It’s not clear whether LEGO builder Shannon Sproule‘s roving habitat is meant for use on a distant planet or the apocalyptic future of our own, but this repurposed APC looks like it’s seen it all. Shannon says it used to have a turret, but that’s now been replaced with a hab module and comms equipment. The vehicle is battered and worn, with Shannon doing a great job with the weathering thanks to introducing some brighter colors like dark orange and coral. The simple digital background also gives the presentation that sense of place, which goes a long way in telling the APC’s story.
Tag Archives: Vehicles
The most Rapid of metro buses
I have a confession to make: I have never taken a metro bus. Honestly, I don’t know the first thing about taking a city bus, and I have so many questions! And even though the Seattle bus drivers seem to drive a little crazy, it takes our buses twice as long to get somewhere than if I drive myself. They don’t seem very “rapid” to me, but according to The Eleventh Bricks, the real-life version this LEGO bus is.
I’m skeptical, but I’ll have to take their word for it. Joking aside, this is an excellent replica of a metro bus, and it even includes lights, which is always a winner in my book.
Want to see a bus with some impressive mechanics? Check out this custom Technic RC model!
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!
Hover car racer crosses the line
This was one of those LEGO models which seemingly popped out of nowhere during the creative process. I started off fiddling around with the new mudguard pieces, thinking they might make for interesting detailing, and almost before I knew it, I had something reminiscent of a muscle car engine grille. At that point, the retro racing vibe kicked in and the rest of the model came together in a couple of hours. I think asymmetry always adds an interesting spark to a model, and so the off-centre elements — the stripe and the protruding engine — were in the plan from an early stage. The domed cockpit came late to the party, but it’s the part of the model I’m most pleased with. I feel it adds a Jetsons-esque touch of the retro-ridiculous, and makes the model more fun than it might have been otherwise. Similarly, the addition of the Friends sticker on the front wing fitted with a racing theme, but represented a change from the usual livery applied to futuristic LEGO vehicles.
Once the model was complete I obviously had to build some kind of backdrop for it. The panel-based scenery is plain and simple, but that’s okay as I’d always planned to motion-blur the hell out of it! I know some people prefer to see their LEGO models in plain and unfiltered images, but for me this one demanded some oomph. I’ve been watching a lot of the Netflix F1 documentary recently, and I was trying to capture something of the same feel, conveying the dynamic nature of the hover car racing competition I had in my head.
Wheel need some bigger tires
I love vehicles with big, knobby tires. Just love ’em. My dream ride is a tricked out, super-lifted Jeep Rubicon, ready to crawl the ruggedest rocks on the planet. But that’s not all big wheels are good for. They are also useful for getting your massive military machine from point A to point B, through all weather and terrain. Brick Ninja demonstrates this ably with this LEGO artillery truck. The olive green looks appropriately military, and the splash of orange gives a nice pop of contrast, adding some sci-fi flair. It says, “Camouflage? We don’t need no stinking camouflage!” The greebles are not overdone, which makes sense since it is an armored vehicle (who would leave a bunch of important stuff on the outside to get blasted off?). And I love the crew, complementing the colors of the vehicle while giving life to the scene.
Take the twins on a nine-second road trip
There’s nothing like taking the family and the pets on a scenic road trip. On second thought, leave them at home, there is no room for them in a Tommy Ivo dragster anyway. And if you’re soaking in the beautiful sights along the way, then boy are you doing it wrong! Ian Ying has built a LEGO version of TV Tommy’s legendary Twin Buick AA Dragster and the result is…well, legendary. The real thing has broken several world records including being the first gasoline-powered dragster to break the nine-second barrier. I’m sure this LEGO version must break a few records like…um…best use of custom chromed-out motorcycle rims or something. Whether it be the copious amounts of chrome or its aggressive stance, I’m pretty smitten with the whole kit and kaboodle. But then again, I would be. It would seem Ian is an up-and-coming builder to watch out for because here are the other times his stunning creations has made our hearts flutter.
Yes, you CAN take it all with you!
We would have been totally impressed with just a LEGO Ford pickup. Really, we would have. But colognebrick went the extra mile and added a stunning fifth-wheel camper and now we’re in awe. This is what the world could be like if we had a wide-open road and unlimited time and gas money. The possibilities are endless! It makes your heart go pitter-patter, doesn’t it? I should get on the horn with Brothers Brick brass to see if we have it in our budget to get a real truck and camper like this one. We could use it as a mobile headquarters for…you know…article writing and stuff. I really like the gray and blue stripe along the side. The trailer’s color scheme and the “Wildlife Caravans” stickers comes from this set. But if that wasn’t impressive enough, the sides expand out, and the camper has a fully detailed interior.
Here’s some of the inside.
Guys, come on. Seriously, do we have the budget for this? It’ll be like the Batmobile except for less crime-fighting and more sightseeing. Andrew? Chris? Brothers Brick road trip? Anyone?
LEGO’s newest Creator Expert vehicle revealed as the Italian classic Fiat 500 [News]
One of the best things that have happened to the LEGO Creator Expert theme over the previous decade is the introduction of large scale vehicle sets. It all started with a fantastic 10220 Volkswagen T1 Camper Van set in 2011. Soon we got a taste of iconic British motorcars with 10242 MINI Cooper MK VII and even got behind the wheel of the charged version of 10265 Ford Mustang. Today, LEGO invites all car enthusiasts on a road trip down the Amalfi Coast with the newest addition to the Creator Expert garage, 10271 Fiat 500 set. The set consists of 960 pieces and will retail for the price of US $89.99 | CAN $129.99 | UK £74.99; it will be available directly from LEGO Stores & LEGO.com from March 1, 2020.
Click here to learn all the details about the new Creator Expert set…
A cool rover for February
February is the least favorite month for many people, at least in the Northern Hemisphere; it’s often cold, still dreary, and all the magic of winter and Christmas is long forgotten. But not for me. It certainly helps that my birthday falls in this shortest of months, but there are many other positive features to recommend it. For example, it is the month to build LEGO rovers (Febrovery). I love rovers. And what better way to combine winter with rovers than a solid Ice Planet 2002-inspired rig like this one from the appropriately named Frost? It’s got giant wheels that are really erasers (perhaps it erases its own wheel marks from the snow?), the glorious trans-neon orange canopy, and the can’t miss blue-and-white color scheme. Some stickered pieces from the Galaxy Squad make some nice details, and I love white greebles. The coral highlights set it apart though, which is good because this is on Ice Planet 2003, not 2002.
All the shinies, my precious!
Here at The Brothers Brick we are like raccoons in the sense that we love shiny things and have short attention spans. Apparently there is also a lemur within our ranks but I have not seen the critter around the headquarters since my inception here. But that is a matter for another day; as for now, we will deal with the only thing that matters, which is this stunning LEGO Confederate R131 Fighter Motorcycle by Ian Ying. There was a time when LEGO was on board with our obsession for shiny things but that is in the past and what bit of precious chrome is left has become increasingly rare and costly. Custom chrome parts can be had but you’d have to spend a pretty penny (a shiny penny!) to build something as gloriously chrome-plated as Ian had.
There was apparently a time when other things mattered. But our reason for publishing, our reason for our very existence has all led up to this. As a raccoon with a short attention span who loves shiny things, I declare this to be the best LEGO creation in the history of the world ever and will be until the end of time! Or until a few hours from now when something else captures our attention, whichever comes first.
The typical Tokyo taxi is a Toyota
New Dehli had the Hindustan Ambassador, London the FX4 and New York the Checker Marathon and the Ford Crown Victoria. All of these taxis became instantly recognizable icons for their respective cities. What about Tokyo, you may wonder? On a visit Japan, you will occasionally see modern MPV-like vehicles, but the typical Tokyo taxi is a boxy contraption called the Toyota Comfort. They seem to be everywhere. I must have taken about ten taxi rides during my own trips to Japan and I’m pretty sure all of those were in a Toyota Comfort.
Toyota started building them specifically for use as taxis for a whopping 22 years, starting in 1995. You may expect them to be high tech, but these cars are actually fairly basic. A particularly Japanese exception is that the driver can open and shut the rear doors at the push of a button, from behind the wheel. The doors are an important part of the build, of course. On most of my LEGO cars, the rear doors cannot open without the front doors being opened first. However, I wanted this particular model to look good with the rear doors opened. They are attached to a little arm that slides in and out and I have added appropriate window frames. I also added a “Kawaii” passenger. The Comfort may not be as iconic as London black cab, but my collection of Japanese cars would be incomplete without one.
Some cars are just super, but some are totally hyper!
When getting from point A to point B in a regular car just doesn’t cut it, then you need a supercar. But when a supercar doesn’t make your discerning heart go pitter-patter anymore then a LEGO builder who goes by the name of 3D supercarBricks has the solution for you. It’s a pretty super Bugatti Chiron GT in striking yellow and black. Categorized as a Hypercar, this Chiron is what happens when a supercar rises to the top 1%. With 1500 horsepower, and topping out at 261mph, the real-life Bugatti Chiron GT is a technological marvel. While much slower, this LEGO version also isn’t without its charms. A brief perusal through this builder’s Flick photostream proves 3D supercarBricks lives up to their name, which is a good thing because photos of LEGO cats or houses would have been totally weird.