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.
Polish LEGO builder Sariel is famous for his huge LEGO models that incorporate LEGO Technic and Power Functions elements for working features without sacrificing details or the overall look of the model. His recent MAZ-535 artillery truck was no exception, and it reminded us that we had overlooked his fantastic KV-1 heavy tank and KV-2 heavy artillery tank. I’ve built LEGO KV-1 and KV-2 tanks myself, so I have an appreciation for the challenging angles of these early WW2 Soviet tanks.
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Building functioning vehicles has been a passion for many builders ever since the introduction of the Technic line of LEGO sets back in 1977 as the Expert Builder series. Some builders add motors so their vehicles can move and steer, but then there are builders like Sariel who go far and above merely building a motorized vehicle to create something truly special. When I first saw this model of a MAZ 535 heavy artillery truck made in USSR, I was impressed by both the scale, and the attention to detail, which compared to photos is remarkable.
But the amazing attention to detail doesn’t stop there. Sariel has created a video that shows off some of the many hidden features, included an opening top hatch, and two speeds for the transmission, which allows the LEGO truck to pull an incredible amount of weight. In the video, the Maz is seen pulling a chair across the floor! There is even a scene of an adorable hamster checking out the fabric hand-stitched canopy.
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You can always depend on Jason Allemann to take all things LEGO to a new level. For Halloween this year, the actual action of dishing out treats to tiny monsters, ghouls and all toddler-sized superheroes has been automated. It’s powered by a Mindstorms EV3 control unit and motor.
It holds a total of 40 candy bars separated by Technic axles acting as dividers. The buttons are connected to lift arms which go all the way to the back activating touch sensors to release the sweet goods.
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LEGO builder Jake Sadovich is best known for his successful Ideas project that turned into 21313 Ship in a Bottle, but that’s not all he’s great at. His latest model is this rad bike sporting a ludicrous six-cylinder radial engine. With a wicked cattle skull mounted on the front handlebars plus the gunmetal, grey, and brown color scheme, the motorcycle has a distinct Western-punk feel. The bike has plenty of clever details, but particularly great are the brown tails for the skull’s horns and the Nexo Knight robot shoulders integrated into the radial engine housing.
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For several decades, the LEGO Technic theme has incorporated licensed vehicles pulled from the ranks of the world’s best-known auto manufacturers. And almost without exception, LEGO has focused these sets on sports cars and heavy equipment. But now Technic has made a foray into the new class of automobile life that seems to be taking over all that it touches: the SUV. With 42110 Land Rover Defender, LEGO not only releases its first Technic SUV, but also lands its first license with renowned automaker Jaguar/Landrover in 50 years (LEGO produced diecast Jaguar models in the 1960s). Not simply a one-off, the licensing partnership also includes minifigure-scale vehicles for the Speed Champions line like the I-pace and Formula E racecar. The new LEGO Defender released Oct. 1, 2019, and was revealed in conjunction with the real vehicle’s debut, marking Land Rover’s return to the venerable Defender model. The set includes 2,573 pieces and retails for US $199.99 | CAN $249.99 | UK £159.99.
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While assembling the latest and the biggest LEGO Technic set ever, I came up with countless versions of the introductory paragraph for this review. However, once I turned this thing on and spend some time operating it, it became clear that none of my paragraphs work better than raw facts about the set which speak for themselves. So, here is LEGO Technic 42100 Liebherr R 9800 Excavator, the biggest LEGO Technic set ever with 4,108 pieces, among which are 7 Powered Up motors and 2 smart-hub. The finished model weighs around 6 kg / 13.2 lbs (including the weight of 12 AA cells). This is a fully motorized copy that can be controlled via a smartphone or a tablet and it is all as good as it sounds. With impressive numbers comes an impressive price tag; the set is available for US $449.99 | CAN $549.99 | UK £399.99. And here comes the most important question: is the set worth the money? Let’s build it, test it and find out.
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LEGO and Amazon are launching a new “Mindstorms Voice Challenge: Powered by Alexa” for developers and LEGO robotics fans with some serious prizes up for grabs. The challenge is to envision and create new ways that voice controls can work with LEGO.
More than $100,000 worth of prizes are available, with the grand prize winner receiving $20,000 in Amazon gift cards, tons of LEGO sets, and a trip to LEGO Headquarters in Denmark. You can get a $150 Amazon gift card just by entering.
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LEGO Technic is getting bigger this year, with the Liebherr R 9800 Excavator (42100) clocking in at a massive 4,108 pieces, making it officially the biggest Technic set ever. It’s now available for pre-order from LEGO.com for US $449.99 | CAN $549.99 | UK £399.99. Although the site doesn’t list its release date, we expect it to be Oct. 1 based on the previously released catalog. Using a customized version of new Control+ app that we just featured in our review of the brand new LEGO Technic 4×4 X-treme Off-Roader (42099), the giant mining excavator has not one but two smart hubs and seven motors.
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LEGO has officially unveiled the Technic 42110 Land Rover Defender, a 2,573-piece replica of the legendary utility vehicle and the first LEGO Technic model in olive green. We first reported on the set back in June, but today we have all the images and details. The LEGO Land Rover Defender was unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show alongside the actual New Land Rover Defender vehicle. The set will be available starting October 1st for US $199.99 | CAN $249.99 | UK £159.99.
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When there’s something strange in the LEGOhood, who you gonna call? Darren Thew, that’s who! The Ecto 1 has been modeled in LEGO bricks many times before, but Darren takes things to a new level with a massive version of the beloved vehicle from Ghostbusters. He has taken great care in striving for authenticity, from every minute detail on the roof to the use of System and Technic parts to form the curvaceous shape of the retrofitted 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor.
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A builder named 呱氏神 (Gū Shìshén) has constructed, in my opinion, one of the most nauseating, vomit-inducing LEGO creations ever, but not because I dislike it. Quite the contrary. The skill level and presentation are all top-notch as evidenced by the beautiful waves, palm tree and gold filigree. My younger self would have loved the chance to go on this “Viking Pirates” ride, but as I get older it seems I’d rather quietly read about vikings or pirates and leave the real adventures to you crazy kids.
Queasy old stomach aside, this indeed looks as if it would be fun to play with. There is no video presentation for this, but the backside makes it clear that the ride works in exactly the way you’d think with the help of a manual crank and Technic gears. Continue reading →
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Here is a simple truth: these days LEGO remains one of those few common activities that give you a rest from a smartphone. For me and for many of our readers, building with LEGO has always been a pastime that requires no downloads, installing or updates; you open a box and the play begins. Obviously, winning over modern-day kids who love digital entertainment and touchscreens is a tough challenge for a toy manufacturer. They say if you can’t beat them, join them, but LEGO thinks differently: if you can’t beat them, build them into the play experience. Along comes LEGO Technic Powered Up — the first generation of LEGO Technic electric elements that bring smartphones and tablets into play. With a whole lot of sensors and features, the new smart hub and motors are among the most advanced LEGO pieces ever produced. LEGO Technic 42099 4×4 X-treme Off-Roader introduces the new play system. The set includes just 958 pieces, but the new expensive electric elements are to blame for the price tag of US $249.99 | CAN $299.99 | UK £199.99. It is available starting today, so we are building and testing the model in an attempt to discover the limits of the new Powered Up system and Control+ smart app.
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