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.
This cordless drill by František Hajdekr shows how to hide functional elements in plain sight. Tucked under the handle, the Power Functions battery pack for this motorized technic drill looks just like the battery pack for a real cordless drill.
Of course, what good is a battery if it doesn’t power something? Pull the trigger on this model and the drill bit spins. The M-Motor that powers the drill bit fits neatly inside two half-cylinder “tipper drum” panels. By using a Power Functions control switch for the trigger, the drill can turn both clockwise and counter-clockwise.
You can also see this model in action on František Hajdekr’s YouTube channel.
The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.
Builder HallBricks blends the functional with the beautiful in this Technic Motorized Bus. I watched this video several times in awe of its clean lines, compact design, and marvelous engineering. This model exhibits many design features that blend SYSTEM brick and Technic parts to form elegant curves. The rear pillars and roof combine Technic panels with SYSTEM rounded slopes for a smooth, semi-oblate shape. On the outside, the model’s headlights and tail lights consist of multiple translucent tiles for a multi-faceted effect.
The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.
Cars are the very essence of the LEGO Technic philosophy. Supercars, buggies, Formula 1 cars or wild futuristic concepts — there’s no car you can’t build with LEGO Technic pieces. And it’s not just about the design, but also about the models’ functionality; any car can be equipped with a gear box or all-wheel drive. This season 42077 Rally Car hits the store shelves — an amazingly well-balanced set that can serve both as a brilliant display model or as a very clever choice for anyone who’s just getting to know the world of Technic mechanisms. The set consists of 1005 pieces and retails for $109.99 / 99.99€ / £89.99.
The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.
This year’s 42078 Mack Anthem is the 5th largest LEGO Technic set released of all time, and it’s definitely a beauty. At the moment, it is on back order from the LEGO Shop online, so If you need to grab one (or two) they’re now available in stock on Amazon US for $179.99 (RRP). You can pick up your copy by clicking the image below!
The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.
Though the original Lanz Bulldog wasn’t built for beauty, this model of the classic German tractor by Nikolaus Löwetruly shines. Combining SYSTEM and Technic parts, the model has some nice design touches; a brick-built seat, elegantly curved rear mud flaps built from Technic beams, a vertical exhaust pipe (for a hot bulb engine, perhaps?), even running boards. The hood and sides of the engine compartment blend Technic panels and beams for a clean look.
The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.
You may occasionally still see the unmistakable Citroën 2CV gliding along the lanes of rustic French towns, some 70 years after its first introduction. BuilderNico71 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.
The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.
Yes, the future is now! No more tying your own shoes: Flickr user vmln8r has designed the “Self-lacing shoe.” Better late than never, Marty!
The design looks simple and requires relatively few parts. The single axle accomplishes the real work of winding the shoe laces taut. The genius of this contraption, I think, shines in how the powered components—Power Functions L-Motor, IR Receiver, and AAA Battery Box—wrap snugly around the sides of the shoe. The transfer of power bears attention, as the machine uses a series of gears, including a worm gear, to direct the twisting motion from the vertically-oriented L-Motor to the horizontal axle.
In case you’re wondering: yes, the contraption works! You can watch the self-lacing shoe in action in this YouTube clip:
The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.
LEGO has just released a teaser video revealing that the second set in the LEGO Technic Ultimate Series will be the Bugatti Chiron. The model follows in the tracks of 42056 Porsche 911 GT3 RS, and will be 1:8 scale with 3,599 parts. The Technic Bugatti Chiron will be released on August 1st.
A teaser image was also revealed simply showing four Bugatti Chiron LEGO wheels and a handful of Technic parts – including a Bugatti branded steering wheel.
The video teases a suitably blurred, semi-constructed LEGO set that should get those supercar Technic fans into an anticipatory frenzy.
The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.
Elegant, functional mechanical models don’t need to be large. In their “LEGO Technic Micro Stepper Mechanism” video, Lego Technic Mastery demonstrates how to build a simple, manually-operated stepper motor that can attach to any Technic beam. This stepper machine has four 90° stops, allowing for precise quarter turns in both the clockwise and counter-clockwise direction.
At 0:56 in the video, Lego Technic Mastery provides a shot of all the parts needed for this mcahine plus step-by-step instructions. I followed the instructions and built my own “little stepper” with little difficulty (although I did break a LEGO rubber band in the process).
Check out Lego Technic Mastery’s YouTube channel, which includes an awesome pneumatic robot hand!
The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.
Consider, for a moment, if you will, the not-so-humble hot rod chassis. Builder Green Gecko Lego Technic Workshop certainly did with their “Lego Technic Pneumatic HOT ROD Chassis.” This Technic model features independent front suspension, precision pneumatic steering, solid axle rear suspension, and even a working V8 engine with realistic sound and revving.
Green Gecko has posted a video of the complete hot rod that includes body panels, a mean-looking front grille, opening doors, and chromed pipes. This video also shows the custom controller for the full remote control car, which includes a pair of cylinders that control the steering and a pneumatic switch to control the engine.
The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.
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.
The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.
In its own rights, the 42054 CLAAS XERION 5000 TRAC VC tractor amazes with its sturdy yet functional design. That said, the essence of the tractor is actually doing things, performing work, getting business done. In this spirit, Brick Wall used the CLAAS Xerion tractor model as a platform for some fantastic—and practical—attachments.
Need your lawn mowed? Take a look at this functional, real lawn mower attachment, each blade powered by two motors working in parallel. (In all seriousness, don’t try this at home: those are real razor blades.)
The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.
