGO Shop to check availability of individual sets.
Read the full overview of the summer 2018 LEGO Friends setsreview
Thanks to Chris Elliot, the 1927 Csikós Bismuth Sport Coupé comes to life in LEGO-form! What’s that you’re saying? You’ve never heard of a car company called Csikós? There is a reason for that…It never existed! Now that we know Chris’ car was a work of fiction, how did he come to design and name it? Stylistically, Chris drew inspiration from a few real-life automobiles including including a prewar Bugatti (sharing a color scheme with the new LEGO Technic Bugatti Chiron.
See more of this lovely vintage coupe
When you’re a kid playing with LEGO bricks, getting a new LEGO set for your birthday or Christmas is exciting beyond belief. There’s so much hidden play value trapped inside that colorful box–yellow, with the words LEGOLAND stamped on the front, if you grew up in the 80s–that you can’t wait to tear it open and begin building. Chances are, if you’re reading The Brothers Brick, you’re like me and still feverishly tear into new LEGO sets, no matter your age. But every once in awhile a set comes along that makes you slow down and just admire the box for a bit. Not that you’re less excited to build it, but rather that there’s something about this set that makes you want to savor it. Ask the butler to bring you some champagne. Settle into your yacht’s white leather couch, and pull up the Swarovski crystal coffee table. This set is going to be epic, and you can already feel it. LEGO’s second premium Technic set, 42083 Bugatti Chiron, is the best set of this kind yet. It’s based on the French ultra-luxury brand’s newest supercar, a 1,500 horsepower 2-seater that can rocket you to 261 miles per hour in pure comfort, provided you can afford the starting price of $2.7 million. The LEGO version is a bit more modest, however, including 3,599 pieces and retailing for $349.99 USD ($399.99 in Canada | £329.99 in the UK). It is available now.
Click to the read the full hands-on review of the Bugatti Chiron and watch the video
Today in Billund at LEGO headquarters, LEGO and Bugatti have officially announced the brand new LEGO Technic 42083 Bugatti Chiron, the second set in the LEGO Technic Ultimate Series of supercars following last year’s Porsche 911 GT3 RS release. The big reveal today was held at the LEGO House in Billund, Denmark by the CEO of the LEGO Group, Neils B. Christiansen, together with the President of Bugatti, Stephan Winkelmann.
Read all the details about the upcoming Bugatti and watch videos featuring designer insights