As a Subaru WRX owner, I’m always happy to see one. So, I was quite excited to see this STI model on Brickshelf. In fact, I probably would have blogged it just for being a great looking model of a great car (even though it isn’t blue). As it turns out, it’s far more than a good model, this thing has a four-speed reversible gearbox, awd, and the appropriate boxer engine. Make sure you check out the video too!
Hat tip to Jan for posting this on Facebook!
Still a regular site across Europe, the Citroën 2CV or “Deux Chevaux” (lit. “two horses”) was a beloved lemon of a French economy car introduced in the 1950’s. Some could be forgiven for thinking that the name referred to vehicle’s horse power.
Polish builder and massive petrol-head Misterzumbi is no stranger to building LEGO versions of this and other classic cars, but he seems to have perfected his 2CV technique here, with a version that is an obvious nod to Nick Barrett’s larger model that we featured here last year.
The significance of the grandfather clock I can only guess at – perhaps itself an homage to the opening titles of the Antiques Roadshow. But I love that the builder chose to represent the vehicle in the full corner-hugging, wheel-screeching, teeth-clenching action of a 2CV going flat out at 8 miles per hour.
However, not satisfied with just one presentation of this idea, Mr. Z decided he should taunt us a second time with another high velocity 2CV vignette, this time featuring a Frenchman who is either very late for a picnic, or just more of a dog person…
I am, admittedly, not terribly into racing, and the only reason I pay attention is to avoid Daytona in February. I do, however, have a deep appreciation for a beautiful car.
Malte Dorowski presents a stunning rendition of this 1974 beauty. The photo’s descriptions tell me “this car started what would become a long string of turbocharged 911 based racecars.” I’m going to take his word for it.
The family photo is just as gorgeous:
Even the Cars know when to kick back and enjoy a vacation on Cars Island by Pablo Gonzalez. With all the ramps and garages, this would make for a sweet playset too. Check out more views including the interior on Flickr.
Remote Control cars are just plain fun, and Fred Ottens has built this cute little RC hotrod that I want to drive a round and make VRRRRRROOMMMM noises:
He’s done a great job shaping the car despite the RC wheelbase being too short compared to its width. Watch him zip around his house with this remote controlled ball of fury.
Happy new year! As some of you may have noticed, we seem to be enjoying a bit of a holiday break at TBB and are not posting much of anything. I spent my holidays with relatives, a few hundred kilometers away from my LEGO.
I wasn’t building, but that didn’t stop me from thinking about what to build. I realised that I could combine two existing ideas into one. In the last few months, I’ve been building a collection of vehicles from movies and TV shows and I’ve been wanting to build a Ford Model T, also known as Tin Lizzie, for several years, but I never got around to actually building one. Fords Model T were used in many different early Hollywood classics, but I mostly associate them with Laurel and Hardy. As a child, I loved their movies.
Italian tractor manufacturer Ferruccio Lamborghini was a man not to be messed with. When he complained to Enzo Ferrari (of the eponymous sports-car manufacturer) that the busted clutch on his Ferrari was the same one as he used on his company’s tractors and about poor service, Enzo Ferrari famously snubbed him by telling him that, as a tractor manufacturer, Lamborghini couldn’t know anything about sports cars. Lamborghini set out to prove him wrong, by starting a company to build the best Grand Tourer money could buy. He chose a raging bull as the company’s emblem.
Since then Lamborghini has become famous for its supercars and, according to the guys from Top Gear, is the maddest car company of them all. Senator Chinchilla has built an excellent model of one of the fist ones: the Miura Jota
Unlike Ferrari, Lamborghini doesn’t have a racing history, focusing on road cars. The Miura Jota however, was a development of the road car intended for racing. This explains the particularly unadorned look of the car, when compared to the already very clean design of the ‘normal’ Miura. The car never took part in a race, however. In typical Lamborghini fashion it crashed and then burned to a cinder during a test drive.
Most of the car models we feature are basically detailed sculptures, with perhaps a few functions such as steering or opening doors. I don’t tend to blog pure Technic models. This is not because I don’t appreciate the skill involved in building them, but for me it’s about the aesthetic. I prefer the look of system builds. Senator Chinchilla’s Miura has a beautifully sculpted body, with opening doors and an opening clam-shell engine cover. Underneath the voluptuous curves lurks a Technic chassis with steering, working suspension, gearbox and a transversely mounted engine, like the real car. It combines the best of both worlds.
Thanks to Jack Marquez (Ewok in Disguise) for the suggestion.
It was inevitable, really. We’ve blogged hot rods and a full size LEGO car before and British LEGO-Technic enthusiast Simon Burfield built a working Lego vehicle large enough to carry a person a while ago (which we sadly neglected to blog at the time), but now there’s an actual full-size drivable LEGO hot rod, large enough to carry two people. This crazy contraption was built by Australian Steve Sammartino and Raul Oaida, from Romania.
About half a million bricks were used in the construction. The wheels aren’t made out of LEGO elements, obviously, and neither are a few of the other structural bits. The engine, however, is built with no fewer than 256 LEGO pneumatic pistons, which are powered by compressed air and can propel the car to a speed of about 20 km/h. According to Steve he is neither a car enthusiast nor a Lego enthusiast, which makes me wonder just how big things get if he is enthusiastic!
Via the BBC. Thanks to billyburg for the suggestion.
As a child, back in the Eighties, I had a poster of Lego set 5580 Highway Rig, above my bed and I know I’m not the only LEGO car builder who fancied that particular model. However, if there would have been poster of the Lamborghini Countach built by Rolling Bricks back then, I might have replaced the poster with its image.
The Countach was the maddest supercar of the Eighties. It was super fast and hugely impractical and had a shape that was out of this world. The LEGO version is pretty much super too. Check out the clever half-stud offsets for the front fender and the SNOT work used for the rear one as well. In fact, every time I look at this model I notice some clever combination of parts and it wouldn’t be complete without working scissor doors. It’s hard to imagine this car being done better on this scale.
Welcome back fight fans, to Sin City Nevada for another glass-jawed edition of Friday Night Fights! Tonight’s bout features two builders putting it all on the line for glory and pink-slips… Let’s go to the tale of the tape:
Fighting out of the red corner, from the Paradise of the Pacific…Evan “The Exterminator” Lego Junkie B. and his “’55 Ford Fairlane “Black Widow“.
And fighting out of the blue corner, from a town with no name…”The Count of Monte Fisto” Calin and his “Roadkill“.
As usual, constant reader, you are tasked with deciding the outcome of this pugilistic endeavor by way of comment. On the last edition of Friday Night Fights, the battle of Nemo vs. Kermit ended with the clownfish giving a savage beating to the frog, scored 8-2 by our esteemed panel of judges. Tune in next week for another action packed edition of Friday Night Fights!
Feast your eyes on this purple ’71 Chevelle SS Wagon that clearly has an attitude problem from a builder who needs no introduction. If you’re going to be in Seattle Washington next weekend for BrickCon you can see it in person along with a table or two of magnificent vehicles and chat it up with the King of cars.
I’m also fortunate enough to be attending BrickCon this year, so stop by and say hello, or tell me what a jerk I am for hating Dr. Who….whatever. I’ll see the rest of you in two weeks, or longer depending on the hangover.
Apparently, there’s more than one contest involving the new small VW camper set going on right now. In addition to the Star Wars Contest mentioned by Tromas, it seems that Eurobricks is hosting a contest, too.
I was tipped off when I spotted this cool moon camper by Tyler Sky (Bricksky). The idea of a moon buggy hauling around little habitats really struck my fancy, and I had to post it here.
