Tag Archives: Racer

I’m just trying to appreciate the gravity of the anti-gravity situation

I’m something of a sucker for sleek, futuristic racers. Whether the physics of the blazing fast machines checks out is another matter, but I’m no scientist, so who cares? As long as it looks cool, I’m happy. Tino Poutiainen knows how to build something with LEGO that’s just up my alley, inspired by the videogame Wipeout, which is all about anti-gravity racers. How does it work? Umm, well, shoot, where’s one of those scientists now when I need them? Er, it works, you see, by utilizing the power of superb color blocking (the Blacktron fan in me is loving the black and yellow, especially the thin stripe in the back using hinge bricks) along with a perfect amount of greebling, together with a simple yet crisp base in a contrasting color. Does it look fast? Yes. Is it sleek? Yes. Is it just about perfect? Yes.

Radon VII

This isn’t the first time we’ve featured LEGO builds by Tino Poutiainen, nor is it the first time we’ve featured some LEGO Wipeout anti-gravity racers. You should do yourself a favor and check them out.

Ray-tracing the future

Bigger than it looks, this boldly colored racer by David Roberts seats a LEGO Technic figure at the helm and is named the Sunray. The striking stripes are courtesy of clever brick-building in the wings with stacked blue and yellow slopes, making the trans-yellow canopy almost entirely disappear. All told, the craft is little more than a pair of wings strapped on a big engine, but that’s exactly what you’d want from your anti-gravity racer.

Sunray

Rarin’ to go

Despite the great variety of LEGO tensegrity builds lately, almost all of them seem to have a few traits in common. In particular, most builders have “explained” the chains and string that connect the base to the hovering elements in similar ways. Either the connection is designed to look like it’s pulling the top section straight down, or it’s minimized to try and enhance the sense of gravity-defiance. What I like about this build by lokiloki29 is that the design of the connections implies obvious motion away from the center of the build. The 10-SGTY Racer feels like it’s trying to escape, and is being barely held in place by the tie downs. The result is a very dynamic build.

10-SGTY Racer (tensegrity)

It certainly doesn’t hurt that the racer stands alone as a quality spacecraft build. Technic panels and curved slopes in medium azure give a sleek bit of contrast to the bright-light-orange of the quarter-arch bricks. I also like the ring of 1×2 tiles that match that arch. There’s some clever building with lightsaber hilts going on there.

10-SGTY Racer (tensegrity)

I think it’s also a nice touch that the pilot has a big grin on their face. After all, I imagine flying a racer like this would be quite the joy.

Vroom Vroom Vroom, let me hear you say wey-oh

LEGO custom car superstar Ian Ying is on something of a roll. In hot pursuit of his recent LEGO dragster, here comes a beast of a concept racer. This thing is all smooth sports car lines up-front, and then mad-as-a-box-of-frogs supercharged drag racer at the back. The angles and curves, built with a smart selection of tiles and slopes, are spot-on, and together with the restrained use of stickers and a nicely-blocked colour scheme manage to make this look like a much bigger model than it really is. But there’s no getting away from it; the stupid/amazing turbocharged engine and enormous wheels to the rear grab all the attention. And quite rightly too; the whole thing is gloriously over the top!

GReddyConceptRacingCar4

Lean, green and mean.. Built for separating the pack.

Early in May, we showcased Inthert’s previous Speeder, and now barely a month later he shares another great one. His new LEGO Speeder Bike comes with the feeling of a deluxe personal outrigger, capable of some spectacular turns. Impressively bold in colour, Victor-Vine’s Bike looks striking with the simple but well-balanced gradient running through its core. The main body, built from twin green brick separators, gives way to its sleek design and powerful rear end. The steering pinion-shafts lead to the lengthy upper-stock, reaching the nose rudder with ease. It makes me wonder what sort of G’s it would pull taking a tight corner. The front end is held together with a couple of 2×2 white Rubber Bands, giving enough pressure to keep the nose assembly in fine form.

Victor-Vine's Bike

Towards the engines, we see some nice parts usage, tightly constructed and predominantly in black. I was personally pleased to see the white 1/2 Technic Bush and the Modified 1×2 Plate with Ladder. Such a simple element like this ancient ladder plate, tends to be abandoned for the 1×2 – 2×2 Bracket and a couple of 1×2 Grills, so it’s good to see it pop up here.

Safety, practicality, and dignified luxury mean nothing when raising hell

Many prefer the safety, practicality and reliability of a Toyota while driving to work. Others find that the versatile design and all-wheel drive of a Subaru speaks to their rugged sensibilities while exploring the great outdoors. Some, with greater means, may enjoy the sense of  dignified luxury that a Lexus can provide. Chris Perron’s Gyrobike, on the other hand, is none of these.

Gyrobike

Because when your name is Buzzsaw and you’re sporting a post-apocalyptic mohawk, you ain’t got time for dignified luxury, Jack! You’re all about rippin’ the road and raisin’ hell! Based on the wild concept designs of artist Calum Alexander Watt, this beast, like the Subaru,  is also all-wheel drive. Meaning…it is all wheel and not much else. Can it pick up the kiddos from school? Sorry, rugrats, get your own damn ride! Can it get groceries at the local supermarket? Heck no! This Gyrobike is designed for crushing groceries! And heads, probably.

Getting the ball rolling

Never underestimate the power of a good color scheme. This gorgeous orange, teal, and white racer by Chris Perron is instantly eye-catching thanks to its bold shades. The car isn’t just all flash, though, as it’s designed as a futuristic mag-lev vehicle around a large rear ball, held in place with a pair of orange basketball hoops. The ball originally hails from Duplo, and it’s one of only a few elements to have successfully made the jump from Duplo to System sets. The use of 3×3 radar dish pairs for front “wheels” also works great (do mag-lev cars need wheels?).

Maglev Racer

Stylish sci-fi racer approaches the starting line

When it comes to building a great LEGO model, one thing that really shows off a builder’s skill is the ability to create something that can easily be mistaken for something other than plastic interlocking bricks. This sci-fi racing car by Vince_Toulouse is a perfect blend of smoothly curved details and unique parts, like the troll arms used for the main engine exhaust ports, or the mermaid tails housing the headlights. But by far, my favorite feature is the two-color striping throughout the car, which provides the perfect polish.

GR440 III

From parts car to restored racing legend, this garage has it all.

Over the past few weeks, I have been following Pixeljunkie’s progress on an exciting series of photographs that seemingly depict the restoration of a classic 1950s Mercedes race car. Time and time again, Pixeljunkie has demonstrated an impeccable talent in building minifigure-scale vehicles and setting the scene (like his Bugatti we featured back in July). His latest image depicts a gritty but gorgeous-looking garage, along with his partially stripped down Mercedes race car. Pixeljunkie opted to leave the engine exposed, and it sports a fair amount of detail for being confined within such a small space.

Vintage Garage

With the extensive repairs out of the way, it’s time to load the car up for transport. The fully restored racer looks simply stunning, and the small team of restorers is just as charming as the car itself. Out of the entire lot, the middle-aged motorhead with cigarette in hand is my favorite (the cigarette itself is an interesting use of three Nanoblock pieces). Several other fun details can be found in Pixeljunkie’s garage, such as a loft area with a drafting table and sink. Meanwhile, shelves are filled with a wide variety of tiny tools.

See the vintage Mercedes racing car in its restored glory

Lamborghini Centenario in all its glory

Just as the Lamborghini Centenario pays homage to the vision of Ferrucio Lamborghini, this LEGO Centenario built by Lachlan Cameron gives tribute to the already iconic supercar. Clad in black with red highlights, this model features illuminated headlights and taillights, elegant scissor doors, chromed tailpipes, and even a personalized California license plate! The wheels from the Porsche 911 GT3 RS complement the overall impression of this model.

Lamborghini Centenario- new doors

Click to see more views of this supercar

A trio of triumphant Wipeout racers

LEGO builders have been inspired for years by the antigravity racers in the 1995 PlayStation game Wipeout. Marius Herrmann demonstrates his mastery of yet another LEGO genre with a trio of racers, building on his perfect Bugatti Veyron and Thunderjaw from Horizon Zero Dawn. All three use custom decals and are presented on really cool stands, begging for space on any video game geek’s desk.

The first anti-grav racer incorporates harsh angles with detailing from red leaves.

Tigron K-VSR (from "WipEout Omega Collection")

See more of these Wipeout antigravity racers recreated in LEGO

Formula One redux

Back in 1975, long before the classic eighties Model Team sets that I had as a child, LEGO already made a series of realistic models of real vehicles, in the so-called Hobby sets. One of these was Lego set 392, Formula One; a model of a race car that, considering the limited parts that LEGO made at the time, was remarkably detailed.

LEGO 392 Formula 1 redux - box art

Of course, with the fancy newer parts that we have today, it’s possible to make it smoother and more detailed, which is exactly what LegoExotics has done.