The Volkswagen Golf GTi Mk1 first went on sale in Germany in June 1976 and was only available as a 3-door version. Although the Golf was meant to be a small, fuel-efficient car model, a group of VW engineers worked on the sport version in their spare time. To many, the Golf GTi Mk1 is the boy racer’s car of the 1980’s and Joe Perez has captured its distinctive form in LEGO.
Click to take a look inside Joe’s VW GTi Mk1 and under the hood
The orange and blue colour scheme of the Ford GT40 Gulf represents the corporate colours of Gulf Oil. The original race car took part in Daytona and Sebring in 1967 as an independent entry by Gulf Oil executive vice president Grady Davis. Joachim Klang has managed to accurately build a LEGO version of this famous car using both brick and sticker solutions to pick out the orange highlights. The shaping of the chassis is fantastic at this scale, the sloped hood and front bumper are particularly well constructed.
It is worth noting that everything in the image is brick-built, from the paint brushes and paint pots, to the scalpel used to cut the stickers. No detail has been missed, including the unfinished driver still on the sprue.
You may occasionally still see the unmistakable Citroën 2CV gliding along the lanes of rustic French towns, some 70 years after its first introduction. Builder Nico71 pays homage to the iconic economy car with this 1/15 scale model.
The model features independent front suspension and rear suspension, opening front and rear doors, wheel-operated steering, and an opening trunk compartment (with a surprise hidden feature inside!). It also sports many brick-built stylistic touches, from the engine under the hood to the exhaust pipe in the back.
Rather than using Technic panels, each door consists of multiple Technic beams stacked pin holes-up to form a single, solid surface. Likewise, the roof, A-, B-, and C-pillars of the 2CV combine multiple beams to create the silhouette of the vehicle. The wheel wells and mudguards, however, show the curved building technique that strings Technic 1 x 3 beam pieces along a soft axle hose, creating an elegant arch. It’s a similar technique to one the that impressed us in the recent Shanghai LEGO Architecture set, where it was used to construct the twisting Shanghai Tower.
You can read more about the design and functionality of this model from Nico71’s website.
If there’s one thing Jonathan Elliott is good at, it’s replicating beautifully detailed, lifelike versions of real-life cars. You may remember his Renault 5 or Volkswagen Westfalia and noticed his incredible eye for detail. This time he has created a 1971 Maserati Bora in LEGO. With a top speed of 171 miles per hour, this was an important build for Jonathan as the Bora is his favourite mid-engined supercar so he wanted this to be perfect.
The Bora combines jaw-droppingly elegant style with both technology and power. I love how he has recreated the distinct stainless steel roof and Giorgetto Giugiaro’s beautiful hubcaps.
It might seem odd that Singapore’s first electric supercaris named after a flower, but there’s actually a design-related reason. The Vanda Dendrobium has doors and a rooftop that unfurl upwards and backwards in sync like an orchid in bloom, and dendrobium is a type of orchid. Gerald Cacas has managed to capture the Vanda Dendrobium in LEGO, despite its edgy design and complex shaping.
The Jaguar Roadster is a classic car that cannot fail to turn heads as she cruises along in elegant style. The curvaceous body is not something that immediately lends itself to being built from LEGO Technic parts, but that is exactly what Martijn Nab has managed to achieve. While the build is not an exact copy of one particular model, I’m definitely picking up a classic XK124 or 140 vibe with those bulbous front fenders. With three colours to choose from, Martin has managed to make a Technic Jag that captures the shape and feel of the real thing .
Martin has added some functionality with opening doors, boot and hood but there are no dodgy gears in this particular Technic supercar!
I’m a fan of the Studs-Not-On-Top (SNOT) techniques, especially for builds where you want the finished model to have few of the iconic LEGO studs visible. It’s a feat made even tougher on a smaller build, particularly if you need to keep the model looking true to its real-life counterpart. However, builder Jonathan Elliott seems to have a knack for pulling it off well. I still can’t decide on a favorite—the Mercedes AMG in white or the grey Porsche 911 Carrera, maybe? Actually, at this scale, I can own them both.
Click here to take a closer look
A few months ago, we featured the Arvo Brothers‘ beautiful white Porsche 911 Targa. The Spanish duo have since revamped and recolored their design in the iconic black and gold color scheme prevalent in the 70’s, and it’s definitely worth another look.
While identical in shape to the rear of the white version from this summer, we didn’t highlight the Targa’s cute little rear end with its dual exhaust, so here it is. Don’t stare.
When I was a wee lad my mates were all about the Ferraris and Lamborghinis. Not me though, nor Serge S either. Don’t get me wrong — they are both highly skilled manufacturers of beautiful cars — but for me, nothing even comes close to the classic Porsche 911.
With his faithful recreation of every curve and nuance of this early 911’s superb lines, Serge has lovingly furnished this crimson coloured Carrera with working doors, bonnet and trunk.
The Duesenberg Motors Company was founded in 1913 by two German-born American brothers in Minnesota. They specialized in race cars and ultra-luxery cars — when a Ford Model A Town Car cost just $1,200, a Duesenberg might cost $15,000 (over $270,000 today). These cars were not for the average Depression era family! Dennis Glaasker has successfully captured the luxury and craftsmanship of these amazing cars with another stellar LEGO vehicle, full of custom chrome details and working features.
See more of this classic LEGO automobile
Some of the best builders consistently provide top quality LEGO builds, and you may recognize Galaktek‘s style as we have featured his Fluffy & Furious, Four Seasons, and a Fire Truck. Today we have a Vintage Roadster—only his second scale car model. The shaping was inspired by LEGO set 21307 Caterham Seven, while the rest is loosely based on a couple of 1930s Mercedes and Maybach roadsters. Capturing the unique style and curves of the automotive industry in the thirties, this classic runabout looks like it should be in black and white on the cover of Motor Sport Magazine.
When it comes to designing jaw-dropping models engineered from LEGO parts with an insane level of detail, then the Arvo Brothers should be one of the first names that comes to mind. Spanish brothers Ramon and Almador have brought us iconic LEGO models like Kaneda’s Bike, the Alien Xenomorph, and their Vespa P200, and they have just taken their latest model for a spin. The Porsche 911 Targa drives on the line between a coupé and a convertible, and this model is a fantastic LEGO rendition of the luxury sports car. The smooth curves are beautifully captured with the usual high standard we have come to expect from the Arvo Brothers.
Not content with engineering a beautifully shaped model, the Arvo Brothers have also added some functionality with doors and a rear boot that open. Check the tan leather interior, its just calling you to jump in and go for a ride.
This is not the first Porsche 911 that the brothers have built; back in 2009 we covered their version of the Porsche 911 Carrera. It is interesting to see how the introduction of new parts and techniques have allowed that earlier Porsche model to evolve into something far more beautiful. If you want to build your own copy of the Arvo Brothers’ Targa, they are making the instructions available for purchase as a PDF.